JKR Conservation Fund Charts A New Path

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, donations, Environment, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2017, Open Space  Comments Off on JKR Conservation Fund Charts A New Path
Nov 062017
 
JKR Conservation Fund Charts A New Path

New Structure, New Name by Roger Wrubel Since its inception in 2001, the Judith K. Record (JKR) Memorial Conservation Fund has been dedicated to protecting, rehabilitating, and maintaining open space in Belmont and neighboring communities through grant awards and direct funding of public and private projects. To enhance the long-term sustainability of the fund and its mission, the JKR board of trustees has announced a new charter that embraces all the goals of the original mission but modifies the board of trustee structure and includes additional conservation objectives. Most immediately, they established a new position of executive director, with Roger [READ MORE]

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Environmental Events Sept-Oct 2017

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Plants, Recycling, September 2017, Solar Power, Traffic, Transit, Water Quality  Comments Off on Environmental Events Sept-Oct 2017
Sep 132017
 

Extreme Events and Climate Change Thursday, September 14; 7–8 PM What We Know and What We Can Do Ellen Marie Douglas, Associate Professor of Hydrology, School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts Boston. Douglas will discuss observations of our changing climate, what changes may be in Boston’s future, and some plans for how to adapt to these changes. New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston. Belmont Drives Electric, Ride & Drive Sunday, September 17, 1–4 PM Learn about electric vehicles and test drive Chevy Bolts, Volkswagen Golfs, Nissan Leafs, and other electric vehicles. Meet local owners to get their experience. [READ MORE]

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The Future of the Incinerator Site

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, Environment, July 2017, July 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Solar Power, Stormwater, Uncategorized  Comments Off on The Future of the Incinerator Site
Jul 102017
 
The Future of the Incinerator Site

Athletic Fields? Police Station? Solar Farm? Bike Park? by Lucia Wille Belmont’s former trash incinerator facility occupies 25 acres on Concord Avenue, close to the Lexington town line. About two-thirds of the site was owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until May 2017, when it was conveyed to Belmont. The conveyance represents a windfall for a town often struggling with space constraints. As Belmont balances its municipal and recreational needs, the incinerator site presents a valuable opportunity for the community to either ease municipal space constraints or add to its portfolio of recreational assets, with the potential to further Belmont’s [READ MORE]

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Belmont Citizens Forum July-August 2017 Newsletter

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, donations, Environment, July 2017, Newsletter, Parking, Plants, Staycation, Stormwater, Traffic, Water Quality  Comments Off on Belmont Citizens Forum July-August 2017 Newsletter
Jul 102017
 

View or download the July-August 2017 16-page issue here as a color PDF.  . Articles in this issue: The Future of the Incinerator Site A Cure for Belmont Traffic Congestion New Lilac Planted On Town Green Fix the Stormwater System; It’s The Law Environmental Events  

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Belmont Citizens Forum May-June 2017 Newsletter

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, donations, Environment, Historic Preservation, Lone Tree Hill, May-June 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Plants, Recycling, Stormwater, Traffic, Transit, Volunteer, Water Quality  Comments Off on Belmont Citizens Forum May-June 2017 Newsletter
May 122017
 

View or download the May-June 2017 20-page issue here as a color PDF.

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Engineers Win Award for Trapelo Road Upgrade

 Bicycles and bike paths, Construction and Housing, May-June 2017, Newsletter, Traffic, Transit  Comments Off on Engineers Win Award for Trapelo Road Upgrade
May 122017
 
Engineers Win Award for Trapelo Road Upgrade

Belmont’s “Main Street” Gets A Facelift by Sue Bass How does a municipal project get done, in Belmont or anywhere? What’s the spark? The redesigned and newly paved Belmont Street/Trapelo Road stretch through Belmont—from the Waltham line to the Cambridge line—recently won an award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts for the BSC Group, the town’s longtime engineering consultant. “Incorporating bicycle lanes, pedestrian accessibility, and traffic calming measures, the $17.1 million roadway reconstruction project was one of the first designed in conformance with the MassDOT Highway Design Guidebook,” the citation reads. “Distinguishing project features include coordination with [READ MORE]

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Waltham Trail RFP Update

 Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Newsletter, Traffic  Comments Off on Waltham Trail RFP Update
May 122017
 
Waltham Trail RFP Update

Still Awaiting Beaver Street Right of Way by John Dieckmann Late in March, the city of Waltham released the request for proposals (RFP) for the detailed design of the Waltham segment of the Wayside (aka Mass Central) Rail Trail. I attended the bidders’ meeting, which was held at Waltham City Hall on April 13. It was well attended by about a dozen engineering and design firms, along with two Waltham city councilors, the executive director of the Waltham Land Trust and two board members, and the chairman of the Waltham Conservation Commission. Design firms asked a variety of questions, primarily [READ MORE]

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Community Path Route Alternatives Viewed

 Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Environment, May-June 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Traffic, Transit  Comments Off on Community Path Route Alternatives Viewed
May 122017
 
Community Path Route Alternatives Viewed

Happy Trail to You by John Dieckmann On April 26, the Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee (CPIAC) and Pare Engineering, the Community Path Feasibility Study contractor, held a public meeting to present their final evaluation of route alternatives for the path, construction cost estimates, and potential funding sources. From west to east, the end-to-end route that ranks highest in the evaluation methodology consists of the following segments: • At the Waltham city line, the path would be on the north side of the commuter rail tracks, then as it approaches Waverley Square it rises to street level and crosses Lexington [READ MORE]

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Belmont Citizens Forum March-April 2017 Newsletter PDF

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Construction and Housing, donations, Environment, Historic Preservation, March 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Recycling, Solar Power, Stormwater, Traffic, Transit, Water Quality  Comments Off on Belmont Citizens Forum March-April 2017 Newsletter PDF
Apr 242017
 

View or download the March-April 2017 20-page issue here  as a color PDF. View or download the March-April 2017 20-page issue here as a black-and-white PDF.

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Mugar Wetlands Project Stalled—For Now

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, March 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Stormwater, Traffic, Water Quality  Comments Off on Mugar Wetlands Project Stalled—For Now
Mar 152017
 
Mugar Wetlands Project Stalled—For Now

Neighborhood Fears Water Displacement by John DiCocco The Mugar Wetlands in East Arlington is a triangular parcel that borders Route 2 westbound, adjacent to the Thorndike Park playing fields, and just across Route 2 from the Vox on Two apartments and Lanes & Games Bowling. The Mugar family, owners for more than 50 years, wants to develop it with townhouses and an apartment building. Residents in the town of Arlington, led by the Coalition to Save the Mugar Wetlands (CSMW) are opposed. In dispute is whether the land can handle the water displacement, whether the neighborhood can handle more people, [READ MORE]

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Belmont Citizens Forum’s Questions to Candidates for Selectman

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, March 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Solar Power, Traffic  Comments Off on Belmont Citizens Forum’s Questions to Candidates for Selectman
Mar 152017
 
Belmont Citizens Forum’s Questions to Candidates for Selectman

Election for Belmont Selectman and Others: Tuesday, April 4 Compiled by John DiCocco Each year we ask candidates for selectman about issues they will likely face in the next three years. This year Guy Carbone and Adam Dash are running for the seat of Sami Baghdady, who retired after three terms as selectman. They were allotted 1,000 words each to distribute as they saw fit. Belmont Citizens Forum: Now that development pressure is growing again, how can Belmont improve its planning process Guy Carbone: Belmont is a neighborhood of residences. Town committees should consider the opinions of Belmont residents concerning [READ MORE]

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Update: The MCRT Rail Trail

 Bicycles and bike paths, Environment, March 2017, Newsletter, Traffic, Transit  Comments Off on Update: The MCRT Rail Trail
Mar 152017
 

DCR Pays for Paving According to Larry Kiernan of the Friends of the MCRT (Mass Central Rail Trail), the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) plans to pave the rail trail for the entire length of the Eversource access road, from the Wayland Library to the bridge at the far end of Weston, with a plan for completion in 2017. Including the town center piece (completed already in stone dust) there will be almost five miles of a bike and pedestrian-friendly path between Wayland and Weston. DCR, Eversource, and the towns are still discussing amenities, additional landscaping, and more, [READ MORE]

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Environmental Events March-April 2017

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Environment, March 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Recycling, Water Quality  Comments Off on Environmental Events March-April 2017
Mar 152017
 

Featured Event: Poetry Walk at Rock Meadow Saturday, April 29, 2-3:30PM Anne-Marie Lambert will be joined by Kevin Gallagher, local poet and author of the recently published book Loom, about the Massachusetts textile industry and its relation to the surge in demand for slave labor in the South in the 19th century.    “Through poetry,” says Lambert, “we will explore the landscape and history of this part of Belmont and Waltham.” Meet at the small Rock Meadow parking lot on Mill Street. Bike racks are available and there is more parking across the street. Woolapalooza at Drumlin Farm Friday, March [READ MORE]

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Mass Central Rail Trail’s Westward Progress

 Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Environment, January 2017, Newsletter, Traffic  Comments Off on Mass Central Rail Trail’s Westward Progress
Jan 192017
 
Mass Central Rail Trail's Westward Progress

Go West, Young Rider by John Dieckmann When completed, the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) will stretch 104 miles, from North Point Park (opposite the Museum of Science at the Boston-Cambridge line), all the way to Northampton. The Belmont Community Path would eventually be a segment of the MCRT. As the community path feasibility study moves forward here in Belmont, several towns to our immediate west are making ongoing progress developing segments of the trail. The epicenter of trail progress today is Wayland, which is likely to be first to complete the projects listed below. We’ll describe the plans town-by-town [READ MORE]

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