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November 2021 – Mugar Update #2

The Zoning Board of Appeals deliberations on the Comprehensive Permit for Thorndike Place will continue on Thursday November 11, at 7:30 pm. The most recent revised draft decision is dated November 3, 2021, and reflects changes made at that session.

The Land Trust is very concerned that the current draft has no condition that requires the permanent preservation of the conservation land. A memo sent to the ZBA and the Select Board from ALT president Chris Leich states:

To the Arlington Select Board and Zoning Board of Appeals:

I’m writing to draw your immediate attention to the fact that the most recent draft of the ZBA’s proposed decision on the Thorndike Place project has deleted a crucial condition: the requirement to permanently preserve the promised conservation land.

Prior drafts required that the disposition of the 12-acre “conservation parcel” be determined in a memorandum of understanding between the Town and the developer.  Without this condition we have no assurance that the parcel will in fact be permanently protected as conservation land.  The current draft includes merely a “finding” that the developer has “offered” to place a conservation restriction on the conservation parcel, but there is no requirement whatsoever that the developer actually go through with this plan.

As prior public discussions and drafts of the ZBA’s decision have consistently reflected, it is absolutely fundamental to this project that the conservation parcel be permanently protected through ownership by the Town or a conservation organization agreed on by the Town and the developer.

A failure at this late stage to include an express condition to this effect would represent a shocking abdication of the ZBA’s responsibility.  We urge the ZBA to reinstate the appropriate condition immediately.

Sincerely,

Christopher M. Leich
President, Arlington Land Trust, Inc.

Register in advance for the ZBA Zoom webinar. You will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.

Note that these deliberation meetings are open to the public for viewing only; neither the Applicant, Town officials, nor residents may participate in these sessions. The ZBA now expects to render its decision on or before November 30, and there may be other meetings in the interim.

Arlington Land Trust continues to advocate for the permanent protection of the Mugar parcel as conservation land. The site is subject to regular and significant flooding, and is a critical stormwater buffer for the surrounding and downstream neighborhoods of East Arlington.

November 2021 – Mugar Update

The ZBA has begun its final deliberations on the Comprehensive Permit for Thorndike Place, and a revised draft decisionwas released after the previous October 28 meeting. The deliberations will continue on Wednesday, November 3, at 7:30 pm.

These deliberation meetings are open to the public for viewing only, but neither the Applicant, Town officials, nor residents may participate in these sessions. The ZBA expects to render its decision on or before November 23rd, and there may be other meetings in the interim.

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting. You will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting

Arlington Land Trust continues to advocate for the permanent protection of the Mugar parcel as conservation land. The site is subject to regular and significant flooding, and is a critical stormwater buffer for the surrounding and downstream neighborhoods of East Arlington.

October 2021 – Mugar Update 3

The ZBA closed the public hearing for the Comprehensive Permit for Thorndike Place on October 20, and on Thursday, October 28, at 7:30 pm will begin deliberations on the final decision for the permit application. You can review the October 13 version of the draft decision here.

The ZBA expects to render its decision on or before November 23rd, and there may be other meetings in the interim. The deliberation meetings are open to the public for observation, but the applicant, Town officials, and residents may no longer participate in these sessions.

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting. You will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.

Arlington Land Trust continues to advocate for the permanent protection of the Mugar parcel as conservation land. The site is subject to regular and significant flooding, and is a critical stormwater buffer for the surrounding and downstream neighborhoods of East Arlington.

October 2021 – Mugar Update 2

The ZBA has announced its final public hearing for discussion of the Comprehensive Permit for Thorndike Place on Wednesday, October 20, starting at 7:30 pm. Several recent documents and correspondence can be found on the ZBA agenda website.

The ZBA has posted a revised Draft Decision

A Memo by the developer’s attorney sets out their terms regarding the 12-acre conservation parcel.  Contrary to their original promise to deed the land to the Town, they now take the position that they should continue to own the land, subject to a restriction on development.  This would mean the “conservation land” would have a succession of owners over the years, as the development is inevitably flipped and flipped again. 

Please let the ZBA know that the Town should own the land – as promised – to ensure the full benefit of “Article 97” conservation protections for the public good.

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting. You will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.

Please send your comments and concerns about this proposed project to the Zoning Board at zba@town.arlington.ma.us. It is important to share your concerns with the ZBA members as they deliberate their decision and the conditions to be placed on the Comprehensive Permit for this project.

Arlington Land Trust continues to advocate for the permanent protection of the Mugar parcel as conservation land. The site is subject to regular and significant flooding, and is a critical stormwater buffer for the surrounding and downstream neighborhoods of East Arlington.

October 2021 – Mugar Update 

The next and possibly final ZBA hearing is scheduled on Tuesday, October 5, at 6:30 pm, to continue discussion of the Comprehensive Permit for Thorndike Place, located on the Mugar land in East Arlington. This hearing will focus on the ZBA’s revised Draft Decision, which outlines the details of the proposed project, including conditions and waivers. This is a complicated legal document. Various parties have already and will continue to make revisions until the ZBA votes on the final amended text of the decision.

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting. You will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.

In a recent letter to the ZBA, Patrick Herron, executive director of the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), expresses the organization’s concerns about the scale of the project in the former Great Swamp, and the process for transferring the 12+ acres of open space to conservation purposes. He and other concerned residents and observers are asking the ZBA to extend the hearing process to continue discussing many unresolved issues.

Please send your comments and concerns about this proposed project to the Zoning Board at zba@town.arlington.ma.us. It is important to share your concerns with the ZBA members as they deliberate their decision and the conditions to be placed on the Comprehensive Permit for this project.

Arlington Land Trust continues to advocate for the permanent protection of the Mugar parcel as conservation land. The site is subject to regular and significant flooding, and is a critical stormwater buffer for the surrounding and downstream neighborhoods of East Arlington.