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How to Save Money and Reduce Trash

 Environment, November-December 2016, Recycling, Uncategorized  Comments Off on How to Save Money and Reduce Trash
Nov 032016
 
How to Save Money and Reduce Trash

Pay As You Throw Program By Kim Slack One hundred and forty-three Massachusetts communities meter trash the same way they meter water or electricity, creating an equitable system where those who generate more, pay more, and those who generate less, pay less. These programs are called Pay As You Throw (PAYT), or Save Money And Reduce Trash (SMART). As Belmont considers renewing its trash collection contract, it is worth exploring this approach to help the town financially and environmentally. Massachusetts PAYT programs on average have reduced trash by 44% in their communities. When we are charged for the trash we [READ MORE]

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Environmental Events Nov-Dec 2016

 Air Quality, Environment, Newsletter, November-December 2016, Water Quality  Comments Off on Environmental Events Nov-Dec 2016
Nov 032016
 

Belmont Drives Electric Ride & Drive Day Saturday, November 12, 1:30-4:30 PM Come test drive and learn about several models of electric vehicles, as well as incentives by local dealers and tax benefits. Learn more at: belmontdriveselectric.org  or email info@bostoncommittee.org for more information. Belmont High School parking lot and cafeteria. MIT Water Summit 2016 Thursday & Friday, November 17, 8 AM to November 18, 3:30 PM The MIT Water Club and its sponsors are thrilled to announce the fifth edition of the MIT Water Summit, a gathering of not only students and faculty from MIT and the greater Boston area, [READ MORE]

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Solar Shines Brightly in Belmont

 Air Quality, Environment, September 2016, Solar Power  Comments Off on Solar Shines Brightly in Belmont
Sep 142016
 
Solar Shines Brightly in Belmont

Now Up To 250 Installations Plus: Electric Vehicle Campaign Starts in October by Jan Kruse In our May/June 2016 issue, we covered the initial success of the Belmont Goes Solar campaign, at which time more than 170 Belmont residents added solar panels to their homes (“Belmont Goes Solar Sails Past Initial Goal”). This is an update. The Town of Homes might be ready for a new name: the Town of Solar Homes. About 250 homeowners opted to purchase rooftop solar during the Belmont Goes Solar (BGS) six-month campaign that ended June 30. More Belmontonians purchased solar for their homes than [READ MORE]

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Environmental Events

 Air Quality, Environment, Newsletter, September 2016, Uncategorized, Water Quality  Comments Off on Environmental Events
Sep 142016
 
Environmental Events

Board of Surveyors Hearing–Postponed The Board of Surveyors will hold their hearing of the proposed road adjacent to Habitat at 178 Marsh Street. Homer Art Gallery, Town Hall, 19 Moore Street, Belmont. NOTE: The September 19 meeting has been postponed to a future date. The town engineer is asking the applicant to first apply for a hearing before the Belmont Conservation Commission to resolve any wetland issues. We will update this post when we have more information. 350 Mass Cambridge Node Meeting, Tuesday, September 20, 6:30–8:30 PM Join discussions with a grassroots climate network in Massachusetts. Newcomers welcome. First Church Cambridge, 11 [READ MORE]

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Staycation 2016: A Successful Experiment

 Newsletter  Comments Off on Staycation 2016: A Successful Experiment
Sep 142016
 
Staycation 2016: A Successful Experiment

A Student’s Citizens Forum Project by Shodai Inose When I announced the concept of the Belmont Staycation, some people snickered at the name and doubted that we would have any success. Well, that didn’t stop me. When we first began this project in June, during my internship with Anne-Marie Lambert, a director of the Belmont Citizens Forum (BCF), to lay out we laid out a few major goals. We wanted to learn how to increase interest in local Belmont sights and businesses, and how to reduce energy use from vacation travel by substituting a family “staycation” in Belmont. We were [READ MORE]

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Lower Speeds for Belmont?

 Newsletter  Comments Off on Lower Speeds for Belmont?
Sep 142016
 
Lower Speeds for Belmont?

My Long, Long, Long, Short Journey Across Town by Sumner Brown In a July 14, 2016, post on his website, state Senator Will Brownsberger alerted citizens to a proposed law, since passed, that makes it easier for local communities to lower speed limits. The motivation is improved safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Belmont seems to be a relatively safe place for pedestrians and bicyclists. Data available from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, for example, show that more serious bicycle accidents occur in Waltham. This is why the Waltham segment of the Central Massachusetts Rail Trail has a higher priority for [READ MORE]

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Can “Small-Town” Belmont Add Housing?

 Newsletter  Comments Off on Can “Small-Town” Belmont Add Housing?
Sep 142016
 

Current and Former Town Officials Comment by John DiCocco In our last issue, (BCF apage 1), we addressed the need for more housing in Greater Boston and the state legislature’s proposal of state-wide zoning requirements. If such a law passed, it would require more housing—and more affordable housing—in almost every community inside Route 495. What would that mean for Belmont? We asked several town residents who have served or are still currently serving on various committees and boards to share some brief thoughts on the following question:  “Can Belmont increase housing without altering our small town feeling?” Judy Feins, co-chair, Belmont Housing [READ MORE]

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Conservation Land and Development

 Environment, Newsletter, Open Space, September 2016  Comments Off on Conservation Land and Development
Sep 142016
 
Conservation Land and Development

Habitat Wetlands at Risk by Vincent Stanton Jr and Roger Wrubel Notice: the Board of Surveyors meeting originally scheduled for September 19 to discuss the Chiofaro property has been postponed. The town engineer is asking the applicant to first apply for a hearing before the Belmont Conservation Commission to resolve any wetland issues. In densely settled communities like Belmont, few real estate marketing pitches ring a louder bell than “abuts conservation land.” Indeed, what could be more salable than guaranteed backyard tranquility in perpetuity? Unfortunately, as the perimeter of conservation land becomes densely settled, the value of the land for conservation [READ MORE]

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Zoning: Re-drawing Between the Lines

 Newsletter, Parking, Traffic  Comments Off on Zoning: Re-drawing Between the Lines
Jul 202016
 
Zoning: Re-drawing Between the Lines

Housing Availability Affects Business Climate By Vincent Stanton Jr. Last month the Massachusetts Senate, for the first time in over two decades, passed legislation that would significantly alter state zoning law. The proposed legislation (which will not become law this year as there is not yet a corresponding bill in the House) would superimpose on local zoning a new set of rules designed to encourage greater housing density, particularly near jobs and mass transit. The new law would reduce the considerable freedom that cities and towns currently have to formulate their own zoning laws in three ways. One is providing [READ MORE]

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Getting Smarter About Light in Belmont

 Environment, Newsletter, Traffic  Comments Off on Getting Smarter About Light in Belmont
Jul 192016
 
Getting Smarter About Light in Belmont

Pilot Project Tests LED Streetlights by Anne-Marie Lambert Can you see me now? The Belmont Light Department is working to improve the efficiency of our streetlights. A grant from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources funded the replacement of 100 of today’s 2,400 high-pressure sodium bulbs with LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs. This pilot project replaces 98 100-watt bulbs and two 250-watt bulbs with a variety of LED products. The pilot project alone is expected to save 26 megawatt hours (MWh) per year, with a payback period of just over four years. In the coming year, Belmont Light will evaluate the [READ MORE]

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Bicycles on Public Transit

 Air Quality, Bike Paths, Environment, Newsletter, Traffic, Transit  Comments Off on Bicycles on Public Transit
Jul 182016
 
Bicycles on Public Transit

Ride More, See More by Jeff Roth Choosing public transit over driving makes ecological sense. When you combine bicycling and transit, you’re helping the environment and getting a bonus of fun and healthy activity. Bringing your bicycle on public transit opens many green options for getting around Boston and beyond. You can use transit to cover long distances and then have your bike at your destination to explore less traveled roads. In my experience, biking and transit excursions, either with your family or solo, are healthy, fun, and green, and won’t get you stuck in car traffic. Start here. Go [READ MORE]

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Lone Tree Hill Cleanup

 Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter  Comments Off on Lone Tree Hill Cleanup
Jul 172016
 
Lone Tree Hill Cleanup

Fourth Annual Event Draws 30 Volunteers by Radha Iyengar On a sunny, warm May 14, volunteers met at the Belmont Citizens Forum (BCF) green-and-white awning at the Mill Street Lone Tree Hill parking lot to conduct two projects. Energetic volunteers collected 12 large bags of trash and two boxes of recyclables. At the Pine Allee, a separate team hauled in wheelbarrows full of wood chips, raking them into place along the entire length of the trail to help prevent soil erosion, and making it more comfortable for walking. Roger Wrubel, director of Mass Audubon’s Habitat Sanctuary, lent wheelbarrows, shovels, and [READ MORE]

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Environmental Events Jul/Aug

 Air Quality, Environment, Newsletter  Comments Off on Environmental Events Jul/Aug
Jul 152016
 

Fresh Pond Monarch Butterfly Project July & August The beautiful and ecologically significant monarch butterfly has been in decline worldwide in recent years and its annual migration down the eastern seaboard is believed to be under threat. This raise-and-release project is a combination of volunteer stewardship, invasive plant management, native re-vegetation, and public education all aimed at encouraging a monarch population at Fresh Pond. July 30, August 6, August 13: Caterpillar checkups: Come see how they are growing. Aug. 17: Pod Patrol for black swallowwort Aug. 22: Butterfly release! To learn more: http://bit.ly/29ElT3Y Fresh Pond Reservation, Cambridge. July Boston Sustainability [READ MORE]

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Belmont “Staycation” Needs You.

 Environment, Newsletter, Staycation  Comments Off on Belmont “Staycation” Needs You.
Jun 282016
 

by Shodai Inose In order to reduce our carbon footprint, the Belmont Citizens Forum is creating a Belmont “Staycation,” a vacation in our own town which will be safer for the environment and your wallet. As a summer intern at BCF, I’m collecting ideas to create family­ friendly and fun experiences, and I need your help. Do you know of any locations (preferably in Belmont) that you think people would enjoy? Are there any local businesses you would like to share with the rest of the community? How does a family like yours spend time in town? We’re looking for [READ MORE]

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Update on the Belmont Community Path

 Bike Paths, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Traffic, Transit  Comments Off on Update on the Belmont Community Path
May 202016
 

by John Dieckmann As reported previously, the town of Belmont has set aside $100,000 from its capital budget, and the state of Massachusetts has also allocated $100,000 for an in-depth engineering feasibility study of the routes outlined in the report from the Community Path Advisory Committee (CPAC). This is a key step in construction of a bicycle and pedestrian path through Belmont, from Brighton Street to Waltham, as part of the Mass Central Rail Trail from Boston to Northampton. In essence there are two primary route alternatives, one on each side of the commuter rail tracks. On the south side [READ MORE]

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Environmental Events

 Environment, May 2016, Newsletter, Uncategorized  Comments Off on Environmental Events
May 202016
 

Gardeners on the Esplanade May 3-June 21, 10:00 AM-Noon The Esplanade Association will begin its Gardener Assistant Program, which is an 8-week program to get volunteers out during the months of May and June to help the Esplanade Association’s Horticulture staff. Tasks will include weeding, mulching, dead-heading, and more. The association will hold in-person interviews to gauge volunteer commitment. Prior gardening experience is preferred. If you are interested please reach out to Kyle Richard, the volunteer and program manager, at krichard@esplanadeassociation. org or call 617-227-0365 for more details. Boston Esplanade Nature Poetry Walk Sunday, May 22 1:30-3:30 PM Anne-Marie Lambert [READ MORE]

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Electric Vehicles: What You Need To Know

 Air Quality, Environment, May 2016, Traffic, Transit  Comments Off on Electric Vehicles: What You Need To Know
May 202016
 
Electric Vehicles: What You Need To Know

by Kim Slack At a recent meeting of Sustainable Belmont, Kim Slack was part of a panel discussing the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs). The following is his summary of that discussion. Of the many reasons to consider an all-electric car, two key factors are low operating costs and the health of the planet. Low operating costs. Electric vehicles (EVs) are more energy-efficient than gas-powered automobiles. Electric cars can travel up to 115 miles on the energy contained in a gallon of gas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) miles-per-gallon-equivalent measure (MPGe), which is the average distance traveled per unit [READ MORE]

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Hello. Goodbye. And Thank You.

 May 2016, Newsletter, Uncategorized  Comments Off on Hello. Goodbye. And Thank You.
May 202016
 
Hello. Goodbye. And Thank You.

by Sue Bass With this issue, the Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter welcomes its third editor (in 16½ years of publication), John DiCocco. Though now a resident of West Medford, John and his wife, Connie, lived in Belmont for more than 30 years and sent three children through the Belmont school system. He is a graduate of Union College and the Boston University College of Communication, and he was for nearly 20 years the publications manager and chief editor for BU’s School of Management. John has read the Newsletter for many years, since his wife was added to the mailing list [READ MORE]

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