Board of Appeals grants five variances, continues two major projects
Board of Appeals · Meeting of September 3, 2026
Stoneham Board of Appeals tests new state housing-variance law across 10 hearings in one night. Chair Tobin Shulman's board granted variances for a farmer's porch, a garage playroom, a real estate sign, a youth club's $30,000 fence extension, a plumbing company's signage and a Graystone Road duplex, all 5-0 or 4-0. The biggest item, Mainstone Properties LLC's plan to replace 14 aging Main Street apartments with a 30-unit, four-story building, drew opposition from residents including Emma Wesling, who argued "it wouldn't amount to a practical difficulty," and was continued to October 8 alongside an eight-unit Franklin Street project.
That hearing featured dramatic testimony from physician Philza Khan, who said a shared water line has been leaching heavy metals into her tap water. Attorney Charles Houghton, representing four separate applicants, repeatedly cited a state law passed roughly a month earlier requiring boards to weigh housing benefits against neighborhood detriment, calling it a standard with "no ifs, ands or buts."
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,964 words
Source: the Board of Appeals meeting of September 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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