Somerville board approves conversion of East Main office into two apartments with drainage, landscaping and lighting conditions

Somerville’s Board of Adjustment voted to grant variances and site relief to Princeton Canal LLC for the adaptive reuse of 281 East Main St., allowing the conversion of a 2,142‑square‑foot office building into two residential units while attaching conditions addressing drainage, landscaping and lighting.

Applicant counsel and witnesses said the project involves no expansion of the building footprint and instead converts attic and basement space to habitable areas. Planner Elizabeth McManis told the board that although the project’s floor‑area ratio (FAR) calculates to about 30.19%—slightly above the 30% standard—the application is effectively de minimis and advances master‑plan goals for housing. “We’re actually reducing our impervious cover by about 2,500 square feet,” McManis said, arguing the change would lower site runoff and the overall intensity of use by replacing an office with two residential units.

Civil engineer Steve Parker testified the property currently drains through two inlets to a 12‑inch reinforced concrete pipe that traverses the rear of the site. Mr. Parker agreed to provide hydraulic calculations (requested for a 25‑year storm) and to undertake or coordinate a camera inspection/cleaning to verify whether the pipe is clear and sized adequately. Several neighbors, including Larry Cleveland and Brian Hobby, testified about a longstanding swale and upstream blockage they say contributes to backyard flooding. “This has to get fixed. This has been 27 years of this,” Cleveland told the board, urging municipal involvement.

Board members noted the applicant reduced rear parking area to create lawn and landscape buffers, agreed the reduced impervious cover likely helps stormwater outcomes, and requested additional conditions: landscaping subject to Mr. Cole’s review, relocation or elimination of two north rear light poles, hooded or downward‑facing fixtures to limit light trespass, provision of a residential sprinkler if required by code, and a post‑construction light‑meter test. The applicant agreed to those conditions and to supply the drainage calculations.

After public comment and deliberation the board approved the application with the conditions referenced in Mr. Cole’s November 26, 2025 report and the drainage/lighting/landscaping measures specified at the hearing. The roll call vote recorded all eligible members present voting in favor.

What happens next: the applicant must submit revised compliance plans addressing Mr. Cole’s report, provide the requested drainage calculations and camera evidence, finalize landscaping and light fixture details for staff review, and secure building permits, inspections and any required sprinkler work before occupancy.

Speakers quoted or cited in this article are those who testified publicly at the hearing or provided professional testimony on the record.