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Monday, November 2, 2026 Medford, Massachusetts · Change town

ZBA continues two ADU dormer cases to October

Medford's Zoning Board of Appeals continued two contested ADU dormer cases to October while it seeks more legal guidance on the state's new accessory-dwelling law.

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Zoning Board of Appeals · Meeting of September 24, 2026

Medford's Zoning Board of Appeals continued two contested ADU dormer cases to October while it seeks more legal guidance on the state's new accessory-dwelling law. Attorney Robin Stein of KP Law told the board a "protected use" ADU cannot be denied outright but can still be held to reasonable dimensional limits; applicant Christian Austin is seeking 900- and 875-square-foot third-floor units at 1-3 Vassar Street and 12 Wellesley Street. Chair Andre LaRue said "nine hundred square feet is a cap, it's a maximum, it is not a requirement," while member Chris DeVetta said the projects do "not serve a legitimate municipal interest." Resident Patricia Cherry cited fire-truck access and parking problems.

Separately, the board voted 5-0 to approve a use variance for a second single-family home on a 9,870-square-foot lot at 60 Sturgis Street, conditioned on replacing a lead water line, and voted 5-0 to approve a special permit converting a vacant office at 583 Riverside Avenue into an aesthetics spa.

In the full story:

  • Who Was There
  • Organizations And Documents Referenced
  • The complete report — 3,271 words

Source: the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting of September 24, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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