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Environmental Events, July-August 2018

Environment, July-Aug 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

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]

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

May 152018

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]

Another Way to Preserve Belmont’s Neighborhoods

Historic Preservation, May-June 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

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]

Preparing for Climate Change

Environment, May-June 2018, Newsletter, Stormwater Comments Off

May 152018

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]

Belmont Announces First Annual Porchfest

Arts & Culture, May-June 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

May 152018

Belmont Announces First Annual Porchfest

By Mary Bradley Porchfest is coming to Belmont! The first annual Belmont Porchfest will be on Saturday, September 8, 2018. Porchfest is a celebration of community through music and arts performed by your friends and neighbors (and maybe even you) on porches throughout Belmont. Walk to a neighbor’s house to hear a klezmer band or host a circus show on your front lawn. You can sign up to play some music, host a band, or both. You can also support this event through a donation or sponsorship. However you choose to participate, please save the date for a fun day [READ MORE]

Another Successful Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day

BCF Events, Environment, Lone Tree Hill, May-June 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

May 152018

Another Successful Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day

More than 50 Volunteers Donate Time to Annual Cleanup and Planting By Radha Iyengar On Saturday, April 28, the Belmont Citizens Forum (BCF), in conjunction with the Judy Record Conservation Fund, held its sixth annual Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day. More than 50 volunteers of all ages, including students from Chenery Middle School and Belmont High School, donated their time on this picture-perfect sunny day. At the Pine Allee, in just two hours, the efficient volunteers planted more than 60 white pine saplings (of which 30 were transplants from Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary). At the other end of [READ MORE]

Poetry In Nature

BCF Events, Environment, May-June 2018, Newsletter, Open Space Comments Off

May 152018

In early April, Belmont poet Stephanie Burt (far right) and Belmont Citizens Forum director Anne-Marie Lambert (far left) led a group of local residents on a poetry walk through Rock Meadow. The group explored the landscape and history of the area, including a pair of chickadees that inspired the reading of Marianne Moore’s “Smooth Gnarled Crape Myrtle” and a discussion of the ice trade that inspired a reading of Burt’s “Ice for the Ice Trade.” Burt is a Harvard professor and author of several books of poetry, including Belmont (2014) and Advice From the Lights (2017). The group enjoyed a [READ MORE]

Environmental Events, May-June 2018

Environment, May-June 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

May 152018

Grow Native: Massachusetts Annual Native Plant Sale Saturday, May 19, 9 AM–3 PM Select from over 100 species and ask on-hand experts for advice. Rain or shine. grownativemass.org/programs/plantsale. UMass Field Station, 240 Beaver Street, Waltham. Rock Meadow Stakeholder & Community Workshop, Meeting #2 Saturday, May 29, 2018, 7:00–9:00 pm With generous support from the Judy Record Conservation Fund, The Belmont Conservation Commission is working with the Conway School to develop a Master Plan for the Rock Meadow Conservation Area. This is the second community stakeholder meeting, part of a master plan process that will allow the Town of Belmont to assess, [READ MORE]

Finding Sewer Leaks Means Detective Work

Environment, March-April 2018, Newsletter, Stormwater, Water Quality Comments Off

Mar 212018

Finding Sewer Leaks Means Detective Work

Hidden Leaks in Pipes from Street to House Pollute Waterways By Anne-Marie Lambert Belmont has greatly accelerated investigating underground sources of water pollution in the last six months. This good news is tempered by the knowledge that we have 77 miles of sewer pipes and 56 miles of stormwater drains, all old. The average sewer pipe in Belmont is now 83 years old. The average storm drain is 64 years old. Our accountants assume a 60-year useful life for underground pipes. Figure 1 shows how we got here. Until 1900, Belmont was a farming community served by about 30 miles [READ MORE]

Selectman Candidate Answers BCF Questions

Board of Selectmen, March-April 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 212018

Selectman Candidate Answers BCF Questions

Belmont Annual Town Election to be Held Tuesday, April 3 Each year the Belmont Citizens Forum asks candidates for selectman about issues the town will likely face in the next three years. This year Tom Caputo is running uncontested for the seat currently occupied by Jim Williams, who is retiring after one term. Below are Caputo’s unedited replies to our questions about the environment, traffic, funding, and planning. 1. How would you address the amount of cut-through traffic in Belmont? Cut-through traffic in Belmont has always been bad, but it has significantly worsened with the development of GPS apps [READ MORE]

Hello. Goodbye. And Thank You.

March-April 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 212018

Welcome to Sara McCabe. The Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter is pleased to welcome our new editor, Sara McCabe. Sara has more than 15 years of experience in publications management, and has produced magazines, books, web content, and other communications for a variety of clients nationwide, including Hilton Hotels and several state tourism departments. Sara is also a successful grant writer and has served on many nonprofit boards and advisory and event committees. She holds a bachelor’s in marketing from Santa Clara University and a master’s in organizational leadership and ethics from St. Edward’s University. Sara lives in East Arlington but [READ MORE]

Historical Society Calls for Award Nominations

Historic Preservation, March-April 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 212018

Historical Society Calls for Award Nominations

The Belmont Historical Society invites you to nominate projects that have furthered preservation efforts in Belmont for the David R. Johnson Preservation Award. Properties throughout the town, not just in the historic districts, are eligible. There are six categories of projects for nomination: Private residences; Commercial properties; Publicly owned properties; Properties owned by nonprofit institutions; Landscape projects; and Preservation of open space and land conservation. Individuals, companies, or institutions that have made significant contributions to historic preservation in Belmont will also be considered. Awards will be presented at the society’s annual meeting on May 16. Congratulations to last year’s awardees: [READ MORE]

Symposium Explores Alewife Resilience

Environment, March-April 2018, Newsletter, Water Quality Comments Off

Mar 212018

By Sarah Howard with Patricia Loheed “When it comes to natural disasters, 2017 was one for the record books,” according to a recent Weather Channel video. With increasingly extreme weather, area residents have been expressing concerns about the Alewife Corridor. Many still remember when a section of Route 16 remained underwater for two weeks in 1997, becoming impassable to traffic and blocking an evacuation route. The recent “bombogenesis” storm in early January, which caused significant flooding and storm surges in the Boston area, has only added to the commonly voiced concerns. Most of us know the Alewife Corridor area as [READ MORE]

Thaddeus Frost House Local Historic District Proposed

Historic Preservation, March-April 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 212018

Thaddeus Frost House Local Historic District Proposed

By Lauren G. Meier This spring, Town Meeting will consider the opportunity to create a new local historic district to protect one of Belmont’s most important historic resources, the Thaddeus Frost House on Brighton Street. In this case, the proposed district is a single property, which is allowed under M.G.L., Chapter 40C: Historic Districts. The Thaddeus Frost House on Brighton Street predates Belmont’s incorporation as a town in 1859. Colonial land grants established Watertown and Newtowne (now Cambridge) in 1630, including the land that is now Belmont. By the 19th century, large landowners, including prosperous farmers, were dissatisfied with high [READ MORE]

Committee Recommends Six CPA Projects

Historic Preservation, March-April 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 212018

By Peg Velie This year the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is recommending six projects to Town Meeting for funding, totaling $1,518,087. If approved, these projects will be funded via the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The CPA is a 2001 Massachusetts law that allows towns to establish a local fund dedicated solely to open space (including outdoor recreation), historic preservation, and affordable housing. Belmont adopted the CPA in November 2010. May’s Town Meeting will be Belmont’s sixth for appropriating funds to CPA projects. In the last five years, Town Meeting has appropriated more than $6 million for 33 projects, including the [READ MORE]

Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day

Environment, March-April 2018, Newsletter, Volunteer Comments Off

Mar 212018

Join us in stewarding Lone Tree Hill! The Belmont Citizens Forum, in conjunction with the Judy Record Conservation Fund, is holding its annual cleanup and trail maintenance day on Saturday, April 28, from 9 AM to noon. Last year, we helped plant 45 trees along Pine Allee and clean up the Coal Road area. 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 public/private partnership by the town and McLean Hospital, and [READ MORE]

Environmental Events, March-April 2018

Environment, March-April 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 212018

Woolapalooza at Drumlin Farm Saturday, March 24, 10 AM–4 PM Celebrate the coming of spring at this annual festival featuring fiber, food, and fun! Highlights include new spring babies, a sheep shearing demonstration, hands-on activities for all ages, lunch made fresh from Drumlin Farm vegetables and meat (for purchase), and local fiber artisans who will offer demonstrations. Mass Audubon members: $15/person, nonmembers: $17, children under age 2: free. Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, 208 S Great Road, Lincoln. Arlington Ecofest 2018: Greenward Saturday, March 24, 10 AM–2 PM Activities for all ages will center around land and water management, plants [READ MORE]

January/February 2018 Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter & PDF

Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, donations, Environment, Historic Preservation, Jan-Feb 2018, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Plants, Recycling, Stormwater, Traffic, Transit, Volunteer, Water Quality Comments Off

Jan 162018

View or download the January-February 2018 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below. . Articles in this issue: A Vision for Belmont Looking Back, Looking Ahead by Sue Bass Nearly eight years ago, in the spring of 2010, the town completed two years of work on a comprehensive plan intended to guide the next decade of change in Belmont. Looking back, how are we doing? The $148,000 plan, called “A Vision for Belmont: Mapping a Sustainable Future,” which was adopted by the Belmont Planning Board and is posted on its website, made nine primary recommendations. Read more. [READ MORE]

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