The Select Board’s failure to replace the hideous above-ground transformer at 109 Leonard St., 1.5 years after approving an underground solution on Oct. 23, 2023, is outrageous. This isn’t just incompetence—it’s a betrayal of Belmont Center businesses, who demand an underground transformer to preserve our commercial hub’s appeal.
The Belmont Voice (Nov. 15, 2024) cited Belmont Light’s failure to secure bids for custom transformers, blaming supply chain issues. Yet, 2025 industry reports show eased transformer shortages. Why no new Request for Proposals? Cambridge and Arlington have recently installed underground transformers—why not Belmont? This is a Belmont failure, not a Massachusetts one. The board’s silence since 2023 to address this issue and provide an update to the public is indefensible.
The community demands action. I call on the Select Board to:
- Demand an update from Belmont Light’s Craig Spinale on transformer procurement barriers
- Authorize a new RFP now, using improved supply chains to attract vendors
- Set a firm timeline for underground installation, with public updates
- Study other Massachusetts towns’ best practices to speed this up
Not taking these critical steps and allowing the status quo to continue is frankly absurd. Belmont Center businesses and our entire town deserve better.
Paul Joy, Harvard Road