Medford Zoning Board Approves Sign, Dormer and Two-Family Variances

Zoning Board of Appeals · Meeting of August 27, 2026

Medford Zoning Board approves two-family conversion, bank sign and dormer fix, all 4-0. Chair Andre Larue and members Chris Devetta, Mary Lee and Mark Crowley unanimously granted Claudio Gonzalez a variance to convert his undersized 73 Surrey Street lot into a two-family home, conditioned on permeable-paver parking. The board also approved a 16-square-foot projecting sign for Everett Bank at 501 High Street, four times the ordinance limit, after Senior Planner Danielle Evans flagged an earlier internally illuminated design and attorney Kathleen Desmond agreed to a non-illumination condition.

A special permit for a dormer extension at 26 Second Street, needed after framers widened a staircase mid-renovation, also passed 4-0. A fourth case, an accessory-dwelling-unit variance at 1-3 Vassar Street, was continued after members disputed whether state law sets 900 square feet as a "maximum" or a floor-based threshold, with member Mary Lee saying "I would need a little bit more background" before voting.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,360 words

Source: the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting of August 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.