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, in fact, a compromise plan,” said Precinct 1 Town Meeting member Peter Dizikes.
The measure passed Wednesday despite numerous comments from Town Meeting members who expressed a desire to postpone the vote in favor of more time to consider parking, traffic, and construction mitigation plans. A vote to that effect, however, failed 121-146, with three abstentions.
“I feel that a delay is basically going to bury any zoning reform for this town forever,” said Precinct 2 Town Meeting member Rosemary Burke. “We’ve been at this for so long—the Planning Board, Chris Ryan’s office, have had multiple meetings. They’ve incorporated changes; they’ve crafted form-based zoning, which will put parameters around what can be built and what it can look like.”
Previous Coverage
Town officials nixed the proposal from the spring 2025 annual Town Meeting, with hopes to place it on a special Town Meeting that summer or fall. As requests for more information rolled in, the proposal was repeatedly pushed back and eventually divided into two separate overlay districts: the Belmont Center Overlay District and the Center Gateway Overlay District, the latter of which will be considered by Town Meeting members tonight. The Gateway overlay proposes changing zoning on part of Concord Avenue to allow for, among other uses, a hotel.
While the Belmont Center Overlay District required a simple majority, the Center Gateway District requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass.
According to Planning and Building Director Chris 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, of a particular area in town.
In the case of the Belmont Center Overlay District, the new zoning allows a base building height of 2½ stories, with a maximum of 3½ 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.
Since its initial iteration, the proposal has evolved to accommodate public input collected during 30 public meetings, according to Ryan. Elements such as building height were reduced, the Claflin Lot was removed from the overlay boundary, and density bonuses were eliminated. Construction and transportation mitigation plans were developed.
According to town officials, the overall goal of the zoning change seeks to address the lack of a commercial tax base in Belmont. Planning Board Chair Thayer Donham added the overlay aims to address the need for housing for seniors and young professionals, and to ensure a vibrant downtown by encouraging development that would find uses for vacant storefronts, such as the Bank of America building.
“Our current zoning is organized around use and dimensions,” Ryan said, explaining the change from traditional zoning to form-based zoning, which gives the town more control over appearance. “If we have design and form … what you get is far more predictable.”
Several Town Meeting members, however, spoke against the article, arguing this wasn’t the type of decision that should be rushed.
“There are passionate sides on all sides of this debate,” said Precinct 8 Town Meeting member Kathleen “Fitzie” Cowing. “What I’m hearing most often from the opponents are genuine questions that have yet to be answered. … The reality is, it’s not ready.”
Concerns over traffic and parking, in particular, were raised.
Precinct 8 Town Meeting member Laura Caputo, however, argued that to improve traffic, the town needs to create options for people to live closer to where they work. Encouraging transit-oriented development, she said—noting the development proposed includes only studio and one-bedroom units— encourages this.
Ryan echoed a similar sentiment.
“We have a very transit-friendly center,” he said. “Usually what happens is these places self-sort. People tend to go and locate there because … transit is available. … Over time, you do see these centers having people, families, individuals that have [fewer] cars, and use other forms of transportation.”
Many who spoke in favor argued the town needed to be proactive—particularly in response to change happening in communities around Belmont, including Cambridge—and that the proposed overlay demonstrated an investment in the community.
“I think we’re missing the point here if we think change is in our control, in the sense that we are a part of a system and change has already happened all around us,” said Precinct 6 Town Meeting member Marcie Hirsch.
Town Meeting plans to discuss Article 3, which seeks to create zoning for hospitality uses, tonight at the Chenery Upper Elementary School. The hybrid meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
