Medford Conservation Commission Approves Arlington Street Two-Unit Project With Four Conditions

MEDFORD -- January 19, 2022, Medford Conservation Commission approves two-unit Arlington Street dwelling with four perpetual conditions tied to trees and stormwater. The commission voted unanimously Wednesday to issue an order of conditions for Robert DePesa's proposal to demolish a single-family structure and build a new attached two-unit dwelling at 32 Arlington Street, within the 200-foot riverfront area of the Mystic River. Four special conditions were added beyond standard language: replacement of a hazardous front street tree with two native trees (anticipated three-inch caliper maples) straddling the property line, long-term maintenance of pervious pavers and subsurface infiltration systems by the condominium association "in perpetuity" and explicitly surviving any future certificate of compliance, installation of pavers per product specifications, and, responding to public comment from neighbor Sarah Cohen of 42 Arlington Street questioning the independence of a private arborist's removal recommendation, a requirement that the city's tree warden concur with the removal opinion before work proceeds. The commission also continued a separate certificate of compliance request for 19 Winford Way to February, still awaiting documentation from the project consultant.