Condo Review Board Approves Ten Conversion Permits

Condo Review Board · Meeting of August 17, 2026

SOMERVILLE — The Condo Review Board approved final or preliminary conversion permits for ten Somerville properties and flagged concerns about oversized accessory dwelling units. Chair Zaslav, Vice Chair Byrne and Board Member Simeon voted 3-0 on every item, including a final permit for 9 Olive Avenue that was briefly tabled when no representative appeared. At 37 Belmont Street, Byrne objected that a planned backyard cottage with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms "doesn't seem like an ADU.

In fact, it seems like a house," and the applicant's representative, Jesus Santana, agreed the city's ADU rule "wasn't thought through thoroughly before it was rolled out." The board approved that permit conditionally anyway, noting only the City Council can change the ordinance, and said it would track ADU courtesy-permit counts in its 2026 annual report. At 29-31 Mason Street, Attorney Mark Sheehan confirmed a relocation payment had been made to vacating tenants and that one remaining tenant can stay "for an indefinite period of time."

In the full story:

• Call to Order and June Minutes
• Final Conversion Permits: 140 Highland Avenue, 24 Berkeley Street, 34-36 Governor Winthrop Road, 3 Cameron Ave, 737 Somerville Ave
• Final Conversion Permit: 29-31 Mason Street
• Final Conversion Permit: 9 Olive Avenue (Tabled, Then Approved)
• Preliminary Conversion Permit: 111 Belmont Street
• Preliminary Conversion Permit: 400 Medford Street
• Preliminary Conversion Permit: 37 Belmont Street
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,404 words

Source: the Condo Review Board meeting of August 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.