Mary Byrne
Town Meeting members approved the first handful of warrant articles Monday night, including several housekeeping articles and three amendments to the zoning bylaws.
Several more nights lie ahead for Town Meeting members, who will be asked to approve 24 articles. Six were considered Monday night (including committee reports), and additional meetings are scheduled through June.
Among the zoning bylaw amendments was an update to a bylaw that stipulated restaurant parking requirements. The motion, passed as amended by Town Meeting member Bob McGaw, states that one parking space is required per four-person seating capacity. This calculation toward seating capacity, however, does not include up to 20 outdoor seasonal seats. Parking that can be included in this count includes all on-site spaces as well as on-street parking spaces within 1,000 feet of any entrance to the restaurant.
“The intention is to decrease parking requirements … essentially requiring half the number of parking for on-site than is required right now, which is in line with a lot of other surrounding communities,” said Director and Town Planner Chris Ryan.
McGaw’s amendment clarified the article’s language. It received unanimous support from the Select Board and two Planning Board members, including Chair Jeffrey Birenbaum.
“My theory is if a bylaw… is erroneous or confusing or open to interpretation, it’s much easier to draft a clarification than it is to argue the interpretation each time,” McGaw said.
Precinct 1 Town Meeting member John Weis made another amendment to the motion, though it failed to garner support from town officials. That amendment sought to reduce the 1,000-foot radius to 600 feet. He argued that every restaurant can effectively claim multiple parking spots. He said the radius can be increased in the future if needed.
“We ought to walk before we run,” Weis said.
Select Board Chair Roy Epstein said he was the reason the amendment was originally changed from 600 feet to 1,000 feet. He also acknowledged that the “most significant” problem remains.
“There should be an allowance for recognition of garage or municipal parking lot space,” he said.
Still, Belmont Center “is not really that big,” he said. Birenbaum also noted that the rationale for the 1,000 feet was a matter of walkability – 1,000 feet is about a four-minute walk, he said.
Most of the Town Meeting members who spoke argued in favor of the main motion, and ultimately, Weis’ amendment failed to pass.
Other Business
Members approved Article 5, which sought to address several edits to Section 4 of the zoning bylaw, including correcting the departmental name, clarifying the front setback sections, and providing an exception for corner lots for the siting of accessory buildings. Article 6, meanwhile, corrected typographical errors and clarified certain language. It also eliminated the time frame for which repairs to a damaged structure must be completed.
Although several Town Meeting members spoke against eliminating the time frame in Article 6 – citing the potential for construction projects to drag on – at least one resident argued that between insurance complications and construction timelines, the schedule for completing work is rarely straightforward and can be difficult on homeowners. The article ultimately passed by a majority vote.
“I think it’s no secret there are a number of us who think the entire bylaw needs to be rewritten,” said Select Board Vice Chair Elizabeth Dionne. “What we’re trying to do is include you in some of the decisions along the way. A lot of what these amendments tonight represented is the work of the Planning Board and certainly the work of [Inspector of Buildings Ara Yogurtian] and [Ryan], but it’s also some feedback … These are cleanups the Planning Board has brought to us.”
