Arlington ZBA closes Hodge Road hearing, punts on gas station bay definition

ARLINGTON -- February 10, 2026, Arlington's Zoning Board of Appeals advanced two cases and deadlocked on a third Tuesday, deferring a decision on a proposed third-bay addition at Eli's Service Station at 125 Broadway after members could not agree on whether a "service bay" under town zoning law is defined by a garage door or by a work area with a lift. Attorney John Leone, representing owner Eli L. Cooley, argued a 1993 board decision on the same property established that a bay equals a door, leaving the two-door building with only two bays and room for one more under the bylaw's three-bay cap on auto service stations. Board member Brad Baranowski countered that Webster's Unabridged Dictionary and the purpose of the bylaw both point to a space-based definition, which would mean the station's three existing lifts already constitute three bays and a fourth cannot be permitted by variance. Chair Christian Klein said he will consult town counsel before the February 24 continuation. In separate unanimous votes, the board closed hearings on a large addition at 53 Hodge Road, which would grow the home from 944 to 3,376 square feet, and on a fence-height appeal at 71 Mystic Street, with written decisions on both expected February 24.