Town officials have withdrawn the proposed Belmont Center overlay from the October special Town Meeting warrant and will instead present it at a special Town Meeting scheduled for winter 2026.
“This decision is primarily due to the delayed completion of the parking analysis, along with the need for a more thorough review of the By-Law by Town Counsel,” reads an email sent to Town Meeting members from the town. “Both are essential to ensure that Town Meeting Members have the most accurate and complete information available for consideration.”
The proposed overlay, which allows for increased building heights on Leonard Street with plans for mixed-use development, stems from a 2008 report, “A Planning Vision for Belmont Center,” which recommended the overlay.
According to Director of Planning & Building Chris Ryan, the proposed zoning allows for a base building height of 2 ½ stories, with a maximum of 3 ½ stories (through density bonuses) on the northwest side of Leonard Street. On the southeast side of Leonard Street, which includes shops such as CVS and The Toy Shop, buildings would be zoned for a base of 3 stories, with a 4-story maximum. Town planners will use form-based zoning when creating the overlay, which provides guidelines on the physical design of any new development.
Previous Coverage
The overlay was initially expected to be considered by Town Meeting in April, but was eventually delayed to the special Town Meeting on Oct. 20 in favor of more data collection. The article has once been pushed back and is expected to be considered on a warrant in February or March of next year.
Last week, the Select Board continued the information-gathering process by authorizing the $11,000 cost of expanding an ongoing traffic impact study.
According to Town Administrator Patrice Garvin, the current study aims to assess the current traffic volume as it passes through the center. In a letter to the town, the consultant, BSC Group, wrote that to date, it has collected traffic volume data in May 2025, performed trip generation calculations for potential future development, and created an initial traffic signal layout for the intersections related to the railroad bridge. This study is being completed as part of the MassDOT Local Bottleneck Program.
“We were going to use that as a way to explain the traffic impact,” Garvin said. “The engineers have determined most of that volume is cut-through [traffic], but given the amount of interest and need to really see an impact, I think Chris [Ryan] needed to see something more formal in terms of what half buildout would look like.”
According to the consultant’s proposed scope of work, the expanded study will include a traffic analysis for the intersections at Concord Avenue and Leonard Street at Channing Road, as well as Concord Avenue at Common Street. Traffic volumes collected in May 2025 will be used as a baseline to develop traffic volumes for a 2032 no-build scenario and a 2032 half-build scenario.
The cost of the traffic study brings the total cost of the proposed Belmont Center overlay to $77,000, according to Garvin. Included in that total is $47,000 for consulting services and $19,000 for a parking study.
The authorization last week followed a brief debate between board members on the merits of spending more money on a new study of Belmont Center traffic. Vice Chair Taylor Yates noted there are already traffic studies that could provide the same insight as one with fresh data.
“The challenge I have with this particular issue is that the only way to reduce traffic in Belmont is to pick it up and move it to Acton,” said Yates. “We’re next to Cambridge; we’re next to Watertown. Google Maps and Waze take people through town to get to work. We know that traffic is bad during rush hour because of cut-through traffic. I do think people need to be mindful of the fact that these studies are really expensive.”
Still, acknowledged there has been a request from the community for fresh data, a sentiment shared by Board member Elizabeth Dionne.
“I don’t think traffic is as bad as people are claiming it is or will be,” she said. “But at the same time, if we want to meet the threshold from Town Meeting, this is something I’m hearing from reasonable, persuadable people that this is something they want.”
