Environment – Page 11 – Belmont Citizens Forum

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]

MyRWA Measures Belmont’s Water Quality

Environment, March 2017, Newsletter, Stormwater, Water Quality Comments Off

Mar 152017

Volunteers Monitor Every Month by Anne-Marie Lambert Almost every month for more than 16 years, Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) volunteers have been monitoring water quality at the location where the Winn’s Brook culvert flows into Little Pond. In the early morning of August 17, 2016, I walked to the end of a public path off Brighton Street, near the intersection with Hoitt Road. I watched as Roger Wrubel and Doug Matson took out their MyRWA sampling gear and carefully scooped water samples into test tubes. They were measuring dissolved oxygen, turbidity (a measure of suspended particles), nutrients [READ MORE]

Boston’s Driest Summer and Hottest Year

Environment, March 2017, Newsletter, Water Quality Comments Off

Mar 152017

The Impact of Drought on the Mystic Watershed by Andy Hrycyna People living in the Mystic River watershed have been relatively unaffected by the recent historic drought. Cities and towns have not demanded use restrictions, like bans on watering lawns, for instance. But don’t let that fool you. The absence of mandates to conserve is an accident of where our towns’ water supply happens to originate. It does not mean that our area is immune to the drought. First, some background. An Historic Drought 2016 was the driest summer ever recorded in Boston, with 3.92 inches of rain in June, [READ MORE]

Update: The MCRT Rail Trail

Bicycles and bike paths, Environment, March 2017, Newsletter, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

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]

Environmental Events March-April 2017

Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Environment, March 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Recycling, Water Quality Comments Off

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]

Belmont Drives Electric Campaign Continues

Air Quality, Environment, January 2017, Newsletter, Transit Comments Off

Jan 192017

Belmont Drives Electric Campaign Continues

A Cleaner Town, One Driveway at a Time by Madeleine Barr Lara Hirner and Jason Reed, the first Belmont residents to purchase an EV through the Belmont Drives Electric program, with their new Chevrolet Volt. Join the movement. Belmont is one of the top five towns in Massachusetts for electric vehicle adoption. Belmont Drives Electric (BDE) is a community initiative launched in October 2016 designed to highlight the benefits of driving electric vehicles (EVs) and make it easy for you to get behind the wheel. Through this initiative, Belmont residents in cooperation with several local dealers have taken test drives [READ MORE]

Mass Central Rail Trail’s Westward Progress

Air Quality, Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, Environment, January 2017, Newsletter, Traffic Comments Off

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]

Environmental Events Jan-Feb 2017

Air Quality, Environment, Historic Preservation, January 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants, Water Quality Comments Off

Jan 192017

Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation Annual Meeting and Potluck Supper Sunday, January 22, 5-7 PM Help us celebrate over 15 years of educational programs and stewardship. Enjoy good food and learn about the activities of the Friends group. Following supper, we will briefly review the past year, then share ideas for future programs and projects at Fresh Pond in a relaxed roundtable discussion. Guests and newcomers welcome. RSVP to Catherine Pedemonti at friendsoffreshpond@yahoo.com. Basement of Neville Place, 650 Concord Avenue, Cambridge Winter Nature Storytime at Fresh Pond Friday, January 27, 10-11 AM Friends of Fresh Pond host children and their [READ MORE]

Belmont Electric Vehicle Campaign Revs Up

Air Quality, Environment, Newsletter, November-December 2016 Comments Off

Nov 032016

Belmont Electric Vehicle Campaign Revs Up

First Goal is 50 New Electric Vehicles in Town By Jan Kruse. Photos by Emily Woods. BDE co-chair Marty Bittner (left) and volunteer Ade Baptista check out a Tesla Model X electric car. Experts predict that electric vehicles (EVs) are the wave of the future, but for Belmont, the future is now. Belmont Drives Electric (BDE) is a new community-driven program to promote the benefits of EVs, and is supported by the Belmont Energy Committee, Belmont Light, Sustainable Belmont, and other Belmont EV enthusiasts. Why Promote Electric in Belmont Now? In 2016, the Belmont Energy Committee updated the assessment of [READ MORE]

Waltham Solicits Bids for Design of Rail Trail

Bike Paths, Environment, Newsletter, November-December 2016, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Nov 032016

Waltham Solicits Bids for Design of Rail Trail

Will Belmont Follow Suit? By Vince Stanton Jr. In September, the city of Waltham issued a request for proposal (RFP) for 100% design of a community path extending approximately three miles from the Waltham-Belmont border (about 1,000 feet west of Waverley Square) to the Weston border (about 1,500 feet west of Route 128, just south of Main Street). (“100% design” refers to a fully specified set of construction drawings.) Proposals were due on October 20. At a bidder’s conference on October 5, city officials expressed the hope that design work could be completed this winter, allowing construction to begin in [READ MORE]

Belmont Community Path Orientation Walk

Bike Paths, Environment, November-December 2016, Traffic Comments Off

Nov 032016

Photos by David Chase On Saturday, October 15, members of the Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee and consultants led a walk of about two dozen citizens to educate them about route possibilities for the western end of the community path in Belmont. Above, the group stops on Olmsted Drive, uphill from Pleasant Street. Behind the police station, the group examines grades and pinch points. The path could follow the Fitchburg commuter rail line at several locations. Above is near Cityside Subaru on Pleasant Street. The path may continue north of the railroad tracks off Pleasant Street, near Snake Hill Road. [READ MORE]

Goodbye and Thank You to EK Khalsa

Air Quality, Environment, November-December 2016, Water Quality Comments Off

Nov 032016

Interview with an Environmental Change Agent by Julia Blatt EK (EkOngKar) Khalsa was executive director of Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) from 2008 until this September. His leadership has resulted in a dramatic improvement in the environment and water quality in a vital Greater Boston natural resource. We asked Belmont resident Julia Blatt, executive director of the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance and longtime colleague of Khalsa, to speak with him about his accomplishments in the region. Julia Blatt: What brought you to the Mystic River Watershed Association? EK Khalsa: I was introduced to MyRWA by an inspiring, very dynamic member of [READ MORE]

How to Save Money and Reduce Trash

Environment, November-December 2016, Recycling, Uncategorized Comments Off

Nov 032016

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]

Environmental Events Nov-Dec 2016

Air Quality, Environment, Newsletter, November-December 2016, Water Quality Comments Off

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]

Solar Shines Brightly in Belmont

Air Quality, Environment, September 2016, Solar Power Comments Off

Sep 142016

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]

Environmental Events

Air Quality, Environment, Newsletter, September 2016, Uncategorized, Water Quality Comments Off

Sep 142016

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]

Conservation Land and Development

Environment, Newsletter, Open Space, September 2016 Comments Off

Sep 142016

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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