Lexington Zoning Board Unanimously Approves Relocation of 1722 Historic House

LEXINGTON -- February 12, 2026, Lexington's Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 to allow relocation of the circa-1722 Joseph Bridge-Eli Burdew House, described as the sixth-oldest standing home in Lexington, to a new rear lot at 451 Merritt Road. Board Chair Ralph D. Clifford led the five-member panel, which included Nyles N. Barnert, Jeanne K. Krieger, Scott E. Cooper, and Patricia S. Nelson, through six required bylaw findings before granting the special permit, which allows applicant Owen Curtin to subdivide his lot to create a new parcel with zero feet of frontage instead of the required 125 feet and 15,206 square feet of area instead of the required 15,500. The board conditioned approval on the owner maintaining the timber frame and original exterior appearance in perpetuity, with any future change requiring a return to the board. Amy Griffin, identified as trustee of the Curtin Realty Trust and owner of 419 Merritt Road where the house currently stands, told the board a demolition delay expires by September 18, 2026, and that a contractual obligation to deliver a cleared lot for a nine-unit condominium project means the structure will be demolished if Curtin cannot obtain a building permit by approximately June 1. Attorney Elizabeth Pyle, representing direct abutters Brent and Elizabeth Radcliffe of 11 Outlook Drive, urged denial, arguing the board lacked the required record to find that no other preservation measures were practical. The project still requires Planning Board subdivision approval, which Clifford flagged as uncertain given the proposed shared driveway arrangement.