Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals 01-14-2026

• Date: January 14, 2026
• Governing Body: Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals
• Meeting Type: Regular Meeting
• Attendees:
  • Susan Fontano, Chair
  • Anne Brockelman, Vice Chair / Acting Clerk
  • Ann Fullerton, Board Member
  • Zach Zaremba, Board Member
  • Olivia Mobayed, Board Member
  • Brian Cook, Alternate Member
  • Sisia Daglian, Alternate Member

The Board conducted its annual reorganization and election of officers for the 2026 calendar year.

1. Chair: Anne Brockelman nominated Susan Fontano.
   • Vote: 7-0 in the affirmative (Olivia Mobayed, Ann Fullerton, Sisia Daglian, Brian Cook, Anne Brockelman, Zach Zaremba, and Susan Fontano).
2. Vice Chair: Ann Fullerton nominated Anne Brockelman.
   • Vote: 7-0 in the affirmative (Olivia Mobayed, Susan Fontano, Ann Fullerton, Sisia Daglian, Brian Cook, Zach Zaremba, and Anne Brockelman).
3. Clerk: Due to a lack of volunteers for a permanent Clerk, the Board voted to rotate the position among members for the beginning of the year.
   • Vote: 7-0 in the affirmative to approve the rotation policy.

The Board moved to enter Executive Session at 6:10 PM pursuant to Chapter 30A, Section 21(a) to discuss Open Meeting Law complaints.

• Motion: Anne Brockelman moved to enter executive session; seconded by Brian Cook.
• Vote: 7-0 in the affirmative (Olivia Mobayed, Susan Fontano, Zach Zaremba, Sisia Daglian, Ann Fullerton, Brian Cook, and Anne Brockelman).
• Outcome: The Board returned to open session at 6:29 PM. Chair Fontano noted that votes were taken during the executive session regarding the Open Meeting Law complaints.

The applicant requested a continuance for the matter of 17 Hudson Street.

• Action: Motion to grant the request to continue the case to the February 4, 2026, ZBA meeting.
• Vote: 7-0 in the affirmative (Zach Zaremba, Brian Cook, Anne Brockelman, Sisia Daglian, Ann Fullerton, Olivia Mobayed, and Susan Fontano).

The Board considered an application by Bank of America (represented by Brian Michener of Sign Design) for a hardship variance to install a non-compliant, non-illuminated logo sign on the side of an existing ATM vestibule.

Discussion Points:

• Applicant's Argument: Brian Michener argued that the vestibule was designed for branding and that the lack of visibility from certain angles constituted a hardship for the bank's brand identity. He stated, "They really think it affects their branding in this location for their visibility."
• Board Concerns: Members Zach Zaremba and Chair Susan Fontano expressed that the application failed to meet the three-point criteria for a hardship variance under M.G.L. Chapter 40A, Section 10.
• Member Comments:
  • Zach Zaremba noted, "I don't feel like I could vote for this based on that argument... we need to follow a uniform set of standards for all businesses."
  • Sisia Daglian noted similar signage in Union Square but acknowledged the legal argument was weak.
  • Chair Fontano stated, "I think that signage has gotten out of control... I don't think that you came prepared tonight with the criteria that was in your bracket to convince me that it should be different."

Public Comment:

• No members of the public spoke regarding this application.

Outcome:

• Motion: Anne Brockelman moved to approve the hardship variance.
• Vote: 0-5 (Zach Zaremba, Ann Fullerton, Olivia Mobayed, Anne Brockelman, and Susan Fontano all voting 'No'). The motion failed, and the variance was denied.

The Board discussed the logistics of the new Clerk rotation schedule.

• Schedule:
  • February 4, 2026: Anne Brockelman volunteered to act as Clerk.
  • February 18, 2026: Brian Cook volunteered to act as Clerk.
• Policy: If a case is continued, the Clerk who started the case will ideally continue with it to maintain consistency, pending legal clarification from staff.