Stoneham Board of Appeals Approves Middle Street Variances, Including Town's First ADU Application

STONEHAM -- December 18, 2025, Stoneham Board of Appeals unanimously approves variances for a Middle Street home renovation that includes what may be the town's first formal accessory dwelling unit application. The board granted the variances to Michael and Lisa Granice of 11 Middle Street, allowing a five-foot wraparound porch, demolition and replacement of a 1930 garage, and construction of a sub-900-square-foot ADU in the rebuilt structure, with lot coverage rising from 26.7 percent to 27.5 percent against a 20 percent zoning cap. No members of the public opposed the petition. The board also resolved a pending question about the 51-unit Montvale Avenue development, voting 5-0 to find that a one-space increase in required parking, from 171 to 172, triggered by a proposed expansion to 59 units was de minimis and did not require a new Board of Appeals hearing, while separately granting a six-month extension to preserve the existing approval. Six-month decision extensions were also granted for projects at 147 Franklin Street and 134 Elm Street.