Arlington Town Meeting Amends MBTA Commercial Bonus Rules, Backs Red Line Repeal Push

ARLINGTON -- May 18, 2026, Arlington Town Meeting amended three MBTA Communities zoning provisions and backed a symbolic push to repeal a 1980 Red Line planning restriction during Night 7 on May 18. The meeting voted 160-61, meeting the required two-thirds threshold, to adopt a substitute motion by Remy Macaluso as amended by former Arlington Redevelopment Board member Eugene Benson, clarifying how the 60 percent ground-floor commercial requirement is calculated for height bonuses in the North Broadway Multifamily Overlay District, rejecting a stricter alternative by Joan Cullinan and Larry Slotnick that fell 101-118. On Article 30, members voted 145-45 to authorize the Select Board to file home rule legislation to repeal Chapter 504 Section 16, a 1980 state act restricting MBTA Red Line extension planning, despite Town Counsel Michael Cunningham's opinion that the petition is likely impermissible because it would affect communities beyond Arlington. A citizen petition to allow non-opaque fences above three feet in residential corner sight triangles failed after the Monaghan substitute motion fell short of majority support. The meeting closed by adopting the Macaluso rounding standard for affordable housing bonus calculations 170-25, approving a $676,480 PEG Access appropriation 179-1, and endorsing $772,104 in Parking Benefit District expenditures 176-3.