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Zoning & Planning

Town Charts Next Steps Following Overlay Votes

March 16, 2026
According to planning officials, the next steps are already underway for ensuring the future success of two new overlay districts voted on by Town Meeting earlier this month. “We’re grateful to Town Meeting and all the residents who participated,” Planning Board Chair…

Zoning for Hotels Receives Town Meeting Approval

March 6, 2026
Town Meeting members voted Thursday night to approve the Center Gateway Overlay District, creating the chance a hotel may be built on Concord Avenue. The vote was 196-52 with six abstentions. Because the Gateway District Overlay did not have a residential requirement,…

Town Meeting Approves Belmont Center Overlay District

March 5, 2026
After a lengthy and contentious debate Wednesday night, Town Meeting ultimately approved the Belmont Center Overlay District, 165-87, with 10 abstentions. With its passage, the town can begin accepting project applications Nov. 1, 2026. “I think it’s an excellent plan which… is,…
A street scene in summer

Overlay Votes on Deck at Town Meeting

February 27, 2026
The highly anticipated votes on the Belmont Center Overlay are just days away. There are two overlay proposals on the warrant for the special Town Meeting, which begins March 4. Article 2 would shift zoning along Leonard Street, and Article 3 would…

Harvard Presents Brighton Street Overlay Findings

December 12, 2025
With one proposed overlay underway, town officials are beginning to turn their attention to the next step in their plan to increase Belmont’s commercial tax base — the Brighton Street corridor –– where town officials are looking to implement a zoning overlay.…
Downtown on a winter afternoon.

Select Board Accepts Financial Disclosures in Overlay Discussion

November 6, 2025
With conversations on the Belmont Center Overlay moving forward, the Select Board has accepted two financial disclosures from members of the Planning Board—both out of an “abundance of caution,” according to Select Board Chair Matt Taylor. The disclosures for Rui “Renee” Guo…

Belmont Center Overlay Faces Traffic, Parking Scrutiny

October 28, 2025
Two long-awaited studies for parking and traffic, as they relate to the Belmont Center Overlay Project, are officially in the town’s hands. “We’re looking for constructive comments on how we can make the zoning better, and I know it’s a tricky topic,…
Downtown on a winter afternoon.

Town Meeting to Consider Local Option Room Tax

October 14, 2025
Though the Belmont Center overlay itself won’t be on the special Town Meeting warrant in October, one article will address the potential addition of hotels as an authorized use in the overlay district. Specifically, the article on the warrant—signed by the Select…
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