Since my family moved to Belmont in 1991, Belmont Center has been through cycles, and I fear we’re on a downward trend again. Many recent business closures and persistent vacancies tell a clear story.
Belmont Center doesn’t generate enough foot traffic or attract enough customers from outside Belmont to fully sustain a healthy business district. By allowing new commercial space with residential units above, the proposed Belmont Center overlay aims to create the consistent foot traffic that businesses need. Additional commercial space also creates opportunities for businesses that can draw customers from neighboring towns. If Belmont can attract a hotel to the area, it would be especially fiscally beneficial.
The proposal is ambitious in scope, signaling that Belmont has turned a corner on being friendly to business and development. Town Meeting rarely gets to consider proposals that would improve quality of life while strengthening our fiscal position. I feel this one does both. Belmont’s Warrant Committee, of which I am a member, has estimated that these changes could eventually generate as much as $1.5 million annually for the town in an optimistic scenario, which would significantly reduce the size or frequency of future overrides.
This proposal is a good opportunity to build a sustainable business district and encourage the additional commercial development that the town badly needs.
Andrew Flamang, Poplar Street