Cambridge Zoning Board Unanimously Grants McGrath Street Vertical Addition Permit

CAMBRIDGE — July 16, 2026 — Cambridge zoning board grants special permit for single-family vertical addition, continues Stern Street case to October. The Cambridge Board of Zoning Appeal voted 5-0 on July 16 to approve a special permit for a second-story master suite addition at 63 McGrath Street, filed by property owner Bernard Fingali and represented by David Piazzarolo. The board navigated an applicant who arrived unprepared to make a formal presentation, with member Brendan Sullivan arguing the written supporting statement was sufficient: the "language, their response, and their pleadings sort of addresses the issues." Sullivan also flagged that the submitted dimensional form listed zeros for all setback measurements, calling the omission a clerical error and insisting on correction before Chair Stephen Ng signs the final permit document — "these are all legal documents going forward, not just for this particular applicant, but for future homeowners." A separate application at 51 Stern Street was continued to October 15, 2026, on condition the petitioner sign a statutory waiver and update posting materials, with Ng warning that failure to comply would trigger an automatic adverse ruling.