September/October 2025 – Belmont Citizens Forum

Letter to the Editor – September/October 2025

Newsletter, September/October 2025 Comments Off

Aug 272025

To the Editor: “PILOT Program Could Ease Tax Burden,“ by Max Colice (Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter, July/August 2025) is an interesting discussion of the possibility that entities exempt from taxes, such as religious organizations and private schools, could make a meaningful contribution to Belmont’s bottom line. As part of his piece, Colice lists the 10 top tax-exempt entities. Last on the list is the Jewish Community Center; the name is not one that is commonly known. In fact, the Jewish Community Center is the Beth El Temple Center located at 2 Concord Avenue. It came into being when the Belmont [READ MORE]

Profiles in Belmont: Angus Abercrombie

September/October 2025, Town Committee Meetings Comments Off

Aug 272025

By Elissa Ely Angus Abercrombie—21-year old Emerson College senior, Belmont Town Meeting Member, door-knocker on 850 Precinct 8 homes before his 2023 election victory–is so articulate, so quotable, that he should write his profile himself. Here are a scant few phrases to include in some future Abercrombie archive. The lucky person who assembles it will find themselves drawn in: “I was the right kind of nerd, a lover of spreadsheets.” “I love a good meeting! I’m never the guy who complains. A couple of times, I’ve voted NO to adjourn student government meetings.” “You can’t be an idealist in local [READ MORE]

Plastic Bags are on the Way Out, With or Without Bans

Environment, Recycling, September/October 2025 Comments Off

Aug 262025

Plastic Bags are on the Way Out, With or Without Bans

By Janet Domenitz If you’ve ever stood outside a supermarket and watched shoppers head to their cars, bags in hand, you’ll notice something striking these days: fewer and fewer plastic bags. That’s exactly what MASSPIRG Education Fund researchers set out to measure in a recent snapshot survey at grocery stores across Massachusetts—and the results are encouraging. Over the course of two weeks this summer, we observed shoppers exiting stores in 12 communities: half with local plastic bag bans, and half without. What we found was that in towns that restrict or phase out plastic bags, just 1% of shoppers left [READ MORE]

Where Does the Water Go?

Environment, September/October 2025, Stormwater, Water Quality Comments Off

Aug 262025

Understanding Clay Pit Pond and Belmont’s Hidden Rivers By Ry Emmert People don’t often think about where a raindrop goes after it hits the ground. It may splash on the pavement, flow toward a storm drain, and then seemingly disappear. However, if that droplet falls outside Belmont High School, it embarks on a complex and unexpected journey. This journey connects Belmont’s sidewalks to kayakers on the Mystic River, fish in the Charles River, and ships in Boston Harbor. The story begins with Clay Pit Pond, a shallow and iconic body of water situated between the high school and Concord Avenue. [READ MORE]

Belmont Boasts Bountiful Owls

Environment, Newsletter, September/October 2025 Comments Off

Aug 262025

by Fred Bouchard Let’s open with, then qualify, two generalizations about Barred, Snowy, and Saw-Whet Owls. Females run a bit larger than males; one might (erroneously) surmise that their voices are somewhat deeper in pitch. Most owls are strictly nocturnal. That said, our first two are crepuscular and diurnal, respectively. Barred Owl (Strix varia) Ubiquitous and crepuscular (active and vocal from dusk to dawn), Barred Owls rank among our easiest woodland owls to see. They tend to roost in outer branches, exposed. They don’t hug trunks for camouflage like Great Horned Owls or snuggle in holes like Screech Owls. Their [READ MORE]

Habitat Renovation is Underway

Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, September/October 2025 Comments Off

Aug 262025

By Thomas Phillips Mass Audubon’s Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary is currently renovating its entry circle to enhance visual appeal and incorporate accessibility accommodations for people with disabilities. The first phase of this project began in late April when the walkway was repaved and the entry circle widened. In early fall a new path will be built for people with disabilities with new plantings. The staff at Habitat are hopeful that, in addition to promoting inclusiveness for individuals with disabilities, the renovation will increase the check-in rates among visitors to the sanctuary. Staff believe that increasing check-in rates at [READ MORE]

Lone Tree Hill Restoration Continues

Environment, Lone Tree Hill, Open Space, Plants, September/October 2025 Comments Off

Aug 262025

By Jeffrey North and Joe Hibbard For over a decade, Lone Tree Hill has been a focal point of community-led ecological restoration in Belmont. The Belmont Citizens Forum, the Judy Record Conservation Fund, and many dedicated volunteers, all under the aegis of the town’s Land Management Committee for Lone Tree Hill, have shared this effort. Since the restoration work began, this conservation land has transformed from a neglected patch of invasive thickets to a thriving habitat increasingly dominated by native species. Last April 26, despite steady rain, more than 50 volunteers gathered at Lone Tree Hill’s Meadow Edge Trail for [READ MORE]

Judy Record Conservation Fund Cares for Land

Environment, Lone Tree Hill, September/October 2025 Comments Off

Aug 262025

Judy Record Conservation Fund Cares for Land

By Roger Wrubel The Judy Record Conservation Fund (JR Fund) was founded in 2001 in honor and memory of Judy Record by her friends and family. Judy Record worked tirelessly and effectively from 1995 to 2000 as the leader of the McLean Open Space Alliance (MOSA), which began when eight apprehensive Belmont citizens met to discuss the rumored development of over 190 acres of woods and meadows surrounding the McLean Hospital campus. She stepped forward to lead the effort to preserve as much of the undeveloped land as possible. Record grew MOSA into an effective grassroots organization with 800 members. [READ MORE]

Belmont’s Electricity Comes from NE Power Pool

Climate Change, Newsletter, September/October 2025 Comments Off

Aug 262025

Belmont’s Electricity Comes from NE Power Pool

By Dave Beavers To further explore the question, “Where does my electricity come from?” (See “Follow Belmont Electricity From Source to Socket“, BCF Newsletter, July/August 2025), this article considers what happens upstream of the Belmont Light substation at Blair Pond. Beyond Blair Pond Our Blair Pond substation is supplied by a transmission line from Alewife which connects Belmont to the New England grid. The Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-NE) operates the grid and administers the wholesale electricity market in New England. It is one of seven regional grid operators in the United States. Belmont Light is a stakeholder [READ MORE]

State Tackles Housing Crisis with New Laws

Construction and Housing, Newsletter, September/October 2025 Comments Off

Aug 262025

State Tackles Housing Crisis with New Laws

Massachusetts takes major steps to expand affordable housing—and Belmont responds By Representative David M. Rogers While Massachusetts is regularly ranked among the most desirable places to live in the United States, it is also ranked among the most expensive. It is widely agreed that the state is experiencing an affordable housing crisis. Communities from Pittsfield to Provincetown are affected by the housing crisis—and it certainly impacts Belmont as well. In Belmont, 28% of homeowners and 36% of renters are considered “cost-burdened,” meaning they spend more than a third of their income on housing. According to Belmont’s Housing Production Plan, last [READ MORE]

BHA Makes Plans for Belmont Village

Construction and Housing, September/October 2025 Comments Off

Aug 262025

By Gloria Leipzig and Matt Zajac The Belmont Housing Authority (BHA) has recently started work with a Boston-based architecture and urban planning firm, DREAM Collaborative, to create a master plan that could serve as the blueprint for redeveloping Belmont Village. The Belmont Village site north of Town Field and west of Thomas Street currently has 100 affordable homes for Belmont families across 25 fourplexes. BHA has diligently maintained the homes since their construction in 1949, but funding through the state’s public housing program has been insufficient to support any major renovations over the past 75 years. The buildings and site [READ MORE]