Belmont Ponders MBTA Rezoning

 Newsletter  Comments Off on Belmont Ponders MBTA Rezoning
Apr 232024
 

Belmont Ponders MBTA Rezoning: An Overview of 3A Requirements and Challenges By Doug Koplow This fall, Belmont Town Meeting will be asked to vote on a major rezoning proposal that will increase the scale and density of housing construction within a significant portion of the town. The changes are mandated by the state MBTA Communities Multifamily Zoning Requirement, passed in January 2021. The law modifies section 3A of the Massachusetts Zoning Act and is often referred to by its section number. Final guidelines first issued in August 2022 set the compliance requirements for the town. This article provides an overview [READ MORE]

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Native Peoples Lived in Belmont

 History, March/April 2024  Comments Off on Native Peoples Lived in Belmont
Mar 012024
 
Native Peoples Lived in Belmont

By Mark Jarzombek It comes as a surprise to people who assume that Boston’s colonization began with the settlement of Boston in 1630 that there was an equally important settlement in Watertown that same year. It was organized by Sir Richard Saltonstall, along with approximately 40 families. Unlike the Bostonians, the group in Watertown consisted of ranchers and farmers living primarily in homesteads spread out over the rapidly deforested landscape. Though Boston takes the glory when it comes to the history of New England, the relationship between a town and its farm and pastureland was critical to the settlers’ success. [READ MORE]

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Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day April 27

 BCF Events, Environment, March/April 2024  Comments Off on Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day April 27
Mar 012024
 
Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day April 27

Join us in stewarding Lone Tree Hill! The Belmont Citizens Forum, in conjunction with the Judy Record Conservation Fund, is holding its tenth annual cleanup and trail maintenance day on April 27, from 9 AM until noon. Help with planting white pine saplings along the Meadow Edge Trail, cleaning up, and removing invasives at the Mill Street parking lot and the Coal Road, respectively. Students can earn community service credits. Bounded by Concord Avenue, Pleasant Street, and Mill Street, Lone Tree Hill spans 119 acres of permanently protected conservation land and is available to everyone. It is stewarded through a [READ MORE]

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Letter to the Editor: Rat Poisons and Wildlife

 Environment, March/April 2024  Comments Off on Letter to the Editor: Rat Poisons and Wildlife
Mar 012024
 
Letter to the Editor: Rat Poisons and Wildlife

Dear Representatives of the Select Board, Health Department, Department of Public Works, Facilities Department (Schools), and Conservation Commission; As local communities in and around Belmont wake up to the dangers of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) to children, wildlife, and pets, we see encouraging progress toward reducing and eliminating SGARs. We would like to share with you what is going on in neighboring towns in this regard as Save Belmont Wildlife seeks to work with our community to eliminate these poisons as part of a cross-community effort. We are working to prevent the further poisoning of Massachusetts birds of prey and [READ MORE]

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Belmont Rower Looks Out for the Charles River

 Climate Change, Environment, March/April 2024  Comments Off on Belmont Rower Looks Out for the Charles River
Mar 012024
 
Belmont Rower Looks Out for the Charles River

By Zeus Smith As a US National Team rower, Belmont resident Maggie Fellows spends a lot of time on the Charles River. Since 2021, the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) has mobilized a cohort of passionate community leaders like Fellows to push for climate-smart policies and practices right in their backyards. Called River Advocates, this program brings together volunteers from various backgrounds and experiences to learn effective advocacy strategies and steward a more climate-resilient future. The River Advocates program is a crash course in civic engagement––by joining, volunteers find a community of like-minded individuals interested in learning about direct actions [READ MORE]

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E-Bike Library Lets Locals Take a Spin

 Bicycles and bike paths, March/April 2024  Comments Off on E-Bike Library Lets Locals Take a Spin
Mar 012024
 
E-Bike Library Lets Locals Take a Spin

By Sarah Firth Inae Hwang was torn: Should she buy a new electric bike? “I’ve been looking at e-bikes for six months straight, really looking to purchase one,” Hwang, a Belmont resident, said. Then, a friend referred her to the Camberville E-bike Lending Library, which Somerville resident Christopher Schmidt runs out of his Porter Square home. Hwang decided to take one of the e-bikes for a spin. “I was like, ‘Oh, I should totally borrow one because then I will know what it feels like, and how well it does or doesn’t work for me,’” she said. Hwang was hooked; [READ MORE]

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Profiles in Belmont: Phil Thomas

 March/April 2024, Open Space  Comments Off on Profiles in Belmont: Phil Thomas
Mar 012024
 
Profiles in Belmont: Phil Thomas

By Elissa Ely “One ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs or a bee makes honey.” – Marcus Aurelius There is so much we could say about Phil Thomas. We could talk about his distinguished career in high technology, which followed his distinguished career in Naval Intelligence. We could talk about growing up oceanside in Florida, where his father worked as a photographer for NASA and John Glenn visited the house. We could talk about his childhood hopes of becoming the next Mickey Mantle (stymied only, perhaps, by height). We could also talk about Phil’s [READ MORE]

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Select Board Candidates Answer BCF Questions

 Board of Selectmen, Newsletter  Comments Off on Select Board Candidates Answer BCF Questions
Mar 012024
 
Select Board Candidates Answer BCF Questions

Each year, the Belmont Citizens Forum asks Select Board candidates questions about issues facing our town. This year, Alex Howard, Geoff Lubien, and Matt Taylor provided answers. They were limited to 1,000 words. BCF Currently, about 95% of the property tax levy in Belmont comes from homeowners and 5% from business owners. a.  Is the development of more business space a realistic solution to Belmont’s financial challenges, with much of the existing commercial space empty? b.  The number of empty commercial spaces, both retail and office buildings, conveys that Belmont is not prospering or attractive. Does the Select Board have [READ MORE]

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BCF Asks Path Experts Three Questions

 Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, March/April 2024  Comments Off on BCF Asks Path Experts Three Questions
Mar 012024
 
BCF Asks Path Experts Three Questions

To prepare for the upcoming Design Public Hearing on Phase 1 of the Belmont Community Path, the BCF asked three Community Path experts about what they think about the Community Path project today. We spoke to Mark Paolillo, Select Board member; Holly Muson, chair of the Community Path Project Committee; and Will Brownsberger, Massachusetts state representative. BCF Since you succeeded Russ Leino as chair of the Community Path Project Committee (CPPC) last year, you have had a ringside seat as this project advances. What has most surprised you about the mechanics of advancing the project? Are there lessons from Phase [READ MORE]

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MassDOT Rep Discusses March 7 Path Hearing

 Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, March/April 2024  Comments Off on MassDOT Rep Discusses March 7 Path Hearing
Mar 012024
 
MassDOT Rep Discusses March 7 Path Hearing

By Jarrod Goentzel The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will be hosting a Design Public Hearing on Phase 1 of the Belmont Community Path on Thursday, March 7, at 7PM at the Beech Street Center Multipurpose Room, 266 Beech Street, Belmont. You can watch the meeting at home on Belmont Media Center GovTV, Ch 8 Comcast or Ch 28 Verizon, or belmontmedia.org/govtv. Visit www.mass.gov/orgs/highway-division/events for more information. The project consists of a new paved shared-use path along the Fitchburg Commuter Rail and a new concrete underpass beneath the railroad tracks at Alexander Road to provide a connection from Channing Road [READ MORE]

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