Rendering of proposed outlet at 251 Summer St. from 2022 / Calyx Peak
The Arlington Select Board Nov. 4 discussed 18 town matters, including package-store and cannabis licenses, but took no votes. Chair Stephen DeCourcey led the nearly two-hour hybrid meeting with board members Lenard Diggins, John Hurd, Eric Helmuth and Diane Mahon.
The board heard an update from Town Manager James Feeney regarding the host-community agreement granted to Calyx Peak in March 2022 — the town’s third such agreement.
“Obviously, a significant amount of time elapsed, and then they have since applied for a special permit with the Redevelopment Board,” said Feeney, adding that no further submissions to that board for reconsideration of plans at the Summer Street site have been made.
Invite applicant back
Feeney said it might be appropriate, considering the agreement’s three-year anniversary, for the Select Board to invite the applicant to come forward with a formal update.
He also added that this agreement technically has no expiration date, but it has a five-year term that begins when the service opens its doors to the public. Calyx Peak cannot open without a Redevelopment Board recommendation or Select Board approval.
Diggins asked what steps could be taken to revoke or void the agreement.
“We certainly don’t want to pursue revocation procedure unnecessarily,” said Town Counsel Michael Cunningham. “However, if it were determined that anybody — Calyx Peak, in particular — were in violation of the contract terms, they would need to be provided notice pursuant to Section 10 of the host-community agreement, which provides for 60 days before any further action could be taken.”
Package-store licenses
DeCourcey brought forth three sites hosting package-store licenses under interesting circumstances.
He first mentioned 80 Broadway, where Menotomy Beer & Wine had notified the board that the store was closed this past year and that the property is undergoing redevelopment. “Is this the type of thing that you would like to have a full revisit in terms of what’s being proposed there?” asked DeCourcey.
He explained that if a store is closed temporarily, that is grounds for revocation of the license, but he wonders what is done when a license is granted when a completely different building is on the grounds at the site at the time of approval.
Further, when a license is approved, the owner is supposed to submit paperwork for renewal each year. There is an obligation to update if a change has been proposed. But he added that there has never been a situation where a building has been gone and demolished.
Another site DeCourcey brought up to the board was 232 Mass. Ave., where the state Alcohol Beverages Control Commiossion approved the license, but there is still a zoning issue. The third site, which was not named, was a package store that the board approved on July 17, 2023. YourArlington has asked the Select Board administrator to provide the name.
No decisions were made in any of these cases.
Dates for ’25 election, Town Meeting
The board:
- Voted to move the opening of the warrant for the Annual Town Meeting to be opened on Dec. 5 at 8 a.m. and closed on Jan. 31, 2025; and
- Voted for the date of the 2025 annual town election to be April 5.
Proposed parking amendments
The board approved the following proposed amendments to Schedule 1 (parking) on Winter Street:
- Removing from the schedule Winter Street, West from Mass. Ave. to a point 300 feet North, “No Parking”;
- Inserting into the schedule Winter Street, West from Mass. Ave to a point 1,050 feet North “No Parking”; and
- Adding to the schedule Winter Street, East from a point 975 feet to a point 1,050 feet North, “No Parking.”
In other business, the board:
- Approved a Holiday Stroll in Arlington Heights for Dec. 14;
- Approved a request for a special (one-day) beer-and-wine license for Nov. 7 at the Arlington Community Center for a private event;
- Approved a request for a special (one-day) beer-and-wine license for Nov. 7 at 23 Maple St. for Save MA Wildlife fund-raiser opening reception;
- Approved a request for a contractor/drain layer license to D&D Excavating Inc. and Osorio Brothers Landscaping & Construction Corp.;
- Approved the appointment of Adam LeBlanc to the Zoning Board of Appeals with a term to expire Oct. 31, 2027;
- Approved the appointment of Emily Myron to the Open Space Committee with a term to expire June 30, 2027;
- Approved a wine and malt alcohol license to the Vintage Tea and Cake Co. at 677 Mass. Ave;
- Authorized temporary repairs to Hazel Terrace in advance of the winter;
- Approved the request for a new memorial and changes to the existing memorial for renowned composer Alan Hovhaness, including adding one or more QR codes on or near the existing memorial and adding a sign near 5 Blossom St. as a reminder as to where Alan grew up in Arlington and to help tourists identify the location;
- Approved TAC Recommendations for Gloucester, Endicott and Churchill intersections;
- Decided to table the matter of a handicap parking space on Medford Street for Fidelity House gymnasium, as there is a significant amount of time before the building would be occupied;
- Approved the removal of two crab apple trees at 149 Pleasant St., with the conditions that nothing happens without approval from the Arlington Redevelopment Board on the whole project and the developer works out with the tree warden to put two trees in a more appropriate location.
Watch ACMI video:
Oct. 30, 2024: New level of tax exemptions for senior citizens approved
This news summary by freelance writer Jessie Castellano was published Monday, Nov. 11, 2024.
