zoning – Belmont Citizens Forum

Opinion: What is a Town For?

Feb 202026

By Meg Muckenhoupt This issue contains an article by respected Belmont residents arguing that a proposed overlay district in Belmont Center will lead to a net loss to the town. Those calculations are at odds with the numbers produced by the Warrant Committee, which predict an annual net increase in town revenue between $127,000 and $857,00 (see bit.ly/BCF-Overlay-Fiscal). Which numbers you believe are more credible depends on your assumptions—chiefly assumptions about school enrollment. Children cost towns money. They’re expensive to educate, they like to play in parks that are expensive to maintain, and they increase the need for traffic enforcement [READ MORE]

Will Anything Get Built?

March/April 2026 Comments Off

Feb 202026

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. The real estate developer focus group convened by Office of Planning and Building Director Chris Ryan in early-mid 2025 provided important, if disappointing, feedback on the economic feasibility of building in Belmont Center (see “Developer perspectives: condensed and edited transcript”). The transcript of that meeting is full of daunting assessments of the current market for commercial real estate. 20% to 30% vacancy rates for office space in Boston and Cambridge. (In January 2026, subsequent to the focus group, OZK Bank wrote off $72 million of its investment in renovated office space in the former Sullivan Courthouse [READ MORE]

Developer Perspectives: Condensed and Edited Transcript

March/April 2026 Comments Off

Feb 202026

Last spring, Belmont Office of Planning and Building Director Chris Ryan interviewed a group of 11 local real estate professionals with diverse backgrounds: some specializing in affordable housing, or mixed commercial-residential projects, or hotel/commercial, others from real estate investment firms. The goal of the session was to assess the level of interest in a rezoned Belmont Center with a potentially two-to-three time greater density than currently allowed, and to solicit advice on how to make the project attractive. (Note that the scale of allowable buildings has been reduced in most areas since this meeting.) The meeting transcript is 20 pages. [READ MORE]

Belmont Center Landlord Perspectives

March/April 2026 Comments Off

Feb 202026

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. The Newsletter contacted four Belmont Center landlords with questions about their perspective on the proposed rezoning measures, and whether and how the new zoning, if adopted by Town Meeting, might influence their plans. Scott Tellier, principal at Tellier Properties which owns 31-43 Leonard Street in Belmont Center (Irresistables, Santander Bank, Brueggers Bagels, Union Pharmacy), as well as 375 and 385 Concord Avenue in the proposed Center Gateway Overlay, and Kevin Foley, principal at Locatelli Properties which owns 49-89 Leonard Street, the largest parcel in Belmont Center (Butternut Bakehouse, Champions, Lagree Lab, Brooksy’s, Revolve, Westcott Mercantile, Patou [READ MORE]

What the Select Board Said on the Overlay

March/April 2026, Newsletter Comments Off

Feb 202026

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. and Michael Widmer The Select Board (SB) discussed the Belmont Center rezoning articles at its January 26, 2026 meeting (link to video; discussion starts at 2:42:15), and again on February 9 (link to video; discussion starts at 1:58:30). Select Board members rebutted many widely expressed public criticisms. (Of course the three SB members have distinct views about the rezoning, and many of the views summarized below were expressed by only one or two SB members, but they are largely in agreement about the big questions.) What follows is author Stanton’s interpretation of SB members’ statements on [READ MORE]

Belmont Center Zoning Project

March/April 2026, Newsletter Comments Off

Feb 092026

The analyses by the Office of Planning and Building(OPB) are very different from the figures published in this newsletter, and there is far more information available about the Project than can fit in the BCF’s print Newsletter. In the interest of fairness, we are providing links to analyses by the Office of Planning and Building and the Warrant Committee and alternative viewpoints on this proposal. The town’s Belmont Center Zoning Project Site The Warrant Committee’s Belmont Center Overlay Fiscal Impact Analysis, which found that ”the overall fiscal impact of developments built under the proposed Belmont Center Overlay District is likely [READ MORE]

Conservation Commissions Protect Our Water

Climate Change, Environment, May/June 2025, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants, Water Quality Comments Off

Apr 292025

By Dorothy McGlincy and Jeffrey North Belmont is home to the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC), a vital nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting Massachusetts’s natural resources by supporting conservation commissions across the Commonwealth. Since its founding in 1961, MACC has been a cornerstone of environmental advocacy, providing resources, training, and support to the state’s 351 conservation commissions and promoting the protection of natural resources for future generations. MACC is headquartered at Mass Audubon’s Habitat property on Juniper Road. A mission rooted in conservation At its core, MACC’s mission is to assist and empower local conservation commissions, which serve as [READ MORE]

Lexington Reverses Course on MBTA Zoning

Construction and Housing, May/June 2025 Comments Off

Apr 292025

Lexington Reverses Course on MBTA Zoning

By Meg Muckenhoupt On April 12, 2023, Lexington Town Meeting adopted an ambitious plan to rezone 223 acres to comply with the state’s MBTA Community Zoning law, spur economic growth, and increase affordable housing. Less than two years later, Lexington reversed course. Town Meeting reduced the rezoned area to under 90 acres, lowered the number of units per acre, and removed Lexington Center from the plan entirely. The reasons for this about-face range from practical concerns about infrastructure to a century-long tradition of distaste for people who do not have enough money for a single- family home. In Lexington, the [READ MORE]

Vision for a Better Belmont: Chris Ryan

Construction and Housing, May/June 2024, Open Space, Parking, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Apr 302024

This is the fourth of a new series of interviews with Belmont leaders about their vision for Belmont’s future. Jeffrey North conducted this interview. It has been edited for length and clarity. – Ed. Chris Ryan has served as Belmont’s town planner and director of planning and building (OPB) since September 2023. With more than 30 years of experience in city planning and economic development, Chris has worked at the town, city, county, regional, and state levels in the public sector in at least 10 communities and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission; the Metropolitan Area Planning Council; and the Central [READ MORE]

Opinion: Belmont Needs Business-Friendly Zoning

Construction and Housing, Newsletter, November/December 2023, Parking Comments Off

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]

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

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]

Belmont Embraces MBTA Zoning Challenge

Construction and Housing, September/October 2023 Comments Off

Aug 312023

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]

Opinion: Parking, People, and Money

July/August 2023, Parking, Town Committee Meetings Comments Off

Jun 302023

By Max Colice A typical parking space takes up about 300 to 350 square feet. In Belmont, if you want to open a retail business or office, you’ll need one parking space per 250 square feet of retail or office space. That’s right: in Belmont, your parking lot will have to be bigger than your business. If you want to open a restaurant, you’ll need one parking space for every two seats. Again, that’s more land for parking than for people. Providing all of this parking makes opening a business in Belmont more expensive than it should be. Consider how [READ MORE]

Opinion: Belmont Zoning Laws Penalize GR District

March/April 2023, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 012023

Opinion: Belmont Zoning Laws Penalize GR District

by Chris Arthur The last article I wrote about zoning (“Belmont’s Zoning Needs Rethinking,” BCF Newsletter, January/February 2023) focused on changing the use of “nonconforming” properties so that all properties would have to abide by the same rules, and owners could build to the allowable requirements of the code. I also mentioned changing the code to create a smaller allowable footprint. This article focuses on the unfairness of the existing code to an entire zoning district. Belmont’s zoning map can be found on the town’s website. There are several residential districts. For example, SR-C (Single Residence “C”) and GR [READ MORE]

Belmont’s Zoning Should Reflect Actual Use

Construction and Housing, January/February 2023, Newsletter Comments Off

Jan 032023

Belmont’s Zoning Should Reflect Actual Use

By Max Colice The intensity and use regulations of Belmont’s zoning bylaws don’t reflect how most land in Belmont is actually used. Changing the bylaws to match how land in Belmont has been developed and used would reduce the burden on town officials, promote growth while preserving character, and lead to fairer, more predictable outcomes for homeowners looking to renovate or expand their homes. It would also preserve open space, allow for small-scale development of more affordable housing, and remove obstacles to small-scale commercial development. Belmont’s zoning bylaw divides the town into different zones or districts; it permits varied uses, [READ MORE]

Belmont’s Zoning Needs Rethinking

Construction and Housing, January/February 2023 Comments Off

Jan 032023

By Chris Arthur The current Belmont zoning bylaw produces inconsistent and haphazard results. It requires vastly different paths to get a permit, and those paths produce vastly different results. Changes to the zoning bylaw can produce more consistency, greater fairness, and be in line with neighboring towns’ zoning bylaws, which have been updated over the past 10 years. Cleaning up the Belmont zoning bylaw to create more consistency and clarity will also help the town’s coffers by reducing the hours that the Belmont Planning staff spend on special permits and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) projects, so that there is [READ MORE]

Letters to the Editor: Belmont Hill Plans, Bike Trails

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Climate Change, Environment, November 2022, Open Space, Parking, Plants Comments Off

Oct 312022

To the Editor: New England in the fall is renowned for its beauty—the trees are blazes of color, birds, squirrels, and other animals are busily preparing for winter, and the occasional whiff of woodsmoke floats in the air. Driving up Prospect Street, one is met with the pleasant sight of the pristine lawns and stately brick buildings of the Belmont Hill School—a self-described educator of “men of good character,” where “boys are expected to collaborate and become part of something larger than themselves.” Which is why it’s such a shame that the Belmont Hill School is apparently ignoring its own [READ MORE]

MBTA Zoning May Change Belmont

Construction and Housing, Newsletter, November 2022 Comments Off

Oct 312022

By David Chase Belmont is an MBTA community. A new state law (Section 3A of MGL c. 40A) requires MBTA communities to have at least one zoning district of “reasonable size” and a minimum gross density of at least 15 units per acre within half a mile of commuter rail, subway, ferry, or bus station. The law specifies various formulas based on population and area that attempt to quantify “reasonable.” The zoning district must not have any restrictions that would make it unsuitable for families with children. Belmont must have an Action Plan complete by January 31, 2023, and submit [READ MORE]

Building Booms on Belmont’s Border

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, January 2021, Newsletter, Open Space, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Dec 302020

By Meg Muckenhoupt Since aggressively upzoning the Alewife area a decade ago, Cambridge has permitted hundreds of thousands of square feet of new development in the Quadrangle neighborhood adjacent to Belmont, and bordered by Fresh Pond Parkway, Fitchburg line railroad tracks—and Concord Avenue. Now, even more development could solve some long-standing transportation issues, or it could make getting out of Belmont or traveling around the entire Fresh Pond area even more difficult. Why build in the Quadrangle now? Unlike the rest of Cambridge, the Quadrangle has a history of sparse development. Originally one of the lowest-lying areas of the Mystic [READ MORE]

Cushing Square: What Did We Learn?

Construction and Housing, July-August 2020, Newsletter, Parking, Town Committee Meetings, Traffic 2 Responses »

Jun 302020

By Meg Muckenhoupt and Virginia Jordan The Bradford development in Cushing Square disrupted Belmont’s streets, sidewalks, planning, and politics, and stressed local businesses over the last decade. Town Meeting adopted a new overlay district in 2006 to channel development and provide the Planning Board with tools to control the scale and look of Cushing Village, now the Bradford, a three-building project comprising 38,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, 112 residential units on upper floors, and 201 parking spaces. In the past 14 years, the town has learned some lessons about managing large construction projects—and how large construction projects affect [READ MORE]

Older Entries