Arlington Land Trust

Protecting Open Spaces in Arlington

All Posts

Mugar/Thorndike Place ZBA Hearing Oct. 5

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.

Final ZBA Hearing on Mugar/Thorndike Place Oct 5

September 2021 – Mugar Update 2

The ZBA’s final public hearing on the Comprehensive Permit for Thorndike Place is scheduled on Tuesday, October 5, starting at 6:30 pm. Additional information will be shared closer to the meeting date. You can register in advance for this Zoom meeting. You will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.

The Mugar site is shown on this Open Space and Recreational Resources Inventory Map. Click on the map to view the town-wide inventory map.

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.

Open Space and Recreation Plan Survey

The Town of Arlington and the Open Space Committee are updating the 2015 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP). The Plan inventories current open space and recreation resources, identifies community needs, and outlines an action plan to meet those needs. It is updated every seven years to keep it current on existing conditions in Arlington and ensure the Town remains eligible for state-funded grants. As part of the updating process, community residents are invited to share their ideas on what is being done well, what could be improved, and future open space and recreation opportunities.

Please take the OSRP survey before it closes on October 4, 2021. Your feedback will help shape the future of Arlington’s green spaces! The survey will take approximately 7 minutes to complete.

The planning process and additional engagement opportunities will continue through the fall and winter. You are invited to share your ideas at any time during this process. Find out more about the Open Space Committee and email your comments to OSRPUpdate@town.arlington.ma.us
 

Take the OSRP survey

Mugar/Thorndike Place ZBA Hearing Sept. 9

September 2021 – Mugar Update

A ZBA hearing is scheduled on Thursday, September 9, starting at 7:30 pm, to continue discussion of the Comprehensive Permit for Thorndike Place, located on the Mugar land in East Arlington. Numerous recent documents and correspondence can be found on the ZBA agenda website for the 09/09/21 meeting. The next hearing is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 28 at 7:30 pm.

Recent flooding at the proposed entrance to Thorndike Place, at the corner of Dorothy and Littlejohn Roads.

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.

ZBA Resumes Mugar/Thorndike Place Hearing August 3

August 2021 – Mugar Update 

The next ZBA hearing is scheduled on Tuesday, August 3, starting at 7:30 pm, to continue discussion of the Comprehensive Permit for Thorndike Place, located on the Mugar land in East Arlington.

Oaktree Development, after months of hearings on its residential proposal, shifted in May to proposing a senior living complex.  Only sketchy information on this new scheme has been provided to the board and the public, with no information at all being presented at the June 29th and July 13th meetings.  We hope that Oaktree will not similarly waste the board’s and the public’s time at this upcoming meeting but thus far no new information has been submitted.  If there are any last-minute submissions, they will be available here.

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.