Town Charts Next Steps Following Overlay Votes

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 Thayer Donham said to the Select Board Monday night.

According to Ryan, zoning overlays offer a second set of options for property owners that go beyond what is permitted based on the basic, or underlying zoning, in a particular area in town.

In the case of the Belmont Center Overlay District, the new zoning allows a base building height of 2 ½ stories, with a maximum of 3 ½ stories on the northwest side of Leonard Street, according to planning documents. On the southeast side, which includes CVS and The Toy Shop, the change would allow buildings with a base of 3 stories, with a maximum of 4 stories. A portion of Claflin Street and Concord Avenue will allow for a maximum of 5 stories.

The passage of the Gateway Center Overlay District, meanwhile, means three parcels along Concord Avenue, 365, 375 and 385, can be redeveloped as a hotel up to five stories with 150 rooms. During his presentation to Town Meeting last week, Ryan said the new zoning allows for a building up to 55 feet tall, about four feet shorter than Belmont High School.

“This is a good plan. I really hope to see some investment in Belmont Center,” said Select Board member Elizabeth Dionne. “This is literally the foundation for what we’re going to be doing in Belmont for years to come. A huge village worked on this to get it across the line.”

With the passage of both overlays, the town can begin accepting project applications Nov. 1, 2026. Ryan said closer to that date, the likely place to begin advertising the new zoning will be the 12 developers he consulted as part of a roundtable discussion last year. The changes may also be posted on town pages, including social media, to generate interest.

In the meantime, planning officials are fine-tuning subsequent zoning bylaw changes to address construction management concerns raised during the overlay conversations and to refine the existing design and site plan review process.

Originally, the two bylaws were combined, resulting in a 100-page document planning officials felt was too dense. The two overlays were ultimately separated, and the design and site plan review section was removed from the documents with the goal of bringing a revised design and site plan review section—- applicable to both overlays as well as town-wide — to annual Town Meeting this spring.

According to Ryan, the revised section adds additional thresholds for developers to meet. Presently, only one threshold is required – either the developers do a site plan review process, or they do not. The proposed revision creates four levels of site plan review based on project type and size. Each application would come with a different set of requirements, he said. Smaller projects may not even require Planning Board attention, whereas larger projects may require more materials to be submitted, including a pre-application.

Another section that will be considered by Town Meeting in May is a new construction management section. Again, this would be applicable to both overlays, but also the town as a whole.

“A lot of the merchants and other people in town were concerned about disruption by construction projects in the center,” Ryan said.

In Section 5.5, construction management will outline parking and staging limitations, worker carpooling, temporary traffic management, and equipment placement. The section also explains the role of a town liaison for business interface. And finally, applicants will be required to submit phased development plans, which would include the concept of full buildout, as well as a breakdown of the proposed phases of construction.

Ryan said staff and town counsel are finalizing bylaw proposals, with the goal to have versions ready for the Planning Board to begin reviewing for its first meeting in April. A public hearing process will follow.

In a later Town Meeting, possibly this fall, the town will present a transportation demand management plan, which would include provisions intended to reduce the use of private vehicles by encouraging transit use and encouraging pedestrian use.

Mary Byrne

Mary Byrne

Mary Byrne is a member of The Belmont Voice staff. Mary can be contacted at mbyrne@belmontvoice.org.