Opinion: Belmont Needs Business-Friendly Zoning

 Construction and Housing, Newsletter, November/December 2023, Parking  Comments Off on Opinion: Belmont Needs Business-Friendly Zoning
Nov 012023
 
Opinion: Belmont Needs Business-Friendly Zoning

By Taylor Yates and Paul Joy Belmont has zoned itself into a financial corner. Fiscally healthy towns balance their tax bases between commercial and residential real estate, Belmont does not. Belmont receives only 5% of its property tax revenue from commercial real estate, whereas fiscally strong towns receive 20% or more. We receive so little revenue from commercial real estate because the few areas in town where it is allowed suffer from overly burdensome regulation. The Economic Development Committee and Vision 21 Implementation Committee were charged by the Select Board to review Belmont’s zoning bylaws and to look for ways [READ MORE]

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November/December BCF Newsletter

 Newsletter, November/December 2023  Comments Off on November/December BCF Newsletter
Nov 012023
 
November/December BCF Newsletter

Read the November December 2023 Newsletter PDF In this issue: Vision for a Better Belmont: Elizabeth Dionne This is the first of a new series of interviews with Belmont stakeholders about their vision for Belmont’s future. Read more. Opinion: Belmont Needs Business-Friendly Zoning Belmont has zoned itself into a financial corner. Fiscally healthy towns balance their tax bases between commercial and residential real estate, Belmont does not. Read more.    Opinion: Why Pay Property Taxes When You Can Get a Tax Break? Over the past 10 years, the Belmont Country Club has received tax breaks totaling more than $4 million [READ MORE]

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 Posted by at 9:23 am

Vision for a Better Belmont: Elizabeth Dionne

 Board of Selectmen, Construction and Housing, History, Newsletter, November/December 2023, Select Board, Town Committee Meetings  Comments Off on Vision for a Better Belmont: Elizabeth Dionne
Nov 012023
 
Vision for a Better Belmont: Elizabeth Dionne

This is the first of a new series of interviews with Belmont stakeholders about their vision for Belmont’s future. This interview was conducted by Jeffrey North. It has been edited for length and clarity. – Ed. BCF: Congratulations on your election to the Select Board earlier this year. What have you learned about how Belmont works—either well or not so well? Overall, having served in an official capacity in Belmont for the past seven-and-a-half years (Town Meeting, Warrant Committee, Community Preservation Committee), I am pleasantly surprised that there are not many surprises. While municipal governance can be daunting and sometimes [READ MORE]

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Letter to the Editor: Bike Safety

 Bicycles and bike paths, Newsletter, September/October 2023, Traffic  Comments Off on Letter to the Editor: Bike Safety
Sep 012023
 
Letter to the Editor: Bike Safety

My home is in Waltham, and my dentist’s office is in Arlington. I have occasion to ride my bicycle through Belmont on the way there and back. Today (May 22, 2023) I was waiting for the red light at Cross and Brighton Streets when a car approaching in the opposite direction got a green light, but the light remained red for me.  I had to run the red light to get through the intersection and I had no way to know when the red light for the cross traffic would turn green. The same thing happened a second time on [READ MORE]

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Stewards Keep Ogilby Farm Traditions

 Environment, Historic Preservation, History, Newsletter, Plants, September/October 2023  Comments Off on Stewards Keep Ogilby Farm Traditions
Sep 012023
 
Stewards Keep Ogilby Farm Traditions

By Judith Feinleib Henry Ogilby thinks of himself, his siblings, and Mike and Hermik Chase as stewards of the last remaining farmland in Belmont, part of the Richardson Farm Historical District. They are stewards in the classical sense of the term—people whose code of ethics requires them to engage in responsible planning and management of resources.  In this case, these resources are the land and houses that have been in the Ogilby family since the 17th century. For the last 11 years, the Chases have cultivated the land of Belmont Acres Farm where they grow and sell vegetables and keep [READ MORE]

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Lone Tree Hill Goes Native with Plantings

 Environment, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants, September/October 2023  Comments Off on Lone Tree Hill Goes Native with Plantings
Sep 012023
 
Lone Tree Hill Goes Native with Plantings

By Jeffrey North  On Earth Day 2023 (April 22), the Belmont Citizens Forum (BCF), in conjunction with the Judy Record Conservation Fund, held its ninth annual Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day. (See “Volunteers Plant, Clean Up Lone Tree Hill,” BCF Newsletter, May/June 2023, for more information).  Several dozen volunteers rolled up their sleeves, and gardening trowels in hand, planted 350 plugs of young native plants in the Great Meadow and reclaimed meadow areas of Belmont’s Lone Tree Hill Conservation Land in addition to planting 40 white pine saplings to replace the mature pines gradually lost to age and weather. The [READ MORE]

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Profiles in Belmont: Scott Ferson

 History, Newsletter, September/October 2023  Comments Off on Profiles in Belmont: Scott Ferson
Sep 012023
 
Profiles in Belmont: Scott Ferson

By Elissa Ely The start of the pandemic elongated time in lonely and frightening ways. People craved the consolation of community but were prohibited from human contact. Screens were a brilliant technologic substitute, yet just as lonely in their way.   Sometime around then, Scott Ferson drew a hopscotch board on the sidewalk in front of his School Street house, and an inspirational message above it. Solitary pedestrians—who were all of us—found it hard to pass without noticing, and maybe without a small involuntary skip between squares. It was a bright bit of humor we could share without knowing one [READ MORE]

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Belmont Community Path Route Takes Shape

 Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Newsletter, September/October 2023, Transit  Comments Off on Belmont Community Path Route Takes Shape
Sep 012023
 
Belmont Community Path Route Takes Shape

By Vincent Stanton, Jr.  How should the Belmont Community Path get from the Clark Street Bridge to Waverley Square? How might it cross Waverley Square? How should it connect to residential neighborhoods? These and related questions have been under study for Phase 2 of the Belmont Community Path. In December 2022, Belmont hired Pare Corporation and Toole Design Group to design Phase 2, which extends from the Clark Street Bridge to Waverley Square. Amy Archer and Kathleen Fasser, the project leaders of the Pare-Toole team, led the 2016–2017 Belmont Community Path feasibility study, and more recently designed the Waltham segment [READ MORE]

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Why Belmont Needs the Specialized Energy Code

 Climate Change, Newsletter  Comments Off on Why Belmont Needs the Specialized Energy Code
Aug 312023
 
Why Belmont Needs the Specialized Energy Code

By Roger Wrubel Massachusetts adopted An Act Creating A Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy (Roadmap) in 2021. The act directed the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to update the existing energy building codes and to create a new Opt-In Specialized Energy Code to encourage the construction of all-electric buildings.  The state needs to update energy building codes because the policy requires reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The policy set greenhouse gas emissions limits of at least 50% below the 1990 baseline by 2030, at least 75% below the baseline by 2040, and required net-zero emissions by 2050. By 2050, emissions [READ MORE]

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Belmont Embraces MBTA Zoning Challenge

 Construction and Housing, September/October 2023  Comments Off on Belmont Embraces MBTA Zoning Challenge
Aug 312023
 
Belmont Embraces MBTA Zoning Challenge

By Rachel Heller and Thayer Donham Belmont residents have yet another great opportunity to shape the future of our community. Under a new state law, Belmont will be creating districts where multifamily housing can be built. The multifamily zoning requirement for MBTA Communities, also known as Section 3A of the Massachusetts Zoning Act, requires municipalities with good access to transit to have zoning in place that allows for up to 15 apartments or condominiums per acre.  The Multifamily Zoning Districts must be approved by Town Meeting by December, 31, 2024, and meet the following requirements: Comprise a minimum land area [READ MORE]

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September/October 2023 BCF Newsletter

 Newsletter, September/October 2023  Comments Off on September/October 2023 BCF Newsletter
Aug 312023
 
September/October 2023 BCF Newsletter

Read the September/October 2023 Newsletter In this issue: Belmont School Traffic Needs Attention The figures still catch my breath. A 2018–2019 pre-HS/MS construction study documented nearly 2,000 cars traveling down Concord Avenue. Read more. Belmont Embraces MBTA Zoning Challenge Belmont residents have yet another great opportunity to shape the future of our community. Read more.  Why Belmont Needs the Specialized Energy Code To achieve the emission reduction goals set by the Roadmap, the Massachusetts energy economy must transition to close to 100% electric power. Read more. Belmont Community Path Route Takes Shape How should the Belmont Community Path get from [READ MORE]

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 Posted by at 12:53 pm

Belmont School Traffic Needs Attention

 Bicycles and bike paths, Parking, September/October 2023, Traffic  Comments Off on Belmont School Traffic Needs Attention
Aug 312023
 
Belmont School Traffic Needs Attention

By Larry Link The figures still catch my breath. A 2018–2019 pre-HS/MS construction study documented nearly 2,000 cars traveling down Concord Avenue from the snarl at the underpass (by most experienced hands, “unsolvable”) in Belmont Center to the High School-Middle School site opposite Goden Street, in just the morning 7 to 9 AM rush.  Of all vehicles clocked in that special Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) study using automated license plate reader information, 75% entered and left Belmont within 15 to 20 minutes but were registered/garaged in other towns! While we don’t have a new count yet, many Goden Street [READ MORE]

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MBTA Rethinks Tunnel Construction

 Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, July/August 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on MBTA Rethinks Tunnel Construction
Jun 302023
 
MBTA Rethinks Tunnel Construction

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. The MBTA recently changed its position regarding the preferred construction method for the new tunnel under the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line at Alexander Avenue. Now the plan is to use “cut and cover” construction rather than tunnel jacking. The change will lower the cost of constructing the Belmont Community Path by an estimated $5 million, shorten the construction timeline, reduce the construction footprint, and be less disruptive for nearby residents, the Belmont middle-high school community, and Fitchburg Line riders.  The cut and cover approach will also permit a wider tunnel, which is preferable given the anticipated [READ MORE]

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Letter to the Editor: Airplane Noise

 Environment, July/August 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on Letter to the Editor: Airplane Noise
Jun 302023
 

To the Editor, Regarding your feature piece in the May/June issue [“Why is There So Much Plane Noise Over Belmont?” BCF Newsletter, May/June 2023], it is good to see attention to the issue. However, the author decided to use valuable print largely to explain simply what is, and not the effects, other than “disturbing” or “too much” noise. Imagine if all that ink was used for describing epidemiological evidence that points to negative health outcomes, instead of rote retelling of recent events and history, easily conveyed with a link or two. People end up in hospitals more often as a [READ MORE]

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A New Weekly Voice for Belmont

 July/August 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on A New Weekly Voice for Belmont
Jun 302023
 

By Sue Bass Once upon a time, Belmont had a real newspaper. Indeed, within living memory, it had two: The Belmont Citizen (1944–1988) and the Belmont Herald (1931–1988.) By the time Henry and I moved here in 1995, the merged Citizen-Herald was an acceptable but not great source of information. Still, I seem to recall that at one time it employed an editor, a reporter, and at least one stringer who might attend Planning Board or other committee meetings.  Then it got worse, and worse, and worse. No coverage of school sports. No more police log. No more school lunch [READ MORE]

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Local Activists Testify to Limit Rat Poisons

 Environment, July/August 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on Local Activists Testify to Limit Rat Poisons
Jun 302023
 
Local Activists Testify to Limit Rat Poisons

By Allison V. Lenk The morning we arrived to rally in front of the State House, we noticed two hawks circling the Boston Common. People excitedly pointed out when one of the hawks landed on the weathervane atop the Golden Dome of the State House. We optimistically decided it was a sign that the day’s testimony would make a positive difference in the cause to limit the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) which not only kill their intended target, but also sicken or kill birds of prey, other wildlife, pets, and even threaten the health of children. (See [READ MORE]

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UMass Field Station Update

 July/August 2023, Newsletter, Open Space  Comments Off on UMass Field Station Update
Jun 302023
 

UMass Field Station Update By John Dieckmann In the January/February issue of the Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter, there was a brief article on the status of the UMass Field Station on Beaver Street in Waltham. The city of Waltham acquired the property from UMass last year.  The city planned to issue four requests for proposals (RFPs) covering different parts of the property for potential users to respond to.   To date, one of these RFPs was issued in February, covering about 13 acres of farm land, the main building, and several outbuildings.  According to Stacey Daley, executive director of the Waltham [READ MORE]

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Do We Underestimate Bees?

 Environment, July/August 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on Do We Underestimate Bees?
Jun 302023
 
Do We Underestimate Bees?

By Fred Bouchard Sit in your backyard by the flowers and watch the bees go about their busy business. Notice their different sizes, colors, and flight patterns. Chubby, buzzy bumble bees—yellow-striped, black-bottomed—cram into white roses. Slender, darting honeybees—tawny orange, pinstriped—slip in and out of pink weigela. (Smaller, faster bees have eluded my view, for now.) Are these garden denizens simply honey-gathering, pollen-spreading automatons? Not so, says author Stephen Buchmann in What a Bee Knows:  “Watch closer: she may be using olfactory tools to give her a 3-D map of her surroundings. She may gather information from the movements of other [READ MORE]

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Ottavio Forte, Renaissance Man

 Arts & Culture, July/August 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on Ottavio Forte, Renaissance Man
Jun 302023
 
Ottavio Forte, Renaissance Man

By Fred Bouchard Tireless energy, intelligence, and curiosity mark the life and times of Ottavio Forte. Now in his 80s, he has enjoyed success in a colorful array of careers and hobbies: electrical engineer, beekeeper, sculptor, winemaker, distiller, gardener, and homespun philosopher.  Born in Formia (near Naples) in 1940, Forte came to New York at 14, the eighth child of illiterate, hard-working parents. As a high school senior, he claimed second prize in the Brooklyn Science Fair for a model of a vacuum tube. Forte graduated from City College of New York in 1961 in engineering. MIT hired him in [READ MORE]

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Wild Play is Parenting in the Great Outdoors

 July/August 2023, Newsletter, Open Space  Comments Off on Wild Play is Parenting in the Great Outdoors
Jun 302023
 
Wild Play is Parenting in the Great Outdoors

By David Sobel Are you concerned about the academification, indoorification, and digitalization of your child’s life? Especially now, post-pandemic, when most children were forced to be indoors and plopped down in front of screens for much of their schooling?  I felt the same way, even a couple of decades ago when I was raising my children in rural New Hampshire. As a family, we avoided television until my children were about eight years old, though we did borrow DVDs from the library for family viewing. And I am thankful that my wife and I didn’t have to deal with the [READ MORE]

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