I am writing to urge residents to study the Belmont Center Zoning Overlay Proposal very carefully. On March 4, Town Meeting members will vote on whether to support or oppose the proposal.
Unfortunately, the Select Board has failed to reach a consensus among residents regarding the proposal. Supporters are in lockstep with the Select Board yet unwilling to engage in a forum or debate on the merits of the plan. They point to the vacancies in the Center as “not a good sign.” Yet they fail to acknowledge that the town has absolutely no control over the rents charged.
They claim that the changes to the center will be “modest” and “will strengthen our strained local budget.” Parents are being told that support of the overlay will bring additional property tax relief and more funding for schools.
While our Warrant Committee is developing a fiscal analysis of the zoning overlay, such promises have yet to be shown.
Business owners and abutters alike continue to express their fears of the outcome of the zoning changes, should they be approved. Many business owners believe they would have to shut down. To date, the Select Board’s only response to the parking and traffic obstacles inherent in this plan is to say, “It is a transit-oriented plan.” The potential for 500 new rental units and 1,200 new employees in this one-block area should be reconsidered. Traffic and parking study reports are vague and require additional analysis.
The Overlay zoning proposal appears to be rushed. It is not too late for the Select Board to take a step back and dismiss the zoning articles to a fall Town Meeting. By delaying a vote in March, we can come together as a community in support of a more reasonable, scaled-down zoning plan. Change is coming. Change can be welcomed but only when residents understand the full impact of the significant changes proposed.
Peg Callanan, Sargent Road