ContributorI am writing to express my unhappiness at how, in recent months, the town, through its staff and lawyers, has been conducting the process to decide about the possible development of the property at 91 Beatrice Circle.
There was a great deal of concern expressed by Belmont residents about this project. Beatrice Circle residents and other residents formed Build Wise Belmont and hired legal counsel to voice our anxieties about the safety (among numerous other issues) of building on this particular site. The Planning Board, Select Board, and Zoning Board heard our apprehensions about the wisdom of the project for many months. (My first notes are dated June 2020.) Finally, in October 2021, the ZBA voted unanimously to grant the applicant’s request for a Comprehensive Permit, subject to conditions.
The developer contested the finding and challenged many of the conditions in an appeal to the Housing Appeals Committee. What is disappointing is the developer and the town apparently met to settle the developer’s appeal without involving concerned residents.
As you know, several of the neighbors have also appealed the Comprehensive Permit; our appeal has been stayed until the developer’s appeal has been resolved. Our attorneys and engineers have tried unsuccessfully to engage with the town’s and developer’s representatives to discuss a better site design that would mitigate our concerns while still making the project profitable.
There is a real opportunity here for all sides to meet and work in good faith toward a compromise. I would encourage town leaders to take the path that can lead to a better project.
Kristin Boardman, Beatrice Circle
