Construction and Housing – Page 3 – Belmont Citizens Forum

Two Years of Homer House Restoration Success

Arts & Culture, Construction and Housing, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Sept-Oct 2018 Comments Off

Sep 122018

Two Years of Homer House Restoration Success

By Wendy Murphy The Belmont Woman’s Club has been working on many projects at the beautiful William Flagg Homer House. Located at 661 Pleasant Street, across from Town Hall in the Pleasant Street Historic District, the Homer House is named for its original owner, William Flagg Homer, a wealthy Boston merchant who built the property in 1853 as a summer residence. William Flagg was uncle to famed American artist Winslow Homer, whose artwork features numerous scenes of Belmont people and places, including his uncle’s home. The Homer House has been actively undergoing restoration since 2016, when the Woman’s Club [READ MORE]

Cambridge Residents Support Climate Safety Petition

Construction and Housing, Environment, July-Aug 2018, Newsletter Comments Off

Jul 172018

Cambridge Residents Support Climate Safety Petition

By Ann Stewart In “Preparing for Climate Change,” BCF Newsletter, May-June 2018, state Senator Will Brownsberger focused on the potential flooding risk to Belmont, Arlington, and Cambridge neighborhoods surrounding Alewife Reservation. Another climate change threat besides flooding is rising temperatures. Last year the Cambridge Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment predicted, “By 2070, Cambridge may experience nearly three months [per year] over 90°F, compared with less than two weeks in present day.” Heat has been responsible for most US weather-related fatalities over the last 30 years, according to the National Weather Service. Heat, flooding, and sea level rise are all concerns for [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]

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]

The Bradford Keeps Moving Ahead

Air Quality, Construction and Housing, Environment, Newsletter, Parking, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Jan 162018

But Progress is Slow and Info Is Lacking by John DiCocco Would you buy a used car from Toll Brothers? Trust is difficult when repeated questions go unanswered. Since our last story in September 2017, “What’s The Latest in Cushing Square?”, construction has been slow and information flow has been slower. It’s wise for the town to continually kick the tires and keep having its own mechanic inspect the goods. Fencing, one lingering safety issue has finally been addressed, while another, contaminated soil, took a new turn. The project was shut down December 11 because of a permit problem. Ongoing [READ MORE]

Belmont’s Housing Future

Construction and Housing, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2017, Parking, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Nov 092017

Providing More Affordable Options by Julie Perkins Belmont is a wealthy town by most standards, with a higher-than-state-average median income. But a quarter of Belmont’s population would be eligible for affordable housing if more were available, according to statistics gathered by Metro West Collaborative Development, a nonprofit based in Newton. And creating that housing (also called “community housing”1) would get the town out from under the threat of unwanted development—because Belmont would meet the state standard of having 10% of its housing affordable. For the past two years, the Belmont Housing Trust has been working on a housing production plan (HPP) to encourage [READ MORE]

Belmont Citizens Forum Nov-Dec 2017 Newsletter

Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Construction and Housing, donations, Environment, Historic Preservation, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2017, Open Space, Parking, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Nov 092017

View or download the November-December 2017 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below. . . Articles in this issue: Belmont’s Housing Future. Providing More Affordable Options. Read more here. Belmont Traffic: Driving In, Out, and Through Everyone Is Someone Else’s Cut-Through Traffic Read more here. JKR Conservation Fund Charts A New Path New Structure, New Name Read more here. An Update On The Bradford Multiple Activities On- And Off-site Read more here. Environmental Events Read more here.

An Update On The Bradford

Air Quality, Construction and Housing, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Nov-Dec 2017, Parking, Traffic, Transit, Uncategorized Comments Off

Nov 092017

Multiple Activities On- and Off-site by John DiCocco Excavation and foundation work continues at the Bradford, the apartment and retail complex in Cushing Square, previously known as Cushing Village. However, the contaminated soil remaining from the demolished Tops Cleaners continues to be a problem and has not yet been treated to a level that allows it to be handled as non-hazardous waste. A new round of tests is pending. A Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) site visit in early October found a new area of potential contamination. Since DEP visits infrequently, and Toll/Nauset Construction (the primary contractor) hadn’t flagged this area [READ MORE]

Belmont Citizens Forum Sept-Oct 2017 Newsletter

Belmont Citizens Forum Sept-Oct 2017 Newsletter Air Quality, Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Open Space, Parking, Recycling, September 2017, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Sep 162017

View or download the September-October 2017 issue as a color PDF here, or read single articles below. . Articles in this issue: Demolition Delay Could Save Historic Buildings Read more here. Belmont Reviews Trash and Recycling Options Read more here. Iyengar Joins Land Management Committee Read more here. Keeping the Lights On and the Water Flowing Read more here. Tracking Traffic Read more here. What’s the Latest in Cushing Square? Read more here. Letter to the Editor Read more here. Environmental Events Read more here.

Demolition Delay Could Save Historic Buildings

Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, September 2017 Comments Off

Sep 132017

Demolition Delay Could Save Historic Buildings

182 Structures Now Under Consideration for “Historic” Designation by Sharon Vanderslice Belmont’s historic districts preserve many of the town’s historic buildings, which contribute dramatically to its sense of place. But many other important buildings are outside the districts. To protect them, Belmont Town Meeting has now required a one-year delay before anyone can get a permit to demolish 182 historically or architecturally significant buildings not otherwise protected. The list of designated buildings was developed by the Historic District Commission (HDC) from information prepared by a [READ MORE]

What’s The Latest in Cushing Square?

Air Quality, Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, Newsletter, Parking, September 2017, Stormwater, Traffic, Transit, Water Quality Comments Off

Sep 132017

The Project Moves Forward and Continues to Evolve by John DiCocco There’s progress at the Bradford (formerly named Cushing Village), the three-building residential and retail complex in Cushing Square. Since our last article on the development in the May-June 2017 issue, construction is still moving ahead although several issues remain unresolved. Toll Brothers Apartment Living is the developer (through a subsidiary named Belmont Residential LLC), and Nauset Construction is the general contractor. Toll Brothers employs Sage Environmental as their licensed site professional (LSP) and the town has independently contracted with John Thompson, LSP, of Waypoint Environmental, who reports to town [READ MORE]

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

Jul 102017

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]

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

May 122017

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

Engineers Win Award for Trapelo Road Upgrade

Bicycles and bike paths, Construction and Housing, May-June 2017, Newsletter, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

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]

Cushing Village: New Name, Design Tweaks

Construction and Housing, May-June 2017, Newsletter, Parking, Traffic Comments Off

May 122017

Cushing Village: New Name, Design Tweaks

It’s Now “The Bradford” by John DiCocco At an April 27 meeting in the Town Hall art gallery, Toll Brothers Apartment Living representatives updated the community on construction and design plans for Cushing Square in the upcoming weeks and months. The developer has changed the project name from “Cushing Village” to “The Bradford.” The Cushing Square Neighborhood Association has been pressing Toll Brothers for more timely and informative input on the project’s progress and planning, particularly in regard to environmental concerns. There is a significant amount of contaminated soil to be removed (from spills by Tops Cleaners years ago), [READ MORE]

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

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.

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

Mar 152017

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]

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

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]

Cushing Village Makeover Begins

Air Quality, Construction and Housing, Environment, Historic Preservation, March 2017, Newsletter, Parking, Uncategorized Comments Off

Mar 152017

Hoping The Cleanup Is Clean by Virginia Jordan and John DiCocco “The CVS has come down.” Or for Belmont residents of a certain age, “Highland Farms,” or even “the A&P” has come down. Each of these businesses once occupied the building at 527 Common Street (at the corner of Belmont Street). But that 6,200 square foot space in Cushing Square has been left vacant for years. Acton resident and developer Chris Starr, operating as Smith Legacy Partners LLC, owned that parcel, and with it and other parcels he acquired, created the initial proposal for the Cushing Village development in 2012. [READ MORE]

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