Belmont – Belmont Citizens Forum

Belmont Boasts Bounteous Birds

Environment, July/August 2024, Newsletter Comments Off

Jun 252024

By Fred Bouchard Most of us try to cozy up to Mother Nature now that we’re increasingly climate-conscious, especially during longer days and presumably carefree hours of summer. Whether you’re in the garden, open spaces, or on woodsy walks, our home town offers a variety of eco-friendly locales to commune with Ma Nature’s little winged ambassadors. I offer four likely places, each hosting two not-obvious, strictly seasonal denizens that you might readily identify with your attentive ear and sharpened eye. We go from high altitude to low, and throw in an easily overlooked hotspot in nearby Cambridge. A good guide [READ MORE]

Profiles in Belmont: Robert McLaughlin, Sr.

July/August 2024 Comments Off

Jun 252024

Profiles in Belmont: Robert McLaughlin, Sr.

By Elissa Ely There is a temperament best suited for success in law, especially in the area of litigation. There is a temperament best suited for success in life, especially in the areas of personability and contentment. It seems unlikely that the two temperaments could coexist serenely in one character. Please meet Bob McLaughlin: indispensable town exemplar, and proof of the possible. He is chair, co-chair, or member of vital Belmont committees almost too numerous to count; senior and managing Boston law firm partner; white-haired scuba diver, water-and-downhill skier; sailor and seven-continent traveler (with no wish to see a penguin [READ MORE]

Concord Bike Lane May be Increasing Cycling

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, July/August 2024, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Jun 252024

Concord Bike Lane May be Increasing Cycling

By Dan Eldridge This August will mark two years since the restriping of Concord Avenue, a project that repainted the lines on the road to switch the positions of the biking and parking lanes. Separated (sometimes called protected) bike lanes are against the curb and are usually separated from traffic by bollards, islands, or raised platforms: there are no plans to install bollards on Concord Avenue. In each case, a barrier is created so cyclists will encounter fewer vehicles and feel more secure. In the case of Concord Avenue, separation is indicated by painted lines and parked cars only. Separated [READ MORE]

Vision for a Better Belmont: Jeff Birenbaum

July/August 2024, Newsletter, Town Committee Meetings Comments Off

Jun 252024

Vision for a Better Belmont: Jeff Birenbaum

The stated goal of the Planning Board is to protect and preserve the character and the quality of life that defines Belmont (www.belmont-ma.gov/planning-board). Jeff Birenbaum is chair of the Belmont Planning Board. BCF How would you define Belmont’s character and quality of life, in a few sentences? Birenbaum Belmont, Massachusetts, is known for its great neighborhoods, excellent schools, vibrant community life, and keen sense of history. Its character and quality of life are shaped by its close-knit community feel. Residents value Belmont’s suburban charm, cultural diversity, recreational amenities access, and commitment to environmental sustainability. Preserving these aspects while responsibly managing [READ MORE]

Belmont Carbon Emissions Down 14%

Climate Change, Environment, July/August 2024, Solar Power Comments Off

Jun 252024

By Roger Wrubel, Brian Kopperl, and James Booth According to the Belmont Energy Committee’s most recent inventory, the town’s carbon emissions dropped from 177,000 tons to 150,000 tons per year between 2014 and 2021. The drop, which measures emissions from gasoline, natural gas, fuel oil, and electricity, results from residents shifting away from home heating oil to other energy sources, driving more fuel-efficient vehicles, and drawing their electricity from a cleaner New England grid. Except for the shift away from fuel oil, none of these reductions are happening at a pace sufficient to reach zero emissions by 2050. The committee [READ MORE]

Profiles in Belmont: Farmer Tim

Environment, May/June 2024, Newsletter, Open Space Comments Off

Apr 302024

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]

Restoration Resumes on Lone Tree Hill

Environment, Lone Tree Hill, May/June 2024, Newsletter, Open Space, Plants Comments Off

Apr 302024

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]

Belmont Has a New List of Preferred Trees

Environment, May/June 2024, Newsletter, Plants Comments Off

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]

Managing Nature Without Pesticides

Environment, May/June 2024, Newsletter Comments Off

Apr 302024

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]

Beavers vs Us: Who Manages Stormwater Best?

Environment, May/June 2024, Newsletter, Open Space, Stormwater Comments Off

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]

Vision for a Better Belmont: Chris Ryan

Construction and Housing, May/June 2024, Open Space, Parking, Traffic, Transit Comments Off

Apr 302024

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]

Vacancy Registry Could be Good for Business

May/June 2024, Newsletter, Town Committee Meetings Comments Off

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]

Belmont’s Section 3A Rezoning Process Explained – Summary

Construction and Housing, May/June 2024, Newsletter Comments Off

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]

Native Peoples Lived in Belmont

History, March/April 2024 Comments Off

Mar 012024

By Mark Jarzombek It comes as a surprise to people who assume that Boston’s colonization began with the settlement of Boston in 1630 that there was an equally important settlement in Watertown that same year. It was organized by Sir Richard Saltonstall, along with approximately 40 families. Unlike the Bostonians, the group in Watertown consisted of ranchers and farmers living primarily in homesteads spread out over the rapidly deforested landscape. Though Boston takes the glory when it comes to the history of New England, the relationship between a town and its farm and pastureland was critical to the settlers’ success. [READ MORE]

Lone Tree Hill Volunteer Day April 27

BCF Events, Environment, March/April 2024 Comments Off

Mar 012024

Join us in stewarding Lone Tree Hill! The Belmont Citizens Forum, in conjunction with the Judy Record Conservation Fund, is holding its tenth annual cleanup and trail maintenance day on April 27, from 9 AM until noon. Help with planting white pine saplings along the Meadow Edge Trail, cleaning up, and removing invasives at the Mill Street parking lot and the Coal Road, respectively. Students can earn community service credits. Bounded by Concord Avenue, Pleasant Street, and Mill Street, Lone Tree Hill spans 119 acres of permanently protected conservation land and is available to everyone. It is stewarded through a [READ MORE]

Letter to the Editor: Rat Poisons and Wildlife

Environment, March/April 2024 Comments Off

Mar 012024

Letter to the Editor: Rat Poisons and Wildlife

Dear Representatives of the Select Board, Health Department, Department of Public Works, Facilities Department (Schools), and Conservation Commission; As local communities in and around Belmont wake up to the dangers of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) to children, wildlife, and pets, we see encouraging progress toward reducing and eliminating SGARs. We would like to share with you what is going on in neighboring towns in this regard as Save Belmont Wildlife seeks to work with our community to eliminate these poisons as part of a cross-community effort. We are working to prevent the further poisoning of Massachusetts birds of prey and [READ MORE]

Belmont Rower Looks Out for the Charles River

Climate Change, Environment, March/April 2024 Comments Off

Mar 012024

Belmont Rower Looks Out for the Charles River

By Zeus Smith As a US National Team rower, Belmont resident Maggie Fellows spends a lot of time on the Charles River. Since 2021, the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) has mobilized a cohort of passionate community leaders like Fellows to push for climate-smart policies and practices right in their backyards. Called River Advocates, this program brings together volunteers from various backgrounds and experiences to learn effective advocacy strategies and steward a more climate-resilient future. The River Advocates program is a crash course in civic engagement––by joining, volunteers find a community of like-minded individuals interested in learning about direct actions [READ MORE]

Profiles in Belmont: Phil Thomas

March/April 2024, Open Space Comments Off

Mar 012024

By Elissa Ely “One ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs or a bee makes honey.” – Marcus Aurelius There is so much we could say about Phil Thomas. We could talk about his distinguished career in high technology, which followed his distinguished career in Naval Intelligence. We could talk about growing up oceanside in Florida, where his father worked as a photographer for NASA and John Glenn visited the house. We could talk about his childhood hopes of becoming the next Mickey Mantle (stymied only, perhaps, by height). We could also talk about Phil’s [READ MORE]

Select Board Candidates Answer BCF Questions

Board of Selectmen, Newsletter Comments Off

Mar 012024

Select Board Candidates Answer BCF Questions

Each year, the Belmont Citizens Forum asks Select Board candidates questions about issues facing our town. This year, Alex Howard, Geoff Lubien, and Matt Taylor provided answers. They were limited to 1,000 words. BCF Currently, about 95% of the property tax levy in Belmont comes from homeowners and 5% from business owners. a. Is the development of more business space a realistic solution to Belmont’s financial challenges, with much of the existing commercial space empty? b. The number of empty commercial spaces, both retail and office buildings, conveys that Belmont is not prospering or attractive. Does the Select Board have [READ MORE]

BCF Asks Path Experts Three Questions

Bicycles and bike paths, Bike Paths, March/April 2024 Comments Off

Mar 012024

To prepare for the upcoming Design Public Hearing on Phase 1 of the Belmont Community Path, the BCF asked three Community Path experts about what they think about the Community Path project today. We spoke to Mark Paolillo, Select Board member; Holly Muson, chair of the Community Path Project Committee; and Will Brownsberger, Massachusetts state representative. BCF Since you succeeded Russ Leino as chair of the Community Path Project Committee (CPPC) last year, you have had a ringside seat as this project advances. What has most surprised you about the mechanics of advancing the project? Are there lessons from Phase [READ MORE]

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