ZBA Finalizes Pleasant Street Duplex Decision

Zoning Board · Meeting of July 14, 2026

Ashland's Zoning Board of Appeals finalized approval of a Pleasant Street duplex rebuild and pushed a 116-unit affordable housing hearing to July 28. The board voted 3-0-0 to approve the draft decision granting two special permits and a variance to applicant James MacDonald for 167-169 Pleasant Street, after Director of Planning and Economic Development Jasmin Farinacci flagged a minor wording fix in the document. Chair John Trefethen asked, "So should we amend the decision to include either Stu, Ryan, or Alex as the third member?" before Associate Member Kiran Gurram arrived to serve as the needed signatory.

Separately, the board voted 5-0-0 to continue the 55 West Union Street 40B comprehensive permit hearing, for a 116-unit, four-story building with 29 income-restricted units, to July 28, with the decision deadline extended to August 25. Trefethen also announced that Member Nathan Band and Associate Member Ryan Sullivan will not seek reappointment when their terms expire September 1, opening one full-member and one associate-member seat.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 1,472 words

Source: the Zoning Board meeting of July 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

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