Stoneham Board of Appeals Unanimously Approves Variances for Thai Restaurant and 12-Unit Townhouse Development

STONEHAM — February 27, 2025 — Stoneham Board of Appeals approves variances for three properties, including a 12-unit townhouse project near the Council on Aging. The board voted unanimously to allow King Stoneham Thai to expand from 418 into 420 Main Street with seating for 25, waiving a requirement for eight off-street parking spaces the restaurant cannot provide. Attorney Charles Houghton, representing petitioner John Cullen, secured approval of six separate variances for two six-unit townhouse buildings at 134 Elm Street, a roughly one-acre parcel that was unanimously rezoned to Residence B at fall 2024 town meeting; units are expected to sell for approximately $900,000 each and generate an estimated $100,000 in annual tax revenue. Three neighbors raised concerns about traffic, environmental impact, and construction fatigue, and two written letters asked the board to reduce the unit count, but the board voted 5-0, finding hardship in the irregular shape of the lot. Houghton also secured a 4-1 approval for TNT Franklin Realty LLC to demolish a burned-out foundation at 590 Main Street and build a new two-family dwelling on a 6,251-square-foot lot — well short of the 9,500-square-foot Residence B minimum — with associate member Bill Sullivan dissenting on grounds that the lot is overbuilt; the board conditioned approval on ornamental tree plantings along the Main Street-facing side.