Bike-Share Comes to Belmont: A Conversation with Belmont Town Planner Spencer Gober

 Bicycles and bike paths, Environment, Nov-Dec 2018, Traffic  Comments Off on Bike-Share Comes to Belmont: A Conversation with Belmont Town Planner Spencer Gober
Nov 052018
 
Bike-Share Comes to Belmont: A Conversation with Belmont Town Planner Spencer Gober

Questions by Mary Bradley; responses by Spencer Gober Q: What was the impetus behind bringing LimeBikes to Belmont? As a little background, the program is led by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), who approached Belmont in the fall of 2017 to gauge interest in participating in a regional, dockless bike-share system. There are 14 other municipalities participating: Arlington, Bedford, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Needham, Newton, Revere, Waltham, Watertown, and Winthrop. MAPC observed numerous municipalities within the region piloting their own dockless bike-share programs and believed that if dockless bike-share was going to be successful and effective, it [READ MORE]

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Where Your Drinking Water Comes From

 Environment, Nov-Dec 2018, Water Quality  Comments Off on Where Your Drinking Water Comes From
Nov 052018
 
Where Your Drinking Water Comes From

By Ria Convery All photos, maps, and illustrations courtesy of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority unless otherwise noted. Have you ever wondered where your water comes from? Well, it’s kind of a long story. The short answer is that Belmont, like most of eastern and central Massachusetts, gets its water from two reservoirs of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA): the Quabbin Reservoir in Belchertown and the Wachusett Reservoir in Clinton. General Plan of the MWRA Water System Our region’s water system is one of the oldest in the country. Its long history started with local wells in the 1700s, [READ MORE]

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Environmental Events, November–December 2018

 BCF Events, Environment, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2018  Comments Off on Environmental Events, November–December 2018
Nov 052018
 

Owl Prowl and Sunrise Birding Saturday, November 10, 5:30–8 AM Take advantage of the early start time, when it’s much easier to listen for great horned and screech owls and other night sounds. With first light, we will continue birding and hope for some unusual stray or lingering migrants at Rock Meadow. (Rain date is Sunday, November 11.) Fee: $16 member/$20 nonmember.Register at massaudubon.org, call 617-489-5050 or write to habitat@massaudubon.org. Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, 10 Juniper Road, Belmont. Audubon Night Hike Saturday, November 10, 6–7:30 PM Have you been out in the woods at night? Everything seems so different! Spend [READ MORE]

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September–October 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF

 Newsletter, Sept-Oct 2018  Comments Off on September–October 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF
Sep 122018
 

View or download the September–October 2018 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below.   Articles in this issue: 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 Read more.   The Future of The McLean Barn 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 [READ MORE]

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Developing a Conservation Master Plan for Rock Meadow

 Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Plants, Sept-Oct 2018  Comments Off on Developing a Conservation Master Plan for Rock Meadow
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]

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Sewer Repairs In Progress to Clean Up Wellington Brook and Winn’s Brook

 Construction and Housing, Environment, Newsletter, Sept-Oct 2018, Stormwater, Water Quality  Comments Off on Sewer Repairs In Progress to Clean Up Wellington Brook and Winn’s Brook
Sep 122018
 
Sewer Repairs In Progress to Clean Up Wellington Brook and Winn’s Brook

By Anne-Marie Lambert All images and graphics courtesy of the Town of Belmont, prepared for the town by Stantec Consulting Services Inc. A home in Belmont with four occupants sends about 210 gallons a day of wastewater into the town sewer system.1 When an underground sanitary sewer pipe collapses in a neighborhood where the storm drain is located below the sewer in the same underground trench, the sewage leaks into the storm drain and then into our rivers and ponds. This happened on Homer Road, a small street off Hastings Road. The sewer pipe and storm drain serve three homes [READ MORE]

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Two Years of Homer House Restoration Success

 Arts & Culture, Construction and Housing, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Sept-Oct 2018  Comments Off on Two Years of Homer House Restoration Success
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]

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Alewife Poetry Stroll

 Arts & Culture, Environment, Newsletter, Open Space, Sept-Oct 2018  Comments Off on Alewife Poetry Stroll
Sep 122018
 
Alewife Poetry Stroll

Poet Elizabeth Quinlan reads by Little River during the August 18 Alewife Poetry Stroll. This event was sponsored by Friends of Alewife Reservation and featured two poets, Quinlan and Barbara Thomas. Belmont Citizens Forum board member Anne-Marie Lambert served as nature guide to educate participants about the history of the land, water, wildlife, and people who have known this place.

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Environmental Events: September–October 2018

 Environment, Newsletter, Sept-Oct 2018, Stormwater, Water Quality  Comments Off on Environmental Events: September–October 2018
Sep 122018
 

Mystic River Watershed Association Tuesday, September 11, 8–9 PM Mass Rivers Alliance Policy Director Gabby Queenan will present ways to engage in effective advocacy for the Mystic River. mysticriver.org. 20 Academy Street, Arlington.   CoastSweep Cleanup Friday, September 21, 9 AM–12 PM Join Charles River Conservancy for their annual CoastSweep Cleanup. CoastSweep is a statewide event to raise awareness and clean waterfronts. With CRC you will remove litter and debris from the parklands and collect data on the specific types of debris found. Volunteers can work in two locations in Cambridge and Watertown. mass.gov/coastsweep. To volunteer, RSVP via email to [READ MORE]

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July–August 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF

 Newsletter  Comments Off on July–August 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF
Jul 172018
 

View or download the July–August 2018 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below.   Articles in this issue: Belmont Community Path Update, Part Two Feasibility Study Plan Offers Health and Safety Benefits  by Vincent Stanton, Jr. Design and construction of a bicycle and pedestrian path through Belmont have been on the town’s agenda intermittently since 1993, when the selectmen first appointed a temporary committee to study possible routes. In the May/June issue of the Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter, I highlighted three important aspects of the community path plan recommended by Pare Corp. and K3 Landscape Architecture [READ MORE]

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Tell Us How We’re Doing: Reader Survey

 July-Aug 2018, Newsletter  Comments Off on Tell Us How We’re Doing: Reader Survey
Jul 172018
 
Tell Us How We're Doing: Reader Survey

Dear Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter readers, As the new editor of the newsletter, I’d like to get to know more about our readers and your interests to ensure that we are reporting on the issues you care about. Will you please take our five-minute, anonymous reader survey? Please click here to take our survey. We also welcome email if you have questions or ever want to make any suggestions. Please write to: bcfprogramdirector@gmail.com or send mail to Belmont Citizens Forum, P.O. Box 609, Belmont, MA 02478. Thank you for sharing your opinions with us. Sara McCabe, Editor  

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Getting in Tune with Belmont’s Music Community

 Arts & Culture, July-Aug 2018, Newsletter  Comments Off on Getting in Tune with Belmont’s Music Community
Jul 172018
 
Getting in Tune with Belmont's Music Community

Opportunities Abound for Making and Enjoying Music with Neighbors By Sara McCabe After moving from Germany to Belmont, music helped me find friends and a new home. Especially the music programs in the public school and Powers Music School created an environment that made me forget that I live in a new country. – Fiona Knoor Chenery Middle School student Fiona Knoor is one of hundreds of Belmont residents, young and old, taking advantage of our town’s vibrant music community. Fiona plays flute, piccolo, and piano and participates in multiple ensembles at Chenery and Powers Music School. But you don’t [READ MORE]

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Cambridge Residents Support Climate Safety Petition

 Construction and Housing, Environment, July-Aug 2018, Newsletter  Comments Off on Cambridge Residents Support Climate Safety Petition
Jul 172018
 
Cambridge Residents Support Climate Safety Petition

By Ann Stewart In “Preparing for Climate Change,” BCF Newsletter, May-June 2018, state Senator Will Brownsberger focused on the potential flooding risk to Belmont, Arlington, and Cambridge neighborhoods surrounding Alewife Reservation. Another climate change threat besides flooding is rising temperatures. Last year the Cambridge Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment predicted, “By 2070, Cambridge may experience nearly three months [per year] over 90°F, compared with less than two weeks in present day.” Heat has been responsible for most US weather-related fatalities over the last 30 years, according to the National Weather Service. Heat, flooding, and sea level rise are all concerns for [READ MORE]

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Great Blue Heron Chicks a Welcome Addition to Alewife Reservation

 Environment, July-Aug 2018, Newsletter, Open Space, Water Quality  Comments Off on Great Blue Heron Chicks a Welcome Addition to Alewife Reservation
Jul 172018
 
Great Blue Heron Chicks a Welcome Addition to Alewife Reservation

By Sara McCabe Birders and conservationists have been overjoyed by the discovery this spring of a great blue heron rookery in the Alewife Brook Reservation. Many believe this to be the only great blue heron roost for at least 20 miles. The herons’ selection of Jerry’s Pond in North Cambridge as the site for their two nests is especial cause for excitement. This artificial pond was created in 1870 from an old clay pit, used as a public swimming hole from 1913 to 1961, then closed for suspected contamination. It has been fenced off for nearly 60 years despite its [READ MORE]

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13th Season of the Belmont Farmers’ Market in Full Swing

 July-Aug 2018, Newsletter  Comments Off on 13th Season of the Belmont Farmers’ Market in Full Swing
Jul 172018
 
13th Season of the Belmont Farmers’ Market in Full Swing

It’s July, and the Belmont Farmers’ Market is bursting with blueberries, raspberries, corn, arugula, beans, beets, broccoli, chard, cucumber, eggplant, lettuces, peas, peppers… and more! You’ll also find fish, meat, poultry, cheese, baked goods, pasta, prepared foods, and plants. Besides the food vendors, the Belmont Public Library and the Belmont Light Department also participate in the market. New vendors this year include: Dulce D Leche Cakes, Framingham: chocolates, savory pies, gelato Farmer Tim’s Vegetables: Farmer Tim lives in Belmont and farms in Dudley herd nerd SPICE, Arlington: smoky spice for meat, fish, vegetables Koshari Mama, Winchester: Egyptian street food—lentils, rice, [READ MORE]

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Environmental Events, July-August 2018

 Environment, July-Aug 2018, Newsletter  Comments Off on Environmental Events, July-August 2018
Jul 172018
 

Native Lawn Alternatives for Urban Spaces Saturday, July 28, 10:30 AM–Noon Did you know that lawns cover more surface area of the US than any other single irrigated crop, according to NASA? Lawns are resource-heavy, requiring irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive in our climate. Instructor Mark Richardson will share some of the best, environmentally friendly lawn alternatives for urban gardens. Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge. Underground parking garage.   A Night At the Pond Tuesday, August 14, 6:15–8:15 PM Explore the ponds to see what wildlife awaits us.  We’ll bring our ponding gear and nets to see what you can [READ MORE]

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May–June 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF

 Newsletter  Comments Off on May–June 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF
May 152018
 

View or download the May–June 2018 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below.   Articles in this issue: Belmont Community Path Update, Part One Feasibility Study Plan would Renew Transportation Infrastructure and Create New Public Spaces by Vincent Stanton, Jr. A bicycle and pedestrian path stretching from the Charles River in East Cambridge to the town of Berlin, beyond Interstate 495, is in various states of design or construction. The path is complete from Brighton Street in Belmont to Lowell Street in Somerville (via Alewife station and Davis Square.) From the Belmont/Waltham border west to Route [READ MORE]

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Belmont Community Path Update, Part One

 Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, May-June 2018, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Traffic  Comments Off on Belmont Community Path Update, Part One
May 152018
 
Belmont Community Path Update, Part One

Feasibility Study Plan would Renew Transportation Infrastructure and Create New Public Spaces By Vincent Stanton, Jr.    A bicycle and pedestrian path stretching from the Charles River in East Cambridge to the town of Berlin, beyond Interstate 495, is in various states of design or construction. The path is complete from Brighton Street in Belmont to Lowell Street in Somerville (via Alewife station and Davis Square.) From the Belmont/Waltham border west to Route 128, a path is being designed. Construction is likely to start in early 2019. That leaves a 2.1-mile gap in Belmont. Filling the gap is difficult because [READ MORE]

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Another Way to Preserve Belmont’s Neighborhoods

 Historic Preservation, May-June 2018, Newsletter  Comments Off on Another Way to Preserve Belmont’s Neighborhoods
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]

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Preparing for Climate Change

 Environment, May-June 2018, Newsletter, Stormwater  Comments Off on Preparing for Climate Change
May 152018
 
Preparing for Climate Change

By Will Brownsberger This winter’s storms have dramatized flooding in Boston and many other coastal areas. Is Belmont at risk? Despite climate change and rising sea levels, Belmont has minimal risk of direct seawater flooding in the next 50 years. The greatest threat to Belmont residents is the fragility of our regional infrastructure. In the next five decades, scientists and planners predict a rise in sea level of as much as three feet. Stronger sustained winds in storms are also likely to produce greater storm surge. We will also see heavier rains. A detailed model of how water may move [READ MORE]

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