Environmental Events Jan-Feb 2017

 Air Quality, Environment, Historic Preservation, January 2017, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants, Water Quality  Comments Off on Environmental Events Jan-Feb 2017
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]

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Conservation Land and Development

 Environment, Newsletter, Open Space, September 2016  Comments Off on Conservation Land and Development
Sep 142016
 
Conservation Land and Development

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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Belmont Staycation Postcard from a Tuesday

 Bike Paths, Environment, Open Space, Staycation, Stormwater  Comments Off on Belmont Staycation Postcard from a Tuesday
Aug 122016
 
Belmont Staycation Postcard from a Tuesday

Hi, On the Tuesday of my trial Staycation, I went to several favorites I hadn’t visited in a while, including Belmont Acres Farm and Fresh Pond, where Shodai also went on his Staycation (see his Facebook postcard below): I took the 74 bus down Concord Avenue to Smith Place in order to get to Black’s Nook, a part of Fresh Pond which was part of Belmont between 1859 and 1880.  Another hot day, there was welcome shade from the trees, and lovely butterflies to enjoy.  In the pond, I saw small fish, not sure what they were. I also walked some of the [READ MORE]

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Belmont Staycation Postcard from a Saturday

 Environment, Open Space, Staycation, Transit  Comments Off on Belmont Staycation Postcard from a Saturday
Aug 052016
 
Belmont Staycation Postcard from a Saturday

Another postcard from my trial Staycation  —  Check out the shorter postcards on our Facebook page; post your own there! Hi, This was a day with friends. I took a nature walk (check out our Maps section for local trail maps), and took a bus and subway to get to an event in Boston  (check MBTA.com or a public transport app for schedules): Habitat: We had an out-of-town guest, and brought her to the Habitat in the morning to enjoy a longer walk. We took a very long route to Turtle Pond, passing through the Fern Trail and Red Maple Swamp trail and Border trail.  It [READ MORE]

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A Belmont Staycation Postcard from a Thursday

 Historic Preservation, Open Space, Staycation  Comments Off on A Belmont Staycation Postcard from a Thursday
Aug 042016
 
A Belmont Staycation Postcard from a Thursday

This is a postcard from my trial Staycation in July —  Check out the shorter postcards on our Facebook page, and post your own there! Hi, Today I was really looking forward to visiting two old favorites: Belmont Farmer’s Market: I picked up some salad fixings from several different vendors, enjoyed cheese offered at State Senator Will Brownsberger’s table, and listened to a brass band.  I chatted with the manager and a couple of neighbors.  I heard vendors talking about the drought.  I always feel a sense of community at the Farmer’s Market, as well as a greater connection with [READ MORE]

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Clay Pit Pond Walking Path Gets Funded

 Historic Preservation, May 2016, Open Space  Comments Off on Clay Pit Pond Walking Path Gets Funded
May 202016
 
Clay Pit Pond Walking Path Gets Funded

By Jim Roth, Mary Trudeau, and Margaret Velie On May 2, the Belmont Community Preservation Committee (CPC) approved the application by the Belmont Conservation Commission for $228,350 for the construction of the Intergenerational Walking Path and its entrances. Town Meeting approved the funds on May 4. Golf is often described as “a good walk spoiled.” Those traversing the often muddy path around Clay Pit Pond in front of Belmont High School echo a similar sentiment. Recreational walkers, joggers, dog walkers, cross-country skiers, and the high school crosscountry teams all use the well-worn earthen trail, even though it is often impassible due to [READ MORE]

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A Tribute to Judith K. Record’s Legacy

 January 2016, Newsletter, Open Space  Comments Off on A Tribute to Judith K. Record’s Legacy
Jan 132016
 
A Tribute to Judith K. Record’s Legacy

By Heli Tomford For many years, social scientists calculated generations as twenty year intervals. By that estimate, it was a generation ago that a January 1996 Boston Globe headline stated: ”McLean may quit Belmont campus to reduce costs.” McLean fortunately did not quit its campus, a decision its trustees made half a year later. Instead, the hospital and the town of Belmont embarked on a long, arduous journey to reach an agreement on how McLean’s 238 acre campus would be used–a journey that was significantly influenced by Judith K. Record. While Belmont’s Selectmen initially chose a cautious wait-and-see approach, many [READ MORE]

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What is the Future of McLean’s Open Land?

 Historic Preservation, July 2015, Newsletter, Open Space  Comments Off on What is the Future of McLean’s Open Land?
Jul 102015
 
What is the Future of McLean’s Open Land?

By Sue Bass Piece by piece, the remaining open land in Belmont is being protected—or developed. The Belmont Uplands were bulldozed. The town’s last farm has been saved, protected by Lydia Ogilby and her family with an agricultural restriction. A dozen houses are filling what used to be two six-acre estates off Concord Avenue on Belmont Hill. But nearby open space is covered by conservation restrictions, thanks to descendants of the Claflin-Atkins family that once farmed the land, particularly the late Anne Allen. The fate of two major open areas remains undetermined. Officers of the Belmont Country Club insist that [READ MORE]

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Mugar Site Plans May Mean More Flooding

 July 2015, Newsletter, Open Space, Stormwater  Comments Off on Mugar Site Plans May Mean More Flooding
May 122015
 
Mugar Site Plans May Mean More Flooding

Along the north side of Route 2 in East Arlington lie seventeen acres of wetlands almost entirely in the 100-year floodplain. Despite its potential for flooding, this parcel has been the subject of various development proposals over the years. Recently Oaktree Development of Cambridge showed Arlington town officials a preliminary sketch of a proposed 219-unit housing development on the parcel owned by the Mugar family and adjacent to the Alewife Reservation. The Oaktree developer intends to invoke the state Chapter 40B statute to circumvent certain local permitting processes and bylaws by including a certain percentage of affordable housing in the [READ MORE]

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Path Neighbors Can Choose Trees For Privacy

 Bike Paths, May 2015, Newsletter, Open Space  Comments Off on Path Neighbors Can Choose Trees For Privacy
May 122015
 
Path Neighbors Can Choose Trees For Privacy

By Meg Muckenhoupt Community paths allow more people to travel without using cars—and a lot of people want to do just that. It is estimated that more than 2 million people walk, run, and bike the Minuteman Bikeway in Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford each year. Understandably, neighbors living in homes abutting new paths are often concerned about the effects of having so many visitors passing by their yards. Different communities have varying approaches to living with bike trails. Today, 22 years after the Minuteman Bikeway officially opened, about a quarter of properties abutting the Bikeway in Arlington have no [READ MORE]

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