I am writing to express my support for the zoning overlays proposed for Belmont Center and Concord Avenue by the Planning Board.
When I moved to Belmont 14 years ago, Belmont Center had a wide variety of stores, including major chains like Macy’s and Starbucks, as well as many wonderful local establishments. Since then, we have unfortunately lost many businesses. Macy’s and Starbucks are long gone, as are many smaller enterprises, from Shine’s Fresh Asian to Stone Hearth, Didrik’s, Trinktisch, and CambridgeWear. At the same time, the Center has developed long-term vacancies, like the old Bank of America building. This is not a good sign.
Everyone knows that things are tough for brick-and-mortar retailers in today’s era of internet shopping. If we want our Center to stay vibrant, we need to implement common-sense measures to secure that future. These zoning overlays will make modest but important changes to bring a built-in customer base to Belmont Center by allowing some residential units. Allowing a hotel will bring people from outside Belmont to our Center, generating property taxes and contributing to our local economy.
I am also pleased that the overlays include important provisions to protect Belmont Center’s historic charm. Our current zoning does not give the town much control over the aesthetics of new construction. That’s why you see buildings like the old CVS and Bank of America buildings, which look like they could be from Anywhere, USA. By contrast, the new zoning will use a form-based code, which is a way to give the town much more control over what buildings actually look like.
Doing nothing puts Belmont Center’s long-term viability at risk. Adopting the zoning overlays will secure a vibrant future for years to come.
Erin Rowland, Golden Street