The Arlington Select Board met the evening of May 18, 2026, in hybrid format at Town Hall, with Chair John V. Hurd presiding. Members present were Eric Helmuth, Diane Mahon, Stephen DeCourcey, and Joseph Solomon, along with Town Manager James Feeney and Town Counsel Lakewood Cunningham. [1]

Veterans Services Director: Robert C. Donovan

The meeting opened with the formal introduction of Robert C. Donovan, Arlington's newly appointed Veterans Services Director, who joined via Zoom. [1]

Donovan, who officially started in late January, acknowledged that his first weeks on the job were marked by personal tragedy. "I tragically and recently lost a 40-year-old sibling a few weeks into the position," he told the board, expressing gratitude for the community's patience during his bereavement leave. [2]

Originally from the South Shore and a graduate of Cardinal Spellman High School, Donovan attended Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 2005 as a military policeman. [3][3] He deployed to Iraq from 2006 to 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. [3] Over nearly 13 years of service, he held roles including team leader, squad leader, senior military police investigator, platoon sergeant, and senior operational sergeant. [4]

Toward the end of his military career, Donovan said he recognized the effects of PTSD and traumatic brain injury in himself and sought treatment. "That experience ultimately changed the course of my life," he said. "Once I realized it was a path toward healing, I became passionate about helping others find the emotional courage to seek support themselves, while also reducing the stigma surrounding mental health within the veteran community." [4]

After a medical retirement from the Army, Donovan earned a Master of Social Work from Simmons University in 2021, then joined the Home Base Program — a partnership between Mass General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation — where he worked in an intensive two-week clinical program for veterans and their families. He later became Special Operations Program Manager, working with Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Rangers, and other special operations forces. [5][5]

"Throughout every stage of my career, whether in uniform, clinical work, or now municipal service, my mission has remained the same," Donovan said. "Continuing to serve veterans, service members, and their families with compassion, dignity, and respect." [6]

Donovan cited data from the Office of the Veteran Advocate showing that Arlington's veteran community contributes more than $24 million annually to the local economy, with an estimated five-to-one return on investment for the town's support of veteran services. [6] Despite that economic contribution, he noted that only 17 percent of Arlington's veterans currently receive state annuities or federal benefits — a gap he said he intends to close through expanded outreach. "That's definitely an area I'm focused on — reaching the masses, bringing multi-generational veterans together, and connecting them to services." [6]

He also said he looks forward to participating in his first Arlington Memorial Day event the following week. [7]

The board's welcome was warm. Chair Hurd extended condolences on behalf of the board and thanked Donovan for "choosing Arlington." [7] One board member — whose remarks suggest familiarity with the Home Base program from a prior career — told Donovan: "The things you did in service of our country certainly required courage, but facing your own invisible wounds of war require just as much courage." [7][8]

Board member Diane Mahon asked about Donovan's office schedule and referenced her own prior advocacy around veteran suicide awareness, specifically the "22 a day" awareness campaign. [9][10] Donovan said he is in the office Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Mondays he works remotely on training; Fridays he continues clinical work. [11] A third board member specifically highlighted Donovan's mental health background as "a unique experience" he brings to the role. [11]

Comprehensive Plan Endorsement

The board unanimously endorsed the AMP UP! Arlington Comprehensive Plan update, the town's strategic land-use roadmap through 2036. [12]

Claire Ricker, Director of Planning and Community Development, presented the plan, which she said was required by state statute under MGL Chapter 41, Section 81D. [13] The planning process began in August 2024, took 18 months, and was led by consulting firm Stantec alongside a 13-member AMP UP advisory committee — town records list the committee at 15 members. [14] The Arlington Redevelopment Board voted to officially adopt the plan on May 4, 2026. [14]

Community engagement was extensive: more than 6,000 website visitors, over 1,000 online contributors, thousands of map interactions, and hundreds of survey responses. [15]

Ricker read the plan's official vision statement: "Arlington strives to be a welcoming town that supports a diverse population and a variety of housing options, fosters thriving business districts and vibrant neighborhoods, protects the natural environment, and encourages a strong shared sense of community and civic involvement." [16] Two cross-cutting themes run throughout the document: equity and diversity, and sustainability and resilience.

Housing and land use generated the widest range of views during the planning process, Ricker said, with some residents supporting more density and housing choices and others prioritizing neighborhood character and single-family areas. Open space preservation was another recurring tension. [17]

On transportation, the plan supports adopting a Vision Zero policy to eliminate pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, advocates for expanded MBTA service, and addresses the town's contested overnight parking ban, which Ricker said generated a range of perspectives because of its relationship to housing and economic development goals. [18] On sustainability, the plan calls for progress toward net zero goals, water quality improvements, open space preservation, strengthening the urban tree canopy, addressing athletic field demand, and modernizing town facilities. [18]

Ricker closed her presentation by framing the plan's purpose: "A comprehensive plan helps ensure that decisions made today are grounded in a long-term vision that reflects community values, supports sustainable growth, and enhances quality of life for current and future generations."

Board discussion was substantive before the vote. Mahon, who said she read all 212 pages over the weekend, noted that the plan is not static — future zoning changes and bylaw amendments will require Town Meeting action. [19] She raised two concerns: a desire to see more pro-business action items beyond small business provisions, and limited in-person engagement during the process, noting that only about 35 people attended the high school workshop and roughly 200 participated across all in-person events. [20] She also said six or seven residents told her that note-takers at focus group sessions did not accurately record their input. [21] "Since the sixties, I've been hearing from the planning department they're gonna increase business development," she said, relaying constituent feedback. "Can you move the needle like one to two percent a year?" [21]

Other board members offered a counterpoint. One member said a small business owner he met with that week identified permitting ease as a top concern — and that the plan addresses it directly. "I'm happy to endorse it tonight," he said. Another member echoed that sentiment, calling streamlined permitting "a real barrier opportunity" for economic development and crediting the plan's authors for identifying it. [22] That member also described the plan as "a framework to understand what those big interconnected structural issues are" rather than a policing document.

A board member also flagged the absence of the Muga property from the new plan — a parcel mentioned more than a dozen times in the 2015 master plan. The 17-acre site includes 12 acres of open space whose future remains undetermined, and the member said he did not believe the town's interest in preserving that open space had changed. [23]

Vote: Mahon moved favorable support for the AMP UP Comprehensive Plan; Solomon seconded. The board approved unanimously. [12]

Other Business

Water Bond — $1,307,000 MWRA Loan

The board approved a $1,307,000 no-interest annual loan from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to fund the final phase of water system improvements on Pleasant Street. [24] Feeney said the work will pick up where the previous phase left off at Irving Street and continue to Mass Ave, with the initial mobilization targeting the intersection of Pleasant and Mystic streets on or around June 1. [25] Repayment will occur in 10 equal installments of $130,700, with the first payment due May 15, 2027. [24]

Feeney noted that the bond covers the town's water work only; National Grid's separate gas main relay project, which will have up to three phases, will proceed concurrently. "We're trying to get as much of the contracted work done as possible so that we can get towards the light at the end of the tunnel," Feeney said, "where we can do final paving and pavement markings and be done with Pleasant Street."

Vote: Mahon moved approval; DeCourcey seconded. Unanimous.

U-Turn Prohibition on Mass Ave

The board approved an amendment to Article 7, Section 10 of the town's traffic rules and orders to prohibit U-turns on the east side of Massachusetts Avenue within a new safety zone in East Arlington. Feeney described the change as "a very sensible" update that will allow the town to post signage and allow police to enforce the prohibition, which he said addresses "very dangerous" conditions in that area. [26][27]

Vote: Mahon moved approval; Solomon seconded. Unanimous. Chair Hurd noted for the record that Vice Chair Helmuth had departed to open Town Meeting. [27]

Town Manager Employment Agreement — Negotiators Named

Chair Hurd announced that he and DeCourcey will serve as the board's negotiators in renegotiating Town Manager Feeney's employment agreement, with the process targeted to begin August 4. No vote was required.

Deputy Town Counsel Hired

Town Counsel Cunningham announced the hiring of Christopher Blake as Deputy Town Counsel and workers' compensation agent. Blake is a graduate of Bard College and Duquesne University School of Law and comes to Arlington from the City of Lowell, where he oversaw the workers' compensation division and worked on land use, contracts, litigation, labor matters, and regulatory compliance. [notebook:62] Cunningham thanked HR Director Karen Lo, Chief Kelly, Rob Spigel of the school department, and Town Manager Feeney for their roles in the search. [notebook:63]

Arlington Redevelopment Board Vacancy

Mahon reminded residents that a vacancy exists on the Arlington Redevelopment Board following Eugene Benson's departure. Applications are due May 31, 2026, through the town website or the Select Board's office. [notebook:65]

National Public Works Week

Chair Hurd read a proclamation — not originally on the agenda — designating the week of May 17–23, 2026, as National Public Works Week, the 66th annual observance of the American Public Works Association. The proclamation urged residents to recognize the contributions of the town's Department of Public Works staff. [notebook:66][notebook:67]

The board adjourned and reconvened in Town Meeting open session on a unanimous vote. [notebook:68]