I’ve lived in Belmont since 1977, and I’ve frequently seen folks resist change – over libraries, alcohol licenses, and more. The rationale has always been the same: it would “change the character” of the town and “jeopardize what we have.” Yet if these changes have altered the character of the town, they’ve done so for the better. The much-feared alcoholic beverage licenses mean we actually have places to eat good food and enjoy a glass of wine, while also increasing revenue from meals tax. Letting go of the old library has yielded a wonderful learning space–unquestionably a better community benefit than the old building ever could have been. Often, the objection has been not to the principle, but to a process that was not “how I would do it.”
The process to update the proposed Belmont Center Overlay Zoning has entailed many steps and isn’t happening hastily. Concerns, not wholly without merit, don’t outweigh the benefits of shifting our mindset and readiness for thoughtful development. Will it yield huge financial gains? Not immediately, but in the long term, this new approach will likely have a significant, positive impact (in housing, at least), and should improve our reputation as a town whose zoning historically has been an impediment to attracting new business. Will Belmont Center, someday, look different? Surely! Having worked in a store in Belmont Center for 15 years, do I know that it needs a huge boost in foot traffic for businesses to survive and thrive? Absolutely. I’m an “old timer” who is eager to support what Belmont can and will be, hoping that some of my fellow long-time residents will join me. Even if it’s not how we might have done it ourselves, it’s still very much worth doing.
Rachel Hirsch, School Street