Design Review Board approves four projects, continues Laurel Avenue review

WELLESLEY — May 13, 2026 — Wellesley Design Review Board approves four projects, continues Laurel Avenue plan on 5-0 votes. Chair Juann Khoory, Vice Chair Iris Lin, Secretary Mark Wendell, member Sheila Dinsmoor and alternate Alex Zhou cleared a Footstock sign at 33 Central Street, the 10 Railroad Street townhouse project — with a condition for pedestrian striping to the train station — and the Dana Hall School tennis reconstruction at 45 Dana Road, where CFO Charlie Breslin said the existing courts are "beyond their useful life." The board also granted a Lower Falls floor-area-ratio special permit for a proposed bank at 26 Washington Street at an FAR of 0.44, above the 0.3 trigger but well under the district's 1.0 cap, presented by Kimley-Horn's Seth Anderson and architect Alex Adler. The 16 Laurel Avenue project was continued after Khoory flagged "compositional confusion" in a roofline band and asymmetry in balcony placement.