‘Chickadee Tree’ Sings on Lone Tree Hill

 Arts & Culture, January/February 2023  Comments Off on ‘Chickadee Tree’ Sings on Lone Tree Hill
Jan 042023
 
‘Chickadee Tree’ Sings on Lone Tree Hill

The Belmont Citizens Forum and the Land Management Committee for Lone Tree Hill (LMC) would like to remind readers that the installation of objects, decorations, signs or messaging of any kind on conservation or public land is prohibited without prior written permission of the LMC, Conservation Commission, or other Town authority having jurisdiction. By Yuval Gur Environmental degradation and climate-changing behaviors have been part of our lives for many years. Yet, we are still in crisis, whether from microplastics in our oceans, rising sea levels, air pollution, or diminishing living habitats. What if nature could signal us with flashing lights [READ MORE]

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BHS Students Create Environmental Club

 Environment, January/February 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on BHS Students Create Environmental Club
Jan 032023
 
BHS Students Create Environmental Club

By Claire Hlotyak  If you were to ask current high school students what issues they care about, chances are they would say climate change. From science labs to social studies discussions, I have seen that Belmont High School (BHS) students show a real passion and drive to end climate destruction.  This keen interest doesn’t just end in the classroom, though. Belmont High has student-run clubs focused on learning, raising awareness, and educating our community and surrounding areas about the impact of climate change. One new BHS club is Project: Environment, run by Jessica Rui and Christina Xi. Rui and Xi [READ MORE]

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Could Town Buildings Generate Solar Power?

 Climate Change, Environment, January/February 2023, Newsletter, Solar Power  Comments Off on Could Town Buildings Generate Solar Power?
Jan 032023
 
Could Town Buildings Generate Solar Power?

By Aditya Jain and Vincent Stanton, Jr. Imagine a project that would produce a new recurring revenue stream for Belmont without any upfront cost, utilizing only town-owned land and buildings, while lowering electricity costs and helping the town achieve its green energy goals. That could be the payoff for installing photovoltaic (PV) panels on town properties. Suitable town-owned sites include non-historic buildings with large flat rooftops, parking lots, and open ground including the former incinerator site along Concord Avenue. Adding PV arrays on privately owned rooftops and parking lots could significantly expand the network of arrays and improve the economics. [READ MORE]

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Lone Tree Hill Restoration Hit 2022 Milestones

 Environment, January/February 2023, Lone Tree Hill, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants  Comments Off on Lone Tree Hill Restoration Hit 2022 Milestones
Jan 032023
 
Lone Tree Hill Restoration Hit 2022 Milestones

By Jeffrey North In 2020, the Land Management Committee for Lone Tree Hill (LMC) and the Judy Record Conservation Fund began a multi-year campaign to restore native plant communities in prioritized areas of the Lone Tree Hill conservation land. Step one in the restoration was to bring the invasive plant species under control. Planting natives would be a wasted effort and expense if they cannot compete with the pernicious plants that have come to occupy large swaths of our conservation lands and private yards.  The work began with a broad brush, property-wide restoration survey conducted by ecological design professionals in [READ MORE]

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Farewell to Royal Road’s Dirt Jumps

 Bicycles and bike paths, January/February 2023, Newsletter, Open Space  Comments Off on Farewell to Royal Road’s Dirt Jumps
Jan 032023
 
Farewell to Royal Road’s Dirt Jumps

By Vincent Stanton, Jr. In late July 2022, the town dismantled the dirt bike track built by Belmont teens on town land between Royal Road and the Fitchburg Line (see “Whither the Royal Road Woods?” BCF Newsletter, January/February 2022.)  The bike track, originally constructed in 2020 shortly after the parks were closed because of the pandemic, was expanded in 2022 by a different group of teens. After winter and spring storms, which eroded the earthen jumps, it needed a complete rebuild. The 2022 bike track network at one point extended across the wetlands at the bottom of Royal Road (a [READ MORE]

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Waltham Preps Rail Trail Segment

 Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, January/February 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on Waltham Preps Rail Trail Segment
Jan 032023
 
Waltham Preps Rail Trail Segment

By John Dieckmann The city of Waltham issued the notice to proceed with construction of the central Waltham segment of the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) in May 2022. This segment runs 2.7 miles from Beaver Street by the commuter rail crossing west to Main Street at the Market Basket store. By mid-September, the tracks and ties had been removed and grading of the right of way had largely been completed with the exception of the short stretch from Linden Street to Beaver Street.  As of early December, the first course of paving was complete from the Garden Crest apartment [READ MORE]

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Belmont Community Path Phase 1 Funded

 January/February 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on Belmont Community Path Phase 1 Funded
Jan 032023
 
Belmont Community Path Phase 1 Funded

By Jarrod Goentzel and Sara Smith The Belmont Community Path is becoming a reality. Full funding was secured for Phase 1 construction. Phase 1 includes the MBTA underpass from Alexander Avenue to the Belmont Middle and High School campus.  Design is underway for Phase 2 that completes Belmont’s two-mile segment of the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT), which will eventually connect Boston and Northampton via 104 miles of off-road paths. The Belmont Community Path will help fill a critical gap along the MCRT as construction east and west of Belmont actively moves forward. Belmont’s TIP Funding  This spring the Belmont [READ MORE]

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Preserve Belmont’s Leafy Leviathans

 Environment, January/February 2023, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants  Comments Off on Preserve Belmont’s Leafy Leviathans
Jan 032023
 
Preserve Belmont’s Leafy Leviathans

By Fred Bouchard Tawny branches reach skyward around its diminished crown like a monk’s tonsure. Strafed by ligneous crows’ feet and tagged with a bowie knife by ”Oliver” (World War veteran?), its trunk is knobbled with rusts and growths. Golden wreaths of lichen encrust its bolus. The copper beech standing sentinel opposite the stone rail trestle in Belmont Center bears silent witness to a century and a half of local history. It was a mere sapling, perhaps part of the project when H. H. Richardson’s firm rebuilt the Unitarian Universalist Church in 1890. Wellington Station marked the adjacent train stop [READ MORE]

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School Claims Parking is “Educational Use”

 Climate Change, Construction and Housing, Environment, January/February 2023, Open Space, Parking  Comments Off on School Claims Parking is “Educational Use”
Jan 032023
 
School Claims Parking is “Educational Use”

By Justin Roe 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 and overwhelming in opposing the proposal.  Within three weeks, Belmont’s Select Committee and Planning Board have received hundreds of letters voicing town opposition to the project. A petition in opposition has attracted over 2,200 signatures, and hundreds of lawn signs and banners are popping up in every district in Belmont. School action groups from Lexington and Waltham are taking an active role. All within a few weeks.  The school presented its [READ MORE]

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Belmont’s Zoning Should Reflect Actual Use

 Construction and Housing, January/February 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on Belmont’s Zoning Should Reflect Actual Use
Jan 032023
 
Belmont’s Zoning Should Reflect Actual Use

By Max Colice The intensity and use regulations of Belmont’s zoning bylaws don’t reflect how most land in Belmont is actually used. Changing the bylaws to match how land in Belmont has been developed and used would reduce the burden on town officials, promote growth while preserving character, and lead to fairer, more predictable outcomes for homeowners looking to renovate or expand their homes. It would also preserve open space, allow for small-scale development of more affordable housing, and remove obstacles to small-scale commercial development. Belmont’s zoning bylaw divides the town into different zones or districts; it permits varied uses, [READ MORE]

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Belmont’s Zoning Needs Rethinking

 Construction and Housing, January/February 2023  Comments Off on Belmont’s Zoning Needs Rethinking
Jan 032023
 
Belmont’s Zoning Needs Rethinking

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]

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January/February 2023 Newsletter

 January/February 2023, Newsletter  Comments Off on January/February 2023 Newsletter
Jan 032023
 
January/February 2023 Newsletter

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]

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