The Town of Arlington’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) has been conducting final public review hearings of the comprehensive permit application submitted by Oaktree Development for the proposed 176 unit Thorndike Place. This huge development would be located along Dorothy Road in East Arlington between Route 2 and Lake Street. It would be built on one of the last remaining parcels of open land in town. The ZBA needs to hear from Arlington residents that this densely populated, highly trafficked, and environmentally sensitive area is not suitable for development. 

The ZBA needs to hear from Arlington residents that we don’t want this development to be built.

We NEED YOU to sign this petition today!

What’s at Stake:

• Flooding - Wetlands are a critical stormwater buffer and absorb excess water. This huge complex would be like standing on a “wet sponge”, with excess water running into the surrounding neighborhoods.
• Environment – The wooded area between Dorothy Rd. and Rte. 2 is home to Bald Eagles, coyotes, deer and other wildlife. Old trees absorb water from the wetlands and provide a noise buffer to the highway.
• Traffic - Excessive traffic on narrow neighborhood streets not designed for this density impacts safety.
• Hardy School - Enrollment increase would again lead to overcrowded school conditions.
• Thorndike Field Usage - More flooding means fewer days this is usable space for town sports.
• Increased costs – For maintaining or upgrading the local sewage system and other Arlington town services.
• Open Space - Loss of one of the last, large open spaces in Arlington.
• Surrounding homes - Damage to foundations from construction and ongoing flooding damage expected.

Developing on floodplains, in this era of rapid climate change, is a recipe for disaster!

The Current Status:

Virtual hearings of Arlington’s Zoning Board of Appeals began in November 2020 and conclude in February 2021 - just one month from now!

Time is limited to stop this project!

Each hearing focuses on a specific aspect of the developer’s application - Wetlands, Traffic, Architecture/Design, etc. Public participation provides neighbors’ viewpoints and adds other perspectives to the developer’s narrative.

Here’s What You Can Do:

1. Sign this petition today and pass it on to others
2. Help Spread the Word - Talk to your neighbors - The developers are counting on people getting distracted, forgetting, or new neighbors who don’t know the history, to let this slide by - we can’t let that happen! The Town of Arlington DOES NOT support this project.
3. Write to the ZBA stating your concerns at: zba@town.arlington.ma.us. Sample letters from neighbors can be found in the online agenda of the ZBA meetings starting Dec 22, 2020. Look for “Correspondence Received” and “Previous Correspondence Received” https://bit.ly/2LVOtns We will also create direct links from the Coalition website at www.saveourwetlands.wordpress.com over the next few days.
4. Attend the upcoming ZBA Hearings on Tuesdays (7:30 pm on Jan. 26, Feb. 9, & Feb. 23) via Zoom at: www.arlingtonma.gov/town-governance/boards-and-committees/zoning-board-of-appeals  
5. Contact your Town Meeting members at: http://www.arlingtonma.gov/town-governance/town-meeting
6. Follow us at: www.Facebook.com/saveourwetlands