The BCOD and the GCOD are key steps in setting the town up for a more financially stable future. They are not THE answer – there is no one magic silver bullet that will solve our fiscal struggles — but they represent an incremental step that is vital for setting Belmont on a path to increased fiscal stability.
The Planning staff, Planning Board, and consultants, with robust public input, spent many hours working and re-working the zoning to arrive at the proposed overlay by-laws. Heights were reduced, district borders were changed, uses were amended. Further, the proposed zoning uses form-based code, which ensures that any new development will respect the existing character of Belmont Center.
Belmont Center is a vital hub for our town, serving as one of the Town’s focal points for local businesses, transit, and community life. The Belmont Center Overlay District represents a thoughtful and balanced approach to strengthening this area by encouraging development that combines housing, retail, and commercial uses in a walkable, transit-oriented setting.
Creating zoning that clearly signals to the business community that Belmont is welcoming, while also allowing additional housing in those same districts to provide nearby customers and convenient options for employees, represents a practical and thoughtful approach. The Gateway Center Overlay District is well suited for a hotel as well as a range of other commercial uses. Taken together, these two Overlay Districts will help support local businesses, expand housing opportunities, and strengthen Belmont Center as a vibrant and accessible destination for residents and visitors alike.
Moreover, as has been noted by a number of planning professionals, Belmont’s current zoning by-laws are outdated and would benefit from careful, incremental modernization. The Town’s Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (ComPAC) is working on creating a new Comprehensive Plan, and these overlay districts can serve as practical examples to help inform some of this work and to lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive zoning update in the future.
Again, I encourage all Town Meeting members to join me in voting “yes” in support of both the Belmont Center Overlay District and the Gateway Center Overlay District. They open the town to the possibility of the kind of development we could all benefit from.
Alisa Gardner-Todreas, Chenery Terrace