Letter To The Editor: Let’s Talk Trash; The Type You Pay To Throw

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Photo: A sample PAYT bag presented at public discussions sponsored by the Belmont Department of Public Works in June.

To the editor:

The Belmont Board of Selectmen will need to vote soon on issuing a Request for Proposals for the town’s waste contract since the current contract expires in June. It’s really important that the RFP include Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) as an option.

We’re facing a future of higher waste disposal costs over the next several years because of capacity limits on incinerators and landfills. The state has set a goal for communities to reduce waste by 30 percent by 2020, which will be challenging. Belmont also has made limited progress against its 2009 Climate Action Plan for reducing greenhouse emissions to which our trash contributes. 

We have to consider progress against these goals. Failing to do so contributes to long-term higher costs for the town. Not taking every small and reasonable step we can now also clouds our children’s’ futures and saddles them with higher costs from climate change and environmental degradation. 

Because it encourages households to reduce unnecessary waste, PAYT is part of a menu of options Belmont needs to reduce its waste costs. Reducing household waste is something we need to do as part of our efforts to promote fiscal balance. It’s also something we need to do to be responsible stewards of our environment. 

With PAYT, households will buy special trash bags for a nominal fee, $1 to $2, so that there is a cost for filling each bag and more of an incentive to recycle. It’s estimated that PAYT could reduce Belmont’s trash by as much as 25 percent, which will reduce our carbon emissions by almost 4,000 metric tons. According to the EPA, that’s the equivalent of not burning 450,000 gallons of gasoline or switching about 142,000 incandescent light bulbs to LED’s. 

Dealing with new trash options is sure to be perceived as an inconvenience for some. Let’s not forget, though, that Belmont’s Town Meeting voted to empower our selectmen to consider PAYT as an option for the next waste contract. For it to be an option, it needs to be included in the RFP for the next trash contract. Belmont’s Department of Public Works is considering an option for automated pick up of trash cans that it refers to as a PAYT/SMART option – but it won’t lead to the kind of progress we need that true PAYT will bring.

As Belmont’s selectmen consider the issuance of this RFP, they need to consider not just the immediate cost to the town – something for which PAYT should be a winner. They also need to consider the long-term costs of keeping our community sustainable, costs which economists describe as “externalities,” but ultimately with time need to be faced by everyone. PAYT can help our community reduce costs and ensure our community’s future.

Mike Crowley

Farnham Street
Town Meeting Member Precinct 8

Girl Ruggers Feted by Town For Historic State Championship

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Photo: Girls Rugby state champions with the Board of Selectmen.

It’s been three months since a group of Belmont High “ruggers” captured the historic first-ever state-sanctioned girls rugby championship in the US on a warm late spring day in Beverly.

This week, the victory was hailed officially by the town as the Board of Selectmen issued a proclamation celebrating the victory at Monday’s board meeting, Sept. 18.

Belmont High School Girls’ Head Coach Kate McCabe and a good number of the players attended the reading of the declaration by Chair Jim Williams, received a nice round of applause and got their photos taken afterward. 

Belmont High School Girls’ Head Coach Kate McCabe and captain Sara Nelson speaking before the Belmont Board of Selectmen.

de Magistristos OK’d To Open ‘Neighborhood’ Eatery In Macy’s Block

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Photo: Damian de Magistris 

It doesn’t yet have a name, but a new eatery from the Belmont family that brought upscale il Casale will be up and running in Belmont Center next year.

That’s the outcome from the Planning Board that voted to waive the town’s bylaw on restaurant parking requirements allowing the de Magistris family to open a “neighborhood restaurant” in the renovated Macy’s Block.

“We’ll start work on the space in the fall and open by spring [2018],” said Damian de Magistris to the Belmontonian after the decision made at the Planning Board’s meeting held Monday, Sept. 19.

The town’s zoning bylaw requires one parking space for every two seats in a proposed restaurant. With the new site set to hold 133 seats, the de Magistris family was required to provide 67 spaces dedicated to the new business.

After the Planning Board advised the family to come back with additional data back in July, it came to Monday’s meeting with parking statistics and two videos. 

According to Len Simons, an attorney for landlord Locatelli Properties assisting the de Magistris family with its application, there is “a lot of parking spaces available” in the parking lots in the rear of the building and on-the-street at the peak times of 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and Saturday afternoons around 12:30 p.m.

Simons also said supplemental information indicates that about 70 percent of employees will be taking public transportation to the new outlet. 

de Magistris told the board the family sees the new dining spot “a bit as a service to our community.” But requiring multiple visits before the board “are stressful for us financial” since “we want to make this work.” said de Magistris.

In the end, the Planning Board gave relief to the zoning requirements with the condition that employees understand where they can and cannot park.

Initially dubbed Roast 75 (as in 75 Leonard St. the street address), the new site would be a “new warm, inviting neighborhood restaurant,”  incorporating an inexpensive, farm-to-table concept “that you can go to every day,” said Dante de Magistris when the family first revealed its plans before the Planning Board in July. 

“It’s a nice beautiful spot there,” said de Magistris.

Shanah Tovah: Rosh Hashanah Begins At Sunset Wednesday

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Photo: Happy New Year.

It will be a blustery start to the Jewish New Year as Rosh Hashanah 5778 begins at sunset, Wednesday, Sept. 20 and lasts until Friday evening.

Rosh Hashanah – which in Hebrew translates to “head of the year” – is a time of inner renewal and divine atonement. It begins the period of the High Holidays culminating with Yom Kippur on Friday evening, Sept. 29. It is a time for observant people to acknowledge their sins of the previous year and are judged for their transgressions by God.

Meals include apples dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet new year and at least one brisket dinner. Other traditions include participating in tashlich, Hebrew for “casting off” in which people go to a nearby body of water and throw in pieces of bread, which signifies the washing away of sin.

The holiday will effect after school activity and athletic events at Belmont schools. Under current district rules, teachers should be aware of the holiday when assigning homework and tests as some students will be attending religious services. 

Facilities Director Boyle To Retire At Year’s End

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Photo: Gerald Boyle

Gerald Boyle, who was Belmont’s first-ever joint Facilities Director, announced his retirement at Monday’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting.

Boyle, who spent a 34-year career in municipal government, arrived in Belmont in September 2013 to head the town’s newly created joint facilities managers position, responsible for all municipal buildings including those under the control of the school department.

For decades, the town and the school department had separate managers which was a bone of contention for more than 20 years. A non-binding citizen’s article to consolidate the buildings and grounds into one department was approved at a Special Town Meeting in Nov. 2010.

Sports: Volleyball All Even Over The First Four Games

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Photo: Belmont Volleyball

Belmont High Volleyball is halfway to matching its total number of victories in the 2016 season as it has won two games in the four played so far.

Last week, Belmont beat Stoneham 3-1 (25-5, 23-25, 25-11, 25-14) on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Belmont came out serving strong in the first set with Leah Babroudi bringing the Marauders to 11-0 before Stoneham could side out. Another run of 9 points including 6 aces from Sophia Estok kept the ball rolling. In the second set the Spartans started passing, and with it came an effective offense that won them the set. 

The Marauders were able to adjust their play to take back control and win the last 2 sets. Katrena Daldalian played consistently aggressive all match in her hitting as well as near perfect serving, 20 for 21 with 9 aces. Outside hitters Julia Logan and Gabby Viale also contributed 8 and 3 kills respectively by hitting placement shots. 

On Friday, Sept. 15, Belmont lost to Woburn, 3-1 (25-18, 25-11, 22-25, 25-16). Estok played phenomenal defense, adjusting to hard-line hits from the outside hitters and strong right side attacks. She also led the defense with 25 digs and was also 14 for 14 serving with 2 aces. Babroudi and Daldalian contributed consistent passes on serve receive and Jane Mahon led the offense with 8 kills.

Selectmen Back Library Trustees’ Move To Create Building Committee

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Photo: Library Trustees’ Chair Kathleen Keohane (left) speaking to the Belmont Selectmen

In a significant step on the future of the Belmont Public Library, the town’s Board of Selectmen agreed Monday night, Sept. 18, to add an article in the Special Town Meeting warrant in November to create a building committee to construct a new library.

In a 3-0 vote, the selectmen backed a decision by the Belmont Board of Library Trustees made earlier to move forward with the recommendations of a 2017 feasibility study calling for a structure placed on the library’s current site on Concord Avenue.

“It is the right time for the library,” Trustees’ Chair Kathleen Keohane told the Selectmen. She said the establishment of a building committee would allow the trustees to commission a schematic design of the new structure which will enable private fundraising to begin.

The library article will include both language creating the building committee and an amount to fund the schematic drawings. It will then be brought before Town Meeting which votes on whether to support the Trustees’ vision or reject it.

“We live in a representative form of government and I think it’s time for Town Meeting to weigh in on this issue,” said Selectmen Chair Jim Williams.

Keohane said the trustees would be seeking from the town half of the estimated $300,000 needed to draw up the schematic designs, with $150,000 donated by the Belmont Public Library Foundation.

“It is a town asset so it is important that the town shows its support and share the cost,” said Keohane.

The successful petition for a building committee article comes five months after the trustees agreed to withdraw its initial article they had prepared for May Town Meeting at the request of the Selectmen and the then recently formed Major Capital Projects Working Group.

The Working Group told the Trustees it required time to analyze the town’s major capital projects – High School, Library, DPW, Police Station and Incinerator Site – in order to define a sound plan for building, sequencing and possible financing. Keohane and Selectmen Adam Dash said for the delay, a promise was agreed to between the parties to reintroduce the building committee article before the Special Town Meeting in the fall.

Keohane and Selectmen Adam Dash said for the delay, a promise was agreed to between the parties to reintroduce the building committee article before the Special Town Meeting in the fall.

Dash said while the selectmen are supporting the article, “this is not a commitment to build [the library] or even create a building committee. This just means putting it on the docket for Town Meeting to have a say.”

“We told [Town Meeting] that this is for fundraising and it’s hard to say, ‘go out there and fundraise without the tools to do that’,” said Dash, who added that by having a building committee doesn’t mean the library will “jump the line” in front of the other projects.

While supportive of the building committee, Selectman Mark Paolillo – who is the selectmen’s representative on the Major Capital Projects group – said it didn’t make sense for the trustees to move forward on the library before the Working Group has presented its plan.

“How do Town Meeting members debate an article for a building committee when they haven’t yet heard a report from the Working Group?” quired Paolillo.

But both Williams and Dash said at the November Town Meeting, the Working Group will give its report, the Town Moderator will open the meeting for debate and then move on the building committee article.

Keohane interjected, telling the selectmen “there is a clear need for us to take action.”

“As an elected official and steward of the library … we need to move forward in a methodical, purposeful way to make changes to the library,” she said.

Sold In Belmont: Another Million Dollar Sale On Pleasant Street

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Photo: A beautiful Old-Style single family near Town Field sold below list but still near seven figures.

A weekly recap of residential properties sold in the past seven days in the “Town of Homes.”

• 53-55 Alma Ave., Two-family (1916). Sold: $855,000. Listed at $879,000. Living area: 2,300 sq.-ft. 15 rooms, 5 bedrooms,2 baths. On the market: 65 days. Last sold: March 1968, $0. 

• 470 Pleasant St., Brick Tudor/Old Style (1929). Sold: $1,400,000. Listed at $1,295,000. Living area: 3,841 sq.-ft. 10 rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. On the market: 139 days. Last sold: Sept. 2003, $624,900.

• 39 Gilmore Rd., Pre-war Cape (1941). Sold: $765,000. Listed at $799,000. Living area: 1,587 sq.-ft. 7 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. On the market: 30 days. Last sold: Oct. 2006, $672,500. 

Field Hockey: Perfect Start For Sure: 4 Games, 4 Wins, 4 Shutouts

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Photo: 

After the first two weeks of the season, Belmont High Field Hockey has been, let’s say it, damn near perfect. In four games, the team is undefeated with 19 goals scored, and none conceded. That’s right; not a single ball has gotten by senior goalie Christine MacLeod.

Zero, zilch, nada.

And this from a team that lost nearly its entire back line from last year’s team and a defensive midfielder, AnnMarie Habelow, who is currently playing for Division 1 Louisville.

Not a bad start for Head Coach Jessie Smith’s squad made up of an extensive list of young role players who are jelling on the pitch right from the outset of the first game. 

Belmont will meet its stiffest challenge of the season so far on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. as the Marauders host 3-1 Lexington at Harris Field.

After a blowout of Burlington and two easier games against Stoneham and Woburn, it took Belmont nearly the entire hour to break down Wilmington’s defensive stranglehold as the Tanners placed all its field players in front of the ball when Belmont was attacking. But 

The biggest challenge was reconstructing the three defenders after losing All-Star Julia Chase (now playing at D1 UNH) and three-year varsity starter Molly Goldberg to graduation. Playing center defense is sophomore Emma Donahue who is learning to be a significant presence on the field, stepping up to take away passing lanes and intercepting balls in Belmont’s 1-0 win over a strong Wilmington squad last Monday, Sept. 11. 

Joining Donahue – who is the niece of Watertown’s coaching legend Eileen Donahue – are senior veterans Meri Power and Johnna Crowley who Smith called “a defensive wall” making “great decisions with the ball” in the Wilmington game.

Taking over in center midfield from Habelow is all-star in the making sophomore Katie Guden. Running the offensive, Guden is Smith’s “Energizer Bunny. That kid never stops.”

“She is such a force when moving the ball and her passes [are] outstanding,” said Smith. Joining Guden quarterbacking the team are senior co-captains, Bridget Gardiner and Lillie Devitt. 

“The midfield in general [is] very involved both defensively and offensively. They are critical in all transitions,” said Smith.

Belmont has not lost its scoring punch of the past two years, led by junior Jordan Lettiere who has talled six goals (including a hat-trick in the Marauders’ 5-0 at Stoneham) in three of the four games. Fellow junior Morgan Chase continues from last year being the team’s offensive juggernaut, using her stick handling skills to attack the opposition. It was her goal from an assist from Lettiere in the final three minutes of the Wilmington match.

Alexa Sabatino, the third senior co-captain, junior Hannah Power (each with two goals this season) and several more players are contributing in the opposition’s attacking zone. 

“We are nearly half way to our goal of making the playoffs, once again,” said Smith.

Selectmen Place Two On Planning Board Seen Supporting Status Quo

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Photo: The Board of Selectmen Monday.

A divided Belmont Board of Selectmen Monday added two members to the Planning Board seen as favorable to the board’s current leadership which was attacked by one selectman for exceeding its authority and fostering a ponderous permitting process. 

“You’ll be sorry,” charged Selectman Adam Dash as the board voted 2-1 to re-appoint sitting member Raffi Manjikian and while selecting Dalton Road’s Stephen Pinkerton to replace Joseph DeStefano on the five-member board at the Selectmen’s meeting held Monday night, Sept. 11.

Dash, who backed Edward “Sandy” Sanderson for the board, said the town had missed the opportunity to change the direction the Planning Board which has come under withering criticism from residents and the elected Board of Library Trustees for advocating in July a proposal to move the Belmont Public Library to Waverley Square as part of a public/private partnership to revitalize the once vibrant business hub.

Pinkerton is one of the leaders of Belmont Citizens for Responsible Zoning which led the successful campaign to restrict the building of oversized single-family dwellings in the Shaw Estate in 2015. 

Sanderson was a city planner for the City of Los Angeles and is currently an urban and transportation planner in the Boston office of a New York-based civil engineering firm.

“If you were posting this job and you got these applications … how do you not hire [Sanderson] for this job when he’s exactly perfectly qualified for this,” said Dash, adding that he would consider placing Pinkerton as an associate member “to get his feet wet” on the board.

Monday’s well-attended meeting, which set aside 15 minutes for several appointments on multiple boards, quickly became a surrogate of the ongoing dispute between the Planning Board and the Library Trustees, whose chair Kathleen Keohane and member Gail Mann attended the meeting. 

Liz Allison, Planning Board chair, was in the audience as was Manjikian with a few supporters backing her. Nearby sat Planning Board member Chuck Clark, who last week sharply denounced both Allison and Manjikian for formulating the proposal to move the library – dubbed the “Big Idea” – without informing the entire board.

Before the vote, Dash spoke at length criticising the Planning Board calling for it to take a new direction which would have begun with Sanderson elected to the board.

“I get a lot of emails from people complaining about roads and sidewalks, parking and all of those emails complaints added up don’t equal the number I get complaining about the Planning Board,” said Dash.

Dash said while keeping an open mind to the proposed library transfer when it was initially presented; Dash said his major concerned was Allison’s unwillingness to cede to overwhelming public sentiment and abandon the scheme. Rather, Dash said he could see the Planning Board presenting the “Big Idea” at a future Town Meeting even if the Library Trustees – who are elected by residents to represent the interests of the library – were opposed to it.

“I get concerned that in the face of the facts … that moving the library to Waverley Square is DOA, there’s a continued push, push, push for that,” he said.

With some major projects coming before the Planning Board shortly – a new High School, revamping general residence zoning and commercial development proposals – Dash said too much emphasis had been placed on projects that are beyond the jurisdiction of the Planning Board.

“It’s taking up a lot of time when there are a lot of things on the plate that gets kicked down the road,” he said.

Overly Bureaucratic 

Also, Dash related that many applicants who have appeared before the Planning Board had expressed their frustration at the deliberative and overly bureaucratic nature of the board’s process. Critics point to the 18 months approval process for the formerly named Cushing Village development and the recent Boston Day School site and design review in which the applicant was required to resubmit documents and undergo delays on seemingly trivial matters.

While he said some of the problems facing applicants arise from the zoning code, Dash said the level of micromanagement from the Planning Board is akin to “death by a thousand cuts.” 

“I feel bad about it because I served with [Planning Board members] and I like them. It’s not a personal thing. Just observing it and the way things are moving forward, [the Planning Board] is not working for the town,” said Dash.

“It just seems to me that it’s not going to change unless we make some changes and this is a place to start,” said Dash.

Asked by Selectmen Chair Jim Williams to speak on both Dash’s comments and who should be  Allison came to the defense of her committee noting that in the past four years all the substantial articles it presented to Town Meeting have been approved. “You can’t pass major bylaw changes … if you are that unpopular.”

The chair also said the issue that has produced “by far” the most correspondence to the Planning Board over the past three months had concerned the Day School proposal, leaving the impression the library is not registering with the greater community.

“Do we get complaints? Yes, because … it is one of the committees where you have to balance the equities,” said Allison. 

Allison told the board she was strongly in favor of reappointing Manjankian who has knowledge of environmental issues and is committed to civil and respectful processes while being able to tell people ‘no’ in respect of things people want to do.”

While not coming out in favor for the second selection, Allison did say Pinkerton had attended many planning board meeting as a zoning campaigner and would be as ready as anyone could be to step onto the board.

Clark reiterated his call for significant changes to the Planning Board. Rather than recall what he said a week earlier, Clark said it was time to “restore confidence in the Planning Board” which required a change in leadership. One avenue towards transforming the group would be not to reappoint Manjikian “because that would change the dynamics on the board and you’d have new leadership elected.”

“There is a lot of work that has to be done by the Planning Board, but we need to get past the problems of being distracted from the important issues,” said Clark, noting that the board has lost six months on moving forward on the future of Waverley Square and South Pleasant Street. 

Selectman Mark Paolillo said he would seek to change the current bylaw to expand the number of board members from five to seven to allow a greater diversity of views

“Every year we have some qualified individuals,” said Paolillo, hoping opening up the board to a higher number of residents will allow for greater diversity of thought.

But as Williams noted, an expanded planning board that would be constituted next year “doesn’t help us now.” 

In the end, Williams and Paolillo selected Manjikian and Pinkerton with the promise to have Sanderson on a short list of candidates to fill the next opening on the board.