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2026 Annual Town Meeting, Town of Arlington, MA
Article: 51
Warrant Article Title:
ZONING BYLAW AMENDMENT / AMENDMENT TO ZONING
BYLAW TABLE OF DIMENSIONAL AND DENSITY
REGULATIONS
Warrant Article Text:
To see if the Town will vote to amend Section 5.4.2 (A)
Dimensional and Density Regulations the Arlington Zoning Bylaw
to add the following under R6: “Assisted living residents on more
than 20,000 square feet- 50 feet height; 3 stories; 1.2 FAR”; or
take any action related thereto.
Requested By:
Mary Winstanley and ten registered voters
Report Excerpt:
The Board recommends Favorable Action (5-0).
As with Article 50, the Board is in support of this zoning
amendment, which modifies the Table of Dimensional and
Density Regulations in Section 5.4.2.A. of the Zoning Bylaw in
response to a proposed assisted living project at 0 Lot Concord
Turnpike, currently owned by the Archdiocese of Boston in care of
Saint Camillus Parish.
The amendment establishes specific dimensional and density
requirements for assisted living facilities on lots greater than
20,000 square feet. While such facilities are already allowed by
Special Permit in the R6 district, the Zoning Bylaw does not
currently provide requirements for assisted living projects of the
proposed scale.
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Any proposed assisted living facility on lots greater than 20,000
square feet would be subject to minimum dimensional
requirements including setbacks of 20’ in the front yard, 10’ in the
side yard, and 20’ in the rear yard. These setbacks are consistent
with those already required for “other permitted structures” in the
R6 district. In addition, a minimum of 60 feet of street frontage
would be required.
Any proposed assisted living facility would also be subject to a
landscaped open space requirement of 10%. In addition, Article
51 limits assisted living facilities on lots of more than 20,000
square feet to a maximum height of 50 feet and three stories, with
a maximum density of 1.2 floor area ratio (FAR). FAR is defined in
the Zoning Bylaw as the ratio of a building’s gross floor area to
the total area of the lot.
The Board again emphasized that amending the Bylaw to
accommodate an assisted living project such as the concept
proposed is only the first step in a series of required actions to
approve and permit a project on the site.
Vote Language:
That the Zoning Map be and hereby is amended as follows:
Amend SECTION 5.4.2.A, Dimensional and Density
Requirements, as follows:
5.4.2. Dimensional and Density Requirements
A.Tables of Dimensional and Density Regulations
R District Lot Regulations (see 5.4.2(B) for exceptions).
Minimum Requirement
District/Use
Minimum
Lot Area
(sq. ft.)
Minimum
Lot Area
per Unit
(sq. ft.)
Minimum
Lot
Frontage
(ft.)
...
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R6
Assisted living
residence on more than
20,000 square feet
20,000
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60
R District Yard and Open Space Requirements (see 5.4.2.B and
5.9.2.B.(1).e for exceptions).
Minimum Requirement
District/Use
Front
Yard (ft.)
Side Yard
(ft.)
Rear Yard
(ft.)
...
R6
Assisted living
residence on more than
20,000 square feet
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20
R District Open Space and Lot Coverage Regulations (see
5.4.2(B) and 5.3.13(B) for exceptions).
Minimum/Maximum Requirement
District/Use
Landscaped
Open Space
(Min.)
Usable
Open
Space
(Min.)
Maximum
Lot
Coverage
...
R6
Assisted living
residence on more
than 20,000 square
feet
10%
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