Arlington ZBA Closes Hearing on National Grid Take Station, Sets Conditions

ARLINGTON -- February 24, 2026, Arlington's Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4-0 to close the public hearing on Boston Gas Company's proposed natural gas take station at 307 Washington Street, moving the contentious project toward approval. Chair Christian Hanlon and members Thomas DuPont, Kevin LeBlanc, and Michael Baranowski agreed the facility, which would replace equipment more than 50 years old on land already used for gas distribution, meets the criteria for a special permit under Section 3.3.3 of the zoning bylaw, finding it essential to public convenience despite opposition from a 500-signature neighborhood petition. Conditions attached to the pending written decision include a brick-like veneer on prefabricated concrete buildings, a white or light-colored roof to reduce heat-island effects, and a three-year planting maintenance requirement. Hanlon also opened the meeting with a warning that phishing emails impersonating town planning staff have demanded wire payments from at least two ZBA applicants, and reminded the public that the only lawful application fee is $400 paid directly to the town. A separate gas station expansion case at 125 Broadway was continued to March 10 while the board works to legally define "service bay" under the zoning bylaw.