Historic Preservation – Page 2 – Belmont Citizens Forum

Belmont: Town of Homes and Trees

Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2018 Comments Off

Nov 052018

An overview of the status of town trees, past and present By Lucia Gates In Belmont, we hold our trees in esteem for their beauty, shade, and the value they add to our property. Our magnificent copper beeches grow throughout town. A wonderful example of these trees stands just east of Cushing Square, along Trapelo Road. Moreover, Belmont has all of the standard Eastern urban trees—callery pears, ginkos, Norway maples—as well as the standard Eastern forest trees—maples, oaks, and pines. One of the most notable trees* is the large dawn redwood growing in back of the town library parking lot. [READ MORE]

Developing a Conservation Master Plan for Rock Meadow

Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Plants, Sept-Oct 2018 Comments Off

Sep 122018

Developing a Conservation Master Plan for Rock Meadow

By Jeffrey North “Rock Meadow is a beautiful and diverse landscape with differing microclimates, terrains, and experiences throughout the site. This diversity provides both design challenges and opportunities.” —Excerpt from Rock Meadow, A Conservation Master Plan (Michael Taurean Gagnon and Sam Freedman map) The proposed Rock Meadow design adds trails and other features such as: 1) a boardwalk; 2) a path bisecting the north meadow and leading to the former landfill site; 3) an extended loop emerging from the central woodland to an observation deck; 4) two groves of oaks and hickories; 5) a nature-inspired playground [READ MORE]

The Future of McLean Barn

Arts & Culture, Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, Open Space, Sept-Oct 2018 Comments Off

Sep 122018

By Robert Kennedy As most in Belmont are aware, there is a barn located adjacent to Rock Meadow, sitting back from Mill Street just south of the Rock Meadow parking lot. It is brick, substantially built, and was once part of a farm that supported McLean Hospital. Although now boarded up, it is in reasonably good repair. Belmont Town Meeting recently approved monies from Community Preservation Act funds for minor repairs to help prevent deterioration. Although there are currently no plans for restoration, future use of the barn was discussed during the recent Rock Meadow planning study (see “Developing a [READ MORE]

Two Years of Homer House Restoration Success

Arts & Culture, Construction and Housing, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Sept-Oct 2018 Comments Off

Sep 122018

Two Years of Homer House Restoration Success

By Wendy Murphy The Belmont Woman’s Club has been working on many projects at the beautiful William Flagg Homer House. Located at 661 Pleasant Street, across from Town Hall in the Pleasant Street Historic District, the Homer House is named for its original owner, William Flagg Homer, a wealthy Boston merchant who built the property in 1853 as a summer residence. William Flagg was uncle to famed American artist Winslow Homer, whose artwork features numerous scenes of Belmont people and places, including his uncle’s home. The Homer House has been actively undergoing restoration since 2016, when the Woman’s Club [READ MORE]

Another Way to Preserve Belmont’s Neighborhoods

Historic Preservation, May-June 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

May 152018

Another Way to Preserve Belmont’s Neighborhoods

Should Belmont residents consider a ‘neighborhood conservation district’ model? By Sharon Vanderslice Belmont’s cohesive and walkable neighborhoods, high-quality schools, extensive green space, and proximity to public transportation have made it one of the most desirable places to live in the Greater Boston area. And yet, skyrocketing real estate values and the overdevelopment that tends to accompany them currently threaten the very neighborhoods that have made this “town of homes” so appealing in the first place. One tool that cities and towns around the country have used to preserve local neighborhoods from inappropriate development is the “neighborhood conservation district” designation. Cities [READ MORE]

Historical Society Calls for Award Nominations

Historic Preservation, March-April 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 212018

Historical Society Calls for Award Nominations

The Belmont Historical Society invites you to nominate projects that have furthered preservation efforts in Belmont for the David R. Johnson Preservation Award. Properties throughout the town, not just in the historic districts, are eligible. There are six categories of projects for nomination: Private residences; Commercial properties; Publicly owned properties; Properties owned by nonprofit institutions; Landscape projects; and Preservation of open space and land conservation. Individuals, companies, or institutions that have made significant contributions to historic preservation in Belmont will also be considered. Awards will be presented at the society’s annual meeting on May 16. Congratulations to last year’s awardees: [READ MORE]

Thaddeus Frost House Local Historic District Proposed

Historic Preservation, March-April 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 212018

Thaddeus Frost House Local Historic District Proposed

By Lauren G. Meier This spring, Town Meeting will consider the opportunity to create a new local historic district to protect one of Belmont’s most important historic resources, the Thaddeus Frost House on Brighton Street. In this case, the proposed district is a single property, which is allowed under M.G.L., Chapter 40C: Historic Districts. The Thaddeus Frost House on Brighton Street predates Belmont’s incorporation as a town in 1859. Colonial land grants established Watertown and Newtowne (now Cambridge) in 1630, including the land that is now Belmont. By the 19th century, large landowners, including prosperous farmers, were dissatisfied with high [READ MORE]

Committee Recommends Six CPA Projects

Historic Preservation, March-April 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 212018

By Peg Velie This year the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is recommending six projects to Town Meeting for funding, totaling $1,518,087. If approved, these projects will be funded via the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The CPA is a 2001 Massachusetts law that allows towns to establish a local fund dedicated solely to open space (including outdoor recreation), historic preservation, and affordable housing. Belmont adopted the CPA in November 2010. May’s Town Meeting will be Belmont’s sixth for appropriating funds to CPA projects. In the last five years, Town Meeting has appropriated more than $6 million for 33 projects, including the [READ MORE]

January/February 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF

Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, donations, Environment, Historic Preservation, Jan-Feb 2018, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Plants, Recycling, Stormwater, Traffic, Transit, Volunteer, Water Quality Comments Off

Jan 162018

View or download the January-February 2018 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below. . Articles in this issue: A Vision for Belmont Looking Back, Looking Ahead by Sue Bass Nearly eight years ago, in the spring of 2010, the town completed two years of work on a comprehensive plan intended to guide the next decade of change in Belmont. Looking back, how are we doing? The $148,000 plan, called “A Vision for Belmont: Mapping a Sustainable Future,” which was adopted by the Belmont Planning Board and is posted on its website, made nine primary recommendations. Read more. [READ MORE]

Environmental Events

Air Quality, Environment, Historic Preservation, Jan-Feb 2018, Newsletter, Stormwater, Traffic, Water Quality Comments Off

Jan 162018

Compiled by John DiCocco and Evanthia Malliris Alewife Corridor Resilience Symposium: Collaboratively Framing Scenarios Friday January 19, 6-9 PM & Saturday, January 20, 8 AM–4:30PM The symposium will convene the Alewife corridor communities of Belmont, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, and Winchester to examine the Alewife floodplain in its entirety, and explore collaborative scenarios for tackling issues of resiliency and climate adaptation. Sponsored by Earthos Institute and Tufts. Free. Registration required.alewiferesilience.org. More info: sarah-earthos@LDParch.com. Friday: Arlington Town Hall, 730 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington Saturday: Tufts University, 40 [READ MORE]

Belmont’s Housing Future

Construction and Housing, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2017, Parking, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Nov 092017

Providing More Affordable Options by Julie Perkins Belmont is a wealthy town by most standards, with a higher-than-state-average median income. But a quarter of Belmont’s population would be eligible for affordable housing if more were available, according to statistics gathered by Metro West Collaborative Development, a nonprofit based in Newton. And creating that housing (also called “community housing”1) would get the town out from under the threat of unwanted development—because Belmont would meet the state standard of having 10% of its housing affordable. For the past two years, the Belmont Housing Trust has been working on a housing production plan (HPP) to encourage [READ MORE]

Belmont Citizens Forum Nov-Dec 2017 Newsletter

Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, donations, Environment, Historic Preservation, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2017, Open Space, Parking, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Nov 092017

View or download the November-December 2017 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below. . . Articles in this issue: Belmont’s Housing Future. Providing More Affordable Options. Read more here. Belmont Traffic: Driving In, Out, and Through Everyone Is Someone Else’s Cut-Through Traffic Read more here. JKR Conservation Fund Charts A New Path New Structure, New Name Read more here. An Update On The Bradford Multiple Activities On- And Off-site Read more here. Environmental Events Read more here.

An Update On The Bradford

Air Quality, Construction and Housing, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2017, Parking, Traffic, Transit, Uncategorized Comments Off

Nov 092017

Multiple Activities On- and Off-site by John DiCocco Excavation and foundation work continues at the Bradford, the apartment and retail complex in Cushing Square, previously known as Cushing Village. However, the contaminated soil remaining from the demolished Tops Cleaners continues to be a problem and has not yet been treated to a level that allows it to be handled as non-hazardous waste. A new round of tests is pending. A Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) site visit in early October found a new area of potential contamination. Since DEP visits infrequently, and Toll/Nauset Construction (the primary contractor) hadn’t flagged this area [READ MORE]

Belmont Citizens Forum Sept-Oct 2017 Newsletter

Belmont Citizens Forum Sept-Oct 2017 Newsletter Air Quality, Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Recycling, September 2017, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Sep 162017

View or download the September-October 2017 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below. . Articles in this issue: Demolition Delay Could Save Historic Buildings Read more here. Belmont Reviews Trash and Recycling Options Read more here. Iyengar Joins Land Management Committee Read more here. Keeping the Lights On and the Water Flowing Read more here. Tracking Traffic Read more here. What’s the Latest in Cushing Square? Read more here. Letter to the Editor Read more here. Environmental Events Read more here.

Demolition Delay Could Save Historic Buildings

Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, September 2017 Comments Off

Sep 132017

Demolition Delay Could Save Historic Buildings

182 Structures Now Under Consideration for “Historic” Designation by Sharon Vanderslice Belmont’s historic districts preserve many of the town’s historic buildings, which contribute dramatically to its sense of place. But many other important buildings are outside the districts. To protect them, Belmont Town Meeting has now required a one-year delay before anyone can get a permit to demolish 182 historically or architecturally significant buildings not otherwise protected. The list of designated buildings was developed by the Historic District Commission (HDC) from information prepared by a [READ MORE]

What’s The Latest in Cushing Square?

Air Quality, Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Parking, September 2017, Stormwater, Traffic, Transit, Water Quality Comments Off

Sep 132017

The Project Moves Forward and Continues to Evolve by John DiCocco There’s progress at the Bradford (formerly named Cushing Village), the three-building residential and retail complex in Cushing Square. Since our last article on the development in the May-June 2017 issue, construction is still moving ahead although several issues remain unresolved. Toll Brothers Apartment Living is the developer (through a subsidiary named Belmont Residential LLC), and Nauset Construction is the general contractor. Toll Brothers employs Sage Environmental as their licensed site professional (LSP) and the town has independently contracted with John Thompson, LSP, of Waypoint Environmental, who reports to town [READ MORE]

Environmental Events Sept-Oct 2017

Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Plants, Recycling, September 2017, Solar Power, Traffic, Transit, Water Quality Comments Off

Sep 132017

Extreme Events and Climate Change Thursday, September 14; 7–8 PM What We Know and What We Can Do Ellen Marie Douglas, Associate Professor of Hydrology, School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston. Douglas will discuss observations of our changing climate, what changes may be in Boston’s future, and some plans for how to adapt to these changes. New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston. Belmont Drives Electric, Ride & Drive Sunday, September 17, 1–4 PM Learn about electric vehicles and test drive Chevy Bolts, Volkswagen Golfs, Nissan Leafs, and other electric vehicles. Meet local owners to get their experience. [READ MORE]

Belmont Citizens Forum May-June 2017 Newsletter

Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, donations, Environment, Historic Preservation, Lone Tree Hill, May-June 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Plants, Recycling, Stormwater, Traffic, Transit, Volunteer, Water Quality Comments Off

May 122017

View or download the May-June 2017 20-page issue here as a color PDF.

Lone Tree Hill Annual Spring Volunteer Day

Environment, Historic Preservation, May-June 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants Comments Off

May 122017

Lone Tree Hill Annual Spring Volunteer Day

Tree Plantings and Pleasant Street Pickup by Radha Iyengar On Saturday, April 29, the Belmont Citizens Forum (BCF) in conjunction with the Judith K. Record (JKR) Memorial Conservation Fund held its Fifth Annual Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day. The rain held off and the volunteers came out in full force. This year the work was divided between planting trees along the Pine Allee, and cleaning up the trash along South Pleasant Street (across from Star Market and Artefact Home & Garden). In 2015, the JKR Memorial Conservation Fund engaged Tree Specialists, Inc. of Holliston, MA, to inspect the health of [READ MORE]

Belmont Citizens Forum March-April 2017 Newsletter PDF

Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Construction and Housing, donations, Environment, Historic Preservation, March 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Recycling, Solar Power, Stormwater, Traffic, Transit, Water Quality Comments Off

Apr 242017

View or download the March-April 2017 20-page issue here as a color PDF. View or download the March-April 2017 20-page issue here as a black-and-white PDF.

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