Blog

December 2023 – Mugar Update

The Conservation Commission is continuing its public hearing on the proposed Thorndike Place 40B development project on the Mugar property on Thursday, December 14, at 7 pm, via Zoom. 

As reported previously, the Con Com received an official Notice of Intent (NOI) under the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act (WPA) in September from Arlington Land Realty, LLC, the owner/developer of the site. The NOI describes work within the FEMA 100-Year Floodplain / Bordering Land Subject to Flooding (BLSF), as well as within the Buffer Zone to Bordering Vegetated Wetlands (BVW). 

The public hearing on the NOI began on September 21 and was continued into November while the commission solicited peer review consultant firms to supplement their own analysis of two specific portions of the NOI. At its November 16 meeting, the Con Com voted to hire Hatch to review the stormwater management plan and SWCA to review the planting and habitat plans.

As part of the Land Trust’s efforts to gather accurate and comprehensive information about the complex environmental challenges on the site, ALT retained hydrologist Scott Horsley to review the NOI and other documents relating to stormwater management. His report is posted on the Conservation Commission’s Thorndike Place web page along with other related materials.

At the December 14 meeting, Scott Horsley and the Hatch and SWCA peer reviewers are expected to present their findings. Click here to review the agenda and register in advance for this Zoom meeting.

November 2023 – Mugar Update

Since the Land Trust’s previous e-newsletter in September, the Conservation Commission has begun its public hearing on the proposed Thorndike Place 40B development project in East Arlington. The Land Trust continues to support efforts to gather accurate and comprehensive information about the complex environmental challenges on the site. 

Con Com Hearing on Thorndike Place

The next Conservation Commission meeting on Thursday, November 16, will include a continuation of the public hearing on the proposed Thorndike Place housing project on the Mugar land. The meeting begins at 7 pm via Zoom, but the Thorndike Place hearing is set to begin around 8:30 pm. It will provide an update on the peer review process, as described below. 

Click here to review the agenda and register in advance for this meeting,

Click here for additional information, visit the Con Com web page on Thorndike Place. 

In September the Con Com received a Notice of Intent (NOI) from Arlington Land Realty, LLC, the owner/developer of the site, under the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act (WPA). The NOI proposes work within the FEMA 100-Year Floodplain / Bordering Land Subject to Flooding (BLSF), as well as within the Buffer Zone to Bordering Vegetated Wetlands (BVW). Mitigation measures are proposed to compensate for the impacts to these resources.

The public hearing on the NOI began on September 21 and has been continued while the Con Com solicits peer review consultants to supplement their own analysis of two specific portions of the NOI. The first is a review of the Stormwater Report and Management Plan associated with the Thorndike Place development to determine whether it complies with the Massachusetts Stormwater Standards. The second is a review of the Thorndike Place Planting Plan for compliance with the performance standards for restoration work in designated zones and whether the plan will enhance wildlife habitat conditions.

In the meantime, the Land Trust has retained Scott Horsley, a hydrologist with more than 30 years of experience in evaluating water resources projects, to review the NOI and other documents relating to stormwater management. He has submitted his findings to the Con Com, and his report will be posted on the Thorndike Place web page along with other related materials. The NOI hearings will be continued at future Con Com meetings when the peer review process is completed.

We will continue to provide updates about these important hearings that are part of the long-running 40B development proposal for the Mugar land. Thank you for your interest and support.

---

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.

September 2023 –Mugar Update

Select Board Update, Monday, September 11
The Select Board will discuss the Thorndike Place proposal for the Mugar property in East Arlington at its regular meeting on Monday, September 11, beginning at 7:15 pm. Board member Steve DeCourcey and Town Counsel Doug Heim will provide an update on the project. The meeting will be conducted in a hybrid format, with both remote and in-person participation options, in the Select Board Chambers at Town Hall. See the Select Board agenda for details.

The Coalition to Save the Mugar Wetlands announced in late July that the abutters’ appeal had been discontinued. The main direction for the appeal against the proposed Thorndike Place was focused on the environmental impact of the project. The Arlington Land Trust had agreed to help fund the work of independent experts and engineers to conduct hydrology testing to determine accurate ground water levels. Unfortunately, the legal motion filed to gain access to the site in order to conduct the necessary testing was denied. Therefore, given the anticipated expense to continue with the lawsuit, and the reduced odds of success, the Coalition and abutters decided not to continue with the appeal.

The Coalition will continue its efforts to educate the community on the process and, in its endeavors to prevent advancement of the project, reserves the right to challenge the development in other forums. The Coalition still needs help to support the legal fund. Go to the Go Fund Me page for details.

---

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.