Profiles in Belmont: Farmer Tim

 Environment, May/June 2024, Newsletter, Open Space  Comments Off on Profiles in Belmont: Farmer Tim
Apr 302024
 
Profiles in Belmont: Farmer Tim

By Elissa Ely Choosing a favorite vegetable or melon, if you happen to be Farmer Tim Carroll, is like choosing a favorite child. If he’s eating a cantaloupe from his farm, cantaloupe is his favorite. When he’s eating a cherry tomato, the cantaloupe steps aside. “I’m not a fennel guy,” he says, but with such respect that no fennel could resent him. There are dozens and dozens of vegetable children in Farmer Tim’s world. Since 2015, his Dudley, MA, farm has grown multiple varieties of up to 50 kinds of produce each August through October. The season starts aboveground with [READ MORE]

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How to be a Biodiversity Builder

 Environment, May/June 2024, Open Space, Plants, Stormwater, Water Quality  Comments Off on How to be a Biodiversity Builder
Apr 302024
 
How to be a Biodiversity Builder

by Jean Devine An open mind, eagerness to learn new things, a willingness to work with peers from different schools, and a tolerance for hot weather, a bit of rain, and getting dirty are all it takes to be a Biodiversity Builder. Youth don’t join Biodiversity Builders (BB) to fill out their resume. They join because they’re curious about nature and maybe gardening, they worry about climate change, and they want to do something positive to help the planet. Youth who become Biodiversity Builders learn how to solve environmental and societal challenges, get down and dirty removing invasive plants and [READ MORE]

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Restoration Resumes on Lone Tree Hill

 Environment, Lone Tree Hill, May/June 2024, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants  Comments Off on Restoration Resumes on Lone Tree Hill
Apr 302024
 
Restoration Resumes on Lone Tree Hill

By Jeffrey North and Joseph Hibbard A crew of 18 technicians, crew leaders, designer, and managers gathered on Lone Tree Hill early on the misty morning of March 15. They were there for the third and final day of their work season kick-off with a day of training on Belmont conservation land. The Land Management Committee (LMC) for Lone Tree Hill (LTH) had granted permission to allow the Parterre Ecological Services “Class of 2024” to conduct an invasive species removal training session for field technicians. Their target zone was a section of  the southeast corner of the Great Meadow. The [READ MORE]

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Belmont Has a New List of Preferred Trees

 Environment, May/June 2024, Newsletter, Plants  Comments Off on Belmont Has a New List of Preferred Trees
Apr 302024
 
Belmont Has a New List of Preferred Trees

By Eva Hoffman Belmont’s shade tree committee, in conjunction with the Department of Public Works (DPW) and the tree warden, has developed a list of preferred native trees for planting by the town on public property, for contractors planting street trees, and for residents who are seeking information for their gardens. The Belmont Preferred Trees List contains information on the size, characteristics, and growing conditions for each species. Twenty of the 45 recommended trees are marked “street tree,” which means they can be planted between the sidewalk and the street. But they aren’t exclusively street trees. They are adaptable, reliable [READ MORE]

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Managing Nature Without Pesticides

 Environment, May/June 2024, Newsletter  Comments Off on Managing Nature Without Pesticides
Apr 302024
 
Managing Nature Without Pesticides

By Judy Sheldon Whether we’re growing tidy-looking lawns, tree-lined paths to meander, or flower or vegetable gardens, our yards and our parks also provide food and shelter for other creatures. Bees, butterflies, ladybugs, spiders, and fireflies all live in our lawns, gardens, and trees. Birds eat the seeds, berries, fruits, and nuts from the plants. Some bird species get nutrients from insects, including mosquitoes and others we don’t want around. Rabbits eat mostly plants; squirrels and chipmunks thrive on fruits, nuts, and acorns. Larger birds, like hawks, owls, and even eagles, also eat the small animals and birds that live [READ MORE]

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Beavers vs Us: Who Manages Stormwater Best?

 Environment, May/June 2024, Newsletter, Open Space, Stormwater  Comments Off on Beavers vs Us: Who Manages Stormwater Best?
Apr 302024
 
Beavers vs Us: Who Manages Stormwater Best?

By Anne-Marie Lambert There’s a lot of complexity but not much bureaucracy involved when beavers take action to manage stormwater. Beavers don’t follow many rules and regulations to slow down a brook’s flow to a prescribed amount or filter pollutants like phosphates or nitrates. They don’t submit maintenance plans for what they will do differently when large rainstorms or new pollutants arrive. Beavers don’t wait for permit approvals or make decisions based on a checklist of laws and regulations. Beavers have evolved to build their homes across brooks to create whole new ecosystems that support many species that have evolved [READ MORE]

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Vision for a Better Belmont: Chris Ryan

 Construction and Housing, May/June 2024, Open Space, Parking, Traffic, Transit  Comments Off on Vision for a Better Belmont: Chris Ryan
Apr 302024
 
Vision for a Better Belmont: Chris Ryan

This is the fourth of a new series of interviews with Belmont leaders about their vision for Belmont’s future. Jeffrey North conducted this interview. It has been edited for length and clarity. – Ed. Chris Ryan has served as Belmont’s town planner and director of planning and building (OPB) since September 2023. With more than 30 years of experience in city planning and economic development, Chris has worked at the town, city, county, regional, and state levels in the public sector in at least 10 communities and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission; the Metropolitan Area Planning Council; and the Central [READ MORE]

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Vacancy Registry Could be Good for Business

 May/June 2024, Newsletter, Town Committee Meetings  Comments Off on Vacancy Registry Could be Good for Business
Apr 292024
 
Vacancy Registry Could be Good for Business

By Paul Joy and Taylor Yates One of the key issues that both the Vision 21 Implementation Committee and the Economic Development Committees grapple with is the long-term vacant storefronts in our vital commercial areas: Belmont Center and Cushing Square. Our committees are asked constantly about what Belmont should be doing to address these issues and drive down the vacancy rates in places like Leonard Street, which was reported to have a 20% vacancy rate by the Belmont Center Business Association. Large vacancies such as the old CVS space continue to languish as well. We agree that the situation here [READ MORE]

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Belmont’s Section 3A Rezoning Process Explained – Summary

 Construction and Housing, May/June 2024, Newsletter  Comments Off on Belmont’s Section 3A Rezoning Process Explained – Summary
Apr 292024
 
Belmont's Section 3A Rezoning Process Explained - Summary

By Doug Koplow A longer version of this article is available. Belmont is undergoing a significant rezoning process in response to the state’s MBTA Communities Act, commonly referred to as Section 3A. This law, passed in January 2021, aims to increase housing stock across 177 communities served by the MBTA, including Belmont. It mandates changes to local zoning requirements to allow for increased construction of multifamily housing. It sets quantitative targets for the number of housing units, acreage covered, density, and the minimum size of a rezoned area. Because Belmont is classified as a commuter rail community, we must meet [READ MORE]

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