Arlington Design Review Board Approves Massachusetts Avenue Storefront Renovation With Two Conditions

ARLINGTON — April 27, 2026 — Arlington Design Review Board approves Massachusetts Avenue storefront renovation four to one, with signage and lighting conditions. The board voted at its April 27 meeting to approve Docket 3823 for the commercial property at 1349-1359 Massachusetts Avenue, requiring that signage dimensions be confirmed administratively and that the lighting package be verified as dark-sky compliant at 2,700 Kelvin before final sign-off. The architect explained that construction-phase foundation damage had forced a switch from metal siding to thin masonry brick veneer on the lower facade and raised the storefront sill height above what the original approval showed. One board member, identified as Rachel, voted against the application, saying "I don't feel that the color scheme is appropriate given the color scheme that was approved next door." The board also reached informal consensus not to support a substitute motion for a traffic visibility bylaw warrant article ahead of Town Meeting, consistent with its prior vote, and agreed that a proposed amendment to a floodplain building-height article should be offered from the floor by its proponent rather than incorporated into the board's report.