Arlington Conservation Commission Approves Lafayette Street Permeable Patio With Three Conditions

ARLINGTON — June 4, 2026 — Arlington Conservation Commission clears small Lafayette Street patio in 5-0 vote. The commission voted unanimously Thursday to issue a negative determination of applicability for a 150-square-foot permeable paver patio, ornamental aluminum fence, and native plantings at 40 Lafayette Street, a condominium parcel in the outer riverfront area and floodplain. The most substantive debate involved whether the project required a full Notice of Intent rather than the simpler RDA process; member Susan Chapnick, citing the opinion of long-serving member Nathaniel Stevens, an environmental attorney, warned that "there is no legal way we could make sure that mitigation stays" under an RDA. Chair Chuck Taroni countered that the scale of the project — 150 square feet of pervious pavers on a degraded lawn — did not warrant the added cost and time of an NOI. The commission resolved the dispute by reframing the native planting requirement as a site condition rather than mitigation, approving the project with three conditions: native planting signage, permeable paver maintenance, and a closeout inspection by Conservation Agent David Morgan. A second hearing, the Notice of Intent for 91 Sunnyside Avenue, was continued to June 25 without discussion.