Kevin Sullivan
Article 5: Specialized Energy Code
Majority vote required for passage
• This was approved by a 204-33 vote with 4 abstentions
In the final of three nights of Special Town Meeting, members voted to move Belmont toward a future where new buildings are fully electrified, reducing the town’s reliance on fossil fuels.
By approving Article 5, Belmont will replace its current “stretch energy code” with a “specialized energy code.”
Twenty-six other towns have already adopted the specialized code, which aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions in future residential and commercial buildings. This code applies to new construction, according to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, better known as DOER.
Bob McLaughlin (Precinct 2), who is a member of the Warrant Committee, opposed the vote, saying he worries that this measure could worsen the housing crisis, while failing to have a significant impact on the environment.
“I think if one jet plane flies over Belmont, it will spew more carbon into the atmosphere than this bylaw will save us in a decade,” he said.
Several residents asked whether Belmont’s electric grid could handle the extra load. But Craig Spinale, General Manager of Belmont Light, put those concerns to rest.
“Belmont Light could handle the load growth of an all electric system,” he said.
While several people spoke out against the measure, a large majority voted to approve the new code, with Jack Weis (Precinct 2), representing the opinion that Belmont must do its part to reduce greenhouse gasses.
“We’re talking about a bylaw that’s going to impact new construction. It’s not going to be a huge impact. It’s not going to be a huge fix. But it’s a small step and I think we have the obligation to take small steps … to address a generational problem,” he said.
The specialized energy code was designed to create net-zero buildings all over Massachusetts. New buildings are still allowed to use fossil fuels, including gas and propane, but they must be pre-wired, so they can use solar panels and become all-electric in the future, according to DOER.
The specialized code takes effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Article 9: Home Rule Legislation on Golf Course Tax Breaks
Majority vote required to pass the motion
• This was approved by a 229-3 vote with 1 abstention
Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly last night to take measures to end a decades-old tax break for the Belmont Country Club.
Belmont resident Max Colice’s citizen petition was passed, requiring the Select Board to file Home Rule legislation to override provisions of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 61B. The state program gives tax breaks to land classified as agricultural, horticultural or recreational.
In Belmont, this has given the Belmont Country Club a nearly $368,000 break in its property tax bill.
The Boston Globe found about 100 golf courses in Massachusetts are currently taking advantage of this tax break.
Select Board Vice Chair Elizabeth Dionne said last night that she’s been concerned about the golf club’s place in Belmont’s economic and environmental future since she moved to town.
“Belmont simply cannot afford to host a golf club that doesn’t pay its fair share of taxes,” she said.
Dionne voiced concerns that the country club and other large land owners in West Belmont have the right to sell off parts of their property, resulting in “semi-rural McMansions.”
She teased that the town will take a deeper look at zoning in West Belmont over the coming months.
