On Saturday, Jan. 17, I joined the community at the opening of the new library, a testament to what residents can do when we say yes.
In March, Town Meeting will have another opportunity to say yes and change Belmont for the better when they evaluate the Belmont Center and Gateway zoning overlays. These proposed overlays, shaped by extensive community input, can leave a similar legacy that will help meet the needs of the future.
Since I joined Town Meeting more than 20 years ago, and since I joined the Planning Board in 2017, there have been several consistent themes in town government. First, concern about how to maintain the viability of our small town centers, particularly Belmont Center. Second, the financial challenges faced as a town that has very little commercial tax revenue, because it is zoned primarily for residential use.
Longtime residents know that Belmont Center used to be more vibrant. Over the years, we have lost anchor stores like Macy’s and many other beloved smaller businesses have closed recently, such as Trinktisch and the Craft Beer Cellar, CambridgeWear, Didrik’s, Shine’s, and others. Redevelopment of the Bank of America building is hampered by its current zoning.
The Belmont Center overlay is designed to bring more foot traffic and customers to local businesses by allowing the addition of some residential units on Leonard Street and help the town incrementally add to its commercial tax revenues by requiring a second floor of commercial space. These changes are modest – the maximum height allowed on Leonard Street would be just 3 ½ stories on the side with Chocolate Dream and four stories on the side with Belmont Books
Meanwhile, the Gateway overlay would allow five stories for commercial use on a small portion of Concord Avenue, and allow hotels. Hotels are unusually profitable for municipalities, because they pay commercial property taxes plus a local-option hotel tax, and if they have a restaurant, meal and alcohol taxes. Hotels are not the only use allowed in the Gateway overlay district. Five-story commercial buildings are another option, should a property owner wish to redevelop their property.
I worked on the Vision Plan for Belmont Center in 2007 and 2008 with a great team of volunteers, and that document formed the basis for our current proposal. The overlays have benefited from thorough vetting and reflect the copious amount of public input received. The town has run more than a dozen financial analyses, and in every one, the overlays are a financial win, providing between $300,000 annually (in a conservative scenario) to $2 million annually (in a more optimistic scenario). At the same time, the Planning Board has held more than 30 meetings, hearings, and public listening sessions and has incorporated many suggestions from the public. The recent parking study found that our parking resources are adequate, and the traffic study found that the morning commute would not be impacted, while a 15-second delay could be added to the afternoon commute.
In the absence of change, Belmont Center and the town will continue to struggle. But if Town Meeting members say yes, we can leave a positive legacy that will last for many years to come.
Thayer Donham