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Redevelopment Board Approves 1513–1519 Mass Ave Project, Hears HCA Affordable Housing Proposal — February 2 Meeting

Arlington's Redevelopment Board voted 4-1 to approve a mixed-use building at 1513–1519 Massachusetts Avenue with conditions addressing transformer access and design changes, while also opening review of a major 40-unit affordable housing campus proposed by the Housing Corporation of Arlington at 840–846 Mass Ave and 17 Newman Way. The board additionally granted a special permit for a Jersey Mike's restaurant at 1398 Mass Ave.

Government

Finance Committee Reviews Fire, Health, and Municipal Budgets — February 4 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee approved budgets for more than a dozen departments at its February 4, 2026 meeting, including an $8.68 million fire department budget amid concerns about vacancies, retirements, and response-time standards. The committee also voted on budgets for Health and Human Services, the Council on Aging, inspections, elections, and several other municipal offices while deferring the legal budget pending a detailed expense breakdown.

Government

Conservation Commission Endorses FGAR Rodenticide Ban, Advances Winchester Country Club Projects — February 19 Meeting

The Arlington Conservation Commission voted to endorse two warrant articles seeking to ban first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs) on both private and public property, following a presentation detailing wildlife deaths linked to the chemicals. The commission also closed hearings and issued orders of conditions for two Winchester Country Club improvement projects after extensive discussion of native planting plans and invasive species management.

Government

Conservation Commission Continues Enforcement, Approves Compliance, Advances Winchester Country Club Plans — February 5 Meeting

The Arlington Conservation Commission voted to continue enforcement proceedings at 66 Dudley Street pending a revised remediation plan, issued a certificate of compliance for 102-104 Milton Street, and continued two Winchester Country Club hearings to February 19 after substantive discussions on stormwater management, mitigation planting, and invasive species monitoring.

Government

Conservation Commission Reviews Dudley Street Enforcement Plan, Winchester Country Club Hearings — January 8 Meeting

The Arlington Conservation Commission reviewed a preliminary remediation plan for flood storage violations at 66R Dudley Street and advanced a hearing on Winchester Country Club's golf course reconfiguration project along Herbert Myers Brook. The commission also unanimously endorsed a Charles River Watershed Association letter urging MWRA to reduce combined sewer overflows.

Government

Conservation Commission Continues Winchester Country Club Hearings, Discusses Fishing Line Waste — January 22 Meeting

The Arlington Conservation Commission continued two notices of intent for Winchester Country Club's golf course and facilities improvements to February 5, requesting additional planting plans, invasive species management proposals, and stormwater engineering review. Commissioners also received an update on their meeting with the town manager about fishing line waste at Hills Pond, expressing frustration over the lack of a concrete action plan from the recreation department.

Government

Finance Committee Kicks Off FY27 Budget Season Amid Override Uncertainty — January 26 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee opened its fiscal year 2027 budget season on January 26, approving three small budgets while grappling with deep uncertainty over a pending property tax override vote set for March 28. With the Select Board yet to finalize the override amount and a projected multi-million-dollar deficit looming, committee members debated how to prepare for two possible budget scenarios — one with an override and one without.

Government

Finance Committee Reviews Minuteman Vocational Budget, IT Gaps, and Treasurer Operations — March 4 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee unanimously approved Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School's FY2027 assessment of $8.27 million — a slight decrease for Arlington — while flagging a $232,000 shortfall in the town's IT budget that must be resolved before that budget can advance. The committee also approved the Treasurer/Collector budget and adjusted the parking budget to fully offset the parking manager's salary from the parking revolving fund.

Government

Finance Committee Recommends $14.8M Override with Spending Caps — February 18 Meeting

Arlington's Finance Committee voted 12-5 to recommend a $14.8 million Proposition 2½ override headed to the March 28 ballot, while attaching language clarifying that school and town budget growth rates are caps rather than guaranteed spending levels. The contentious debate revealed deep divisions over structural deficits, spending discipline, and the likelihood of yet another override in three years.

Government

Redevelopment Board Approves 10 Warrant Articles for 2026 Spring Town Meeting — January 26 Meeting

Arlington's Redevelopment Board voted to advance 10 zoning bylaw amendment articles to the 2026 Spring Town Meeting warrant, while dropping two proposals — one on industrial zone jurisdiction and another on commercial space minimums in the multifamily overlay district — for further study. The board also continued three pending public hearings to an in-person meeting on February 2nd.

Government

School Committee Approves Model UN Trip, Celebrates Performing Arts Growth and Ottoson Elective Reforms — January 22 Meeting

The Arlington School Committee unanimously approved an overnight field trip for the Model United Nations club and received detailed presentations on the district's expanding performing arts programs and a new elective pilot at Ottoson Middle School. The committee also reviewed an FY26 financial update highlighting rising special education transportation costs and discussed upcoming budget forums tied to a potential override.

Government

School Committee Holds Budget Hearing as Teachers Rally Against Specialist and MLL Cuts — February 26 Meeting

Arlington teachers, librarians, and community members packed the February 26 School Committee budget hearing to protest proposed cuts to elementary art, music, and PE specialists as well as multilingual learner (MLL) teachers under both override and no-override budget scenarios. The committee scheduled an emergency budget workshop for March 4 to explore alternatives before a potential vote on March 12, ahead of the March 28 override election.

Government

Select Board Approves Water/Sewer Rates, Hears Eight Warrant Articles — March 9 Meeting

The Arlington Select Board unanimously approved FY2027 water and sewer rate increases of approximately 4.5%, received a snow and ice budget update showing spending at $1.9 million against a $1.17 million budget, and heard eight warrant articles ahead of town meeting. The board recommended favorable action on outdoor lighting regulations, native plantings, wetlands bylaw updates, and tree committee formalization, while voting no action on a shade tree removal petition and a tree preservation expansion proposal.

Government

Arlington Town Manager Explains $14.8M Override on March 28 Ballot

Arlington Town Manager Jim Feeney sat down for a detailed explanation of the $14.8 million Proposition 2½ override heading to voters on March 28, 2026. Feeney described the structural deficit, limited new growth, and overwhelmingly residential tax base that make periodic overrides a fiscal necessity for the 5.5-square-mile community.

Government

Zoning Board Closes Hearings on 53 Hodge Road Addition and 71 Mystic Street Fence, Continues Eli's Gas Station Variance — February 10 Meeting

The Arlington Zoning Board of Appeals closed public hearings on a large addition at 53 Hodge Road and a 10-foot fence at 71 Mystic Street, with final votes expected February 24. The board continued a complex variance hearing for Eli's Service Station at 125 Broadway, grappling with the undefined term "service bay" and its implications for the proposed expansion.

Government

ZBA Closes Hearing on National Grid Take Station at 307 Washington Street — February 24 Meeting

The Arlington Zoning Board of Appeals closed the public hearing on National Grid's application to build a new natural gas take station at 307 Washington Street, signaling likely approval of the special permit after extensive public debate over environmental, safety, and neighborhood impact concerns. The board also advanced cases involving a gas station expansion at 125 Broadway, a home occupation permit at 73 Edgerton Road, and a garage replacement at 172 Overlook Road.

Government

Redevelopment Board Approves Mass Ave Facade Renovation, Brewery Phasing — February 9 Meeting

Arlington's Redevelopment Board granted a special permit for facade renovations at 1341-1347 Mass Ave and approved a two-phase construction approach for the ABC Beer brewery and restaurant at 15 Rider Street. The meeting also featured a lengthy discussion over design deviations at 455 Mass Ave, the reappointment of the Arlington Heights Neighborhood Action Plan committee, and a preliminary review of warrant articles for the 2026 annual town meeting.