Arlington Zoning Board closes hearing on 304 Washington Street addition, will draft decision

The Arlington Zoning Board of Appeals on May 12 closed the public hearing on an application to add a one‑story, roughly 405‑square‑foot addition to the home at 304 Washington Street, a corner lot that fronts Wigwam Circle.

James Rristling of LR Designs, representing owner Vishu Patil, told the board the single‑story addition would provide a downstairs bedroom, bathroom and sitting area “primarily for the use of their parents when they have extended stays.” Rristling said the house’s shallow lot and existing footprint make the proposed location the only practical place for the addition.

The hearing centered on whether the board can find, under the zoning bylaw provision allowing expansion of existing nonconforming structures, that the change would “not be substantially more detrimental to the neighborhood than the existing condition.” Chair Christian Klein relayed a prior conversation with the building inspector, saying the inspector confirmed that an existing two‑story bay projects into the front yard and therefore counts as the front of the house for setback measurement. That determination makes the property an existing nonconforming structure for front‑yard setbacks.

During technical review board members discussed numeric setbacks. The applicant explained the proposal would reduce the Wigwam Circle setback from about 22.9 feet to roughly 12.3 feet and would result in a proposed rear/side condition of about 10.25 feet where the required setback is approximately 13.6 feet. Board members pressed for clarity about which wall lines count as the front, side and rear for setback calculations; Rristling and the chair provided plan‑view and elevation context and confirmed the proposed work maintains the town’s 25‑foot corner visibility requirement.

One member of the public, Steve Moore of Piedmont Street, asked when the house was built and when it was purchased. Owner Vishu Patil said the house was finished in late 2015 and purchased by the current owners in 2016. Moore questioned how a larger footprint had been permitted previously; the applicant and the chair said the current house sits on an existing foundation and the building inspector indicated the previous approval, if any, has now ripened into an established nonconformity after the passage of time.

Board members discussed the special‑permit findings required by the bylaw, including effects on neighborhood character, traffic/pedestrian safety and public services. The chair emphasized the applicant’s stated public‑welfare rationale — making the house more usable for aging parents — and the modest, one‑story nature of the work. Members expressed only “a slight degree of hesitation” about how unusual the front‑yard condition is on Wigwam Circle but did not identify specific harms that would make the project substantially more detrimental.

The board reviewed standard conditions should it approve the permit: that final approved plans be the ones submitted to the building inspector, that the building inspector monitor the site and enforce the zoning bylaw (including section 3.1 and, if necessary, criminal enforcement under chapter 40, §21D of the Massachusetts General Laws), and that the board maintain continuing jurisdiction. Members also discussed adding an extra condition requiring a special permit for any future second‑story addition in the same area.

Patrick Hanlin agreed to direct drafting the written decision in favor of approval. The board voted by roll call to close the public hearing on docket 3900, and the board scheduled the final vote on the written decision for its May 26 meeting.

The board requested the applicant provide final plan sheets for incorporation into the decision; if approved and signed, the written decision will be filed with the town clerk and start the 20‑day statutory appeal period.