Local Events

June 2021 – News Briefs

The Open Space Committee (OSC) is leading the process to update Arlington’s current 2015-2022 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP). The OSC is committed to a comprehensive and open public engagement process, and would like to hear from you.

The first public event is a Virtual Community Workshop on Thursday, June 10th from 7-8:30pm to gather feedback on current open space and recreation facilities and amenities as well as ideas about future needs and priorities. Click on the date link above to register in advance.

You can visit the OSC website to read the current plan and other information about the committee, and you can email your comments about open space and recreation planning at any time to OSRPUpdate@town.arlington.ma.us. Thanks for your participation.

May 2021 – News Briefs

The Lusty Month of May (thanks to Camelot) is here with many special activities and meetings on the calendar. Here are a few things of particular interest.

---

EcoWeek, May 5-15

Arlington EcoWeek is an annual celebration raising awareness and inspiring action on behalf of our community and our planet. The Town is sponsoring a wide variety of events and activities open to all ages, including outdoor tours and online presentations, a clean-up at the Symmes Woods, and projects you can do on your own, such as citizen science data gathering. EcoWeek will spotlight local public art projects as well as initiatives led by student green teams and community groups. 

All events are free and accessible, and they will follow Covid safety guidelines; pre-registration is required via the Town’s EcoWeek website.

---

Spy Pond and Elizabeth Island

The Spy Pond Committee of Envision Arlington has prepared a flyer on fertilizer use,  Keep Arlington Beautiful, to help residents protect Spy Pond and other water bodies. Rain and stormwater runoff carry fertilizers, pesticides, and other pollutants from lawns and streets into our lakes and ponds. These pollutants and nutrients lower water quality and contribute to algae blooms and other unwanted plant growth. Thank you for following these guidelines.

Due to the continuing Covid-19 restrictions, the Recreation Department will not be able to offer canoe and kayak rentals on Spy Pond this summer. However, if you have access to a small boat, please visit Elizabeth Island for a quiet respite and walk along the pathway.

---

ZBA Mugar/Thorndike Place Hearing on May 13

The next ZBA hearing is scheduled on Thursday, May 13, starting at 7:30 pm, to continue discussion of the Comprehensive Permit for Thorndike Place, located on the Mugar land in East Arlington. The ZBA has requested that the Applicant consider revising its plans to restore the townhouses facing Dorothy Road as originally proposed, reduce the overall size of the project, and continue to protect the wetlands.

Check the ZBA agenda page next week for the final 5/13/21 agenda, revised plans and other new documents or correspondence.

---

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.

Award winning video producer and Arlington resident Glenn Litton has worked with representatives of the Old Schwamb Mill to create a short video entitled Mill Brook Rediscovered.

The video was developed to complement the exhibit, “A Brook Runs Through It: Arlington’s Mill Brook Legacy,” which was shown at the Mill, 17 Mill Lane in Arlington Heights, from September 2018 until June 2019. An adapted version of the Mill Brook exhibit will be shown in the Town Hall Gallery from March 2 to April 30, 2020.

 See www.oldschwambmill.org for more information.