Belmont Citizens Forum

Belmont’s Zoning Needs Rethinking

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]

January/February 2023 Newsletter

January/February 2023, Newsletter Comments Off

Jan 032023

Read the January/ February 2023 Newsletter In this issue: Belmont’s Zoning Should Reflect Actual Use The intensity and use regulations of Belmont’s zoning bylaws don’t reflect how most land in Belmont is actually used. Read more. Belmont’s Zoning Needs Rethinking 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. Read more. School Claims Parking is “Educational Use” Belmont Hill School submitted their long-awaited plan for the Belmont Hill woodlands area to the planning board in October. The response from Belmont’s residents was instantaneous [READ MORE]

Events November 22

November 2022 Comments Off

Oct 312022

Reforming the Utility Business Model for Resilient Reliable Renewables Thursday, November 10, 7–8:30 PM Online Mark Sandeen, Lexington Select Board member, and Audrey Shulman, cofounder and president of the Home Energy Efficiency Team, talk about utility reform and how we can move toward a greener, more resilient grid. Sponsored by the Lexington Climate Action Network. Register for link at lexcan.org/events/reforming-the-utility-business-model-for-resilient-reliable-renewables/ Bittersweet Removal at Riverbend Park Saturday, November 12, 9–11 AM Riverbend Park Freedom Way, Medford Volunteers will tackle bittersweet, an invasive vine that can kill trees, impairs habitat value, and degrades park aesthetics. Meet next to the Medford Dog Park. [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]

We Need to Enforce Waste Bans

Environment, November 2022, Recycling Comments Off

Oct 312022

By Janet Domenitz and Morgan Molloy Creating positive change for our climate in everyday life can be daunting, but there are ways we in the Commonwealth can make progress in the here and now. Reducing the waste we discard in landfills and incinerators reduces pollution and climate emissions. One key to reducing waste disposal is enforcing our decades-old waste ban regulations. Of the 5.6 million tons of waste we dispose of in Massachusetts each year, approximately two million tons (~40%) are banned from landfills and incinerators by Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations. Some examples of banned materials are [READ MORE]

How to Reduce Your Risk from PFAS

Environment, Newsletter, November 2022 Comments Off

Oct 312022

By Adrienne S. Allen, MD PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) seem to be all around us. In August, the city of Cambridge switched its water supply, which flows from the Stony Brook Watershed into a reservoir at Fresh Pond, to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) due to high levels of PFAS in the water. This switch is costing the city $2 million per month. In July, local news reported on PFAS contamination near the Wachusett Reservoir, likely from compost made from sewage sludge. Firefighting foam used on military bases on Cape Cod has exposed residents to PFAS toxicity. Boston Mayor Michelle [READ MORE]

Why Care About Removing Invasive Plants?

Environment, November 2022, Open Space, Plants Comments Off

Oct 312022

Why Care About Removing Invasive Plants?

By Joseph Hibbard and Jeffrey North The Belmont Citizens Forum Newsletter has been printing articles about the perils and poisons of non-native invasive plant species on these pages for years. Readers have learned that garlic mustard changes the chemistry of the soil to gain an advantage over other plant species in forest and edge areas. Our article on black swallowwort described that plant’s deadly toxicity to Monarch butterfly larvae that mistakenly consume it instead of nourishing native milkweed. We have described how Asiatic bittersweet rapidly climbs native trees, blocks the sunlight, and eventually topples the tree while changing our viewsheds. [READ MORE]

Have You Read the Collins Center Report?

Newsletter, November 2022, Town Committee Meetings Comments Off

Oct 312022

By Jeffrey North Belmont is a relatively affluent community. Massachusetts Department of Revenue figures in FY2022 show that Belmont’s income per capita was $98,942. This figure is very close to the average income for residents of six comparable towns and significantly higher than the Massachusetts per capita income of $46,062. Yet Belmont is the 10th most expensive place in Massachusetts to own a home, while per-capita incomes ranked only 22nd in the state. The average Belmont homeowner can expect to pay $15,568 annually in property taxes, or approximately 15.73% of Belmont’s per-capita income. Among 12 comparable towns, Belmont has the [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]

Electric Buses Are Coming to Belmont

Climate Change, Newsletter, November 2022 Comments Off

Oct 272022

By Brian Kopperl and Roger Wrubel With the right conditions, electric school buses (EV) can replace the familiar diesel school bus at a cost that is both financially and environmentally attractive. EV buses are quieter than diesel and healthier, too, and all the major bus manufacturers, from Thomas and Bluebird to Lion, now make them. Other Massachusetts towns like Beverly, Dracut, and Acton already have their electric fleets in operation or on order; Belmont should too. The Energy Committee has encouraged Belmont schools to start a phased transition by including three EV buses (out of 10 expected total buses) [READ MORE]

Belmont Goes Electric! Will You?

November 2022, Solar Power Comments Off

Oct 272022

By Claire Hlotyak I had the chance to attend the Belmont Goes Electric Home & Garden Event in September. Presented by Belmont Light, the Belmont Energy Committee, and Sustainable Belmont, this event showcased options including electric vehicles, heat pump systems, and native plant gardens, and the Stihl company presented battery-operated yard equipment. I spoke with a few members of Healthy Lawns Belmont about the importance of biodiversity in our lawns and gardens. One of the main issues with lawns is that they are a monoculture, meaning there is only one type of plant in a particular area. Healthy Lawns Belmont [READ MORE]

How Belmont Can Switch to Electric Vehicles

Climate Change, Newsletter, November 2022 Comments Off

Oct 272022

How Belmont Can Switch to Electric Vehicles

By Roger Wrubel and Brian Kopperl If Belmont is to reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80% of 2007 levels by 2050, all sectors of the community must do their part. The Belmont Energy Committee has proposed an “EV First” policy requiring the town to consider electric vehicles (EVs) for all lightweight vehicle purchases. The policy allows for exemption requests by departments if EVs do not meet their needs or are too expensive. We collected data on the concerns of town staff in transitioning to EVs. We analyzed each of these concerns: lack of EV charging infrastructure, [READ MORE]

Belmont’s Invasive Species: Ailanthus

Environment, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants, Sept/Oct 2022 Comments Off

Sep 102022

By Jeffrey North Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), typically called ailanthus, is a rapacious deciduous tree native to China. It was first introduced into the United States when it was imported as an ornamental plant to Philadelphia in 1784 and later to New York in 1820. On the West Coast, immigrants brought the plant from Asia and planted it in California in the 1850s. The tree was initially valued as a fast-growing ornamental shade tree that was tolerant of poor soils and a broad range of site conditions. It tolerates vehicle exhaust and other air pollution quite nicely. It was widely planted [READ MORE]

Letter to the Editor, September 2022

Construction and Housing, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Sept/Oct 2022 Comments Off

Sep 092022

To the BCF editor: Anne Paulsen’s recent column [“Do We Need a High School Parking Lot?” BCF Newsletter, July 2022] argued that if parking were eliminated west of Harris Field, then there would be “plenty of room for tennis courts and some open space as well.” Whether tennis and a rink could both fit has been studied intensively by numerous informed parties: the High School Building Committee, a sports architect from Perkins+Will, rink architect Ted Galante, the Select Board, the School Committee, and the Preliminary Rink Design Committee. None of these efforts found a layout that could accommodate a rink, [READ MORE]

Regionalization Could Boost Services

Newsletter, Sept/Oct 2022, Town Committee Meetings Comments Off

Sep 092022

By Aaron Pikcilingis and Paul Rickter Providing high-quality town services amid budgetary constraints requires us to use every strategy at our disposal. The Structural Change Impact Group (SCIG) was charged with evaluating potential strategies that could reduce costs, improve efficiency, or improve the quality of service for our town. Of the strategies we evaluated, regionalizing town services is one of the most promising. Belmont already participates in several regional arrangements, but the SCIG identified new opportunities for consideration. Benefits of Regionalized Town Services Reduced costs Regionalized municipalities can benefit from group purchasing because individually, smaller municipalities don’t buy enough [READ MORE]

Alewife Brook, Little Pond Get D Grades Again

Environment, Newsletter, Sept/Oct 2022, Sewers, Water Quality Comments Off

Sep 092022

Alewife Brook, Little Pond Get D Grades Again

By Meg Muckenhoupt In 1972, the Clean Water Act called for all waterways to be “fishable and swimmable” by 1983, and for all pollution discharges to end by 1985. That still hasn’t happened, as is shown by the new annual water quality report card issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Mystic River in July. All of Belmont’s brooks received a D or D+ grade because they failed to meet state E. coli bacteria standards for boating in 45% to 55% of samples taken in 2021. Site 2021 2014 Grade Total Grade Total Alewife Brook D 47% D [READ MORE]

Spare a Thought for Lone Tree Hill

Environment, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants, Sept/Oct 2022 Comments Off

Sep 092022

By Dean Hickman and Leonard Katz Between Pleasant Street and Trapelo Road to the south, Concord Avenue to the north, and Mill Street to the west, Lone Tree Hill wraps around McLean Hospital and sits above Belmont, providing us with a peaceful and secluded mix of woods and meadows where we can escape the hustle and bustle of suburban life down below. It is also Belmont’s gateway to Rock Meadow on the other side of Mill Street as well as to the more secluded trails of the Western Greenway which head west into neighboring Waltham and Lexington. Anyone looking for [READ MORE]

Town Plans Sustainable Library

Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Sept/Oct 2022 Comments Off

Sep 092022

By Marty Bitner and Clair Colburn The proposed new library, designed by Oudens Ello Architecture, is an all-electric, highly sustainable building, but what are those sustainable features? What is the process of designing a holistically sustainable building? Right-Sizing Buildings contribute to 40% of global energy consumption and 33% of greenhouse gas emissions. Since heating buildings is the largest source of carbon emissions in Belmont, the first goal in sustainability is to make sure that our new library is no larger than it needs to be. Having the right size building means that space is not being unnecessarily heated and cooled [READ MORE]

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