Skanska USA Selected To Construct Belmont’s New Skating Rink

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Photo: Image of the new Belmont Municipal Skating Rink to be constructed by Skanska USA (credit: Galante Architectural Studio)

A familiar face along Belmont’s Concord Avenue will be sticking around for a bit longer.

On a 7-2 vote, with two members staying on the sidelines, the Municipal Skating Rink Building Committee selected the Boston office of Skanska USA to enter into contract talks to build a new $29.9 million ice skating rink and community center adjacent to Harris Field on Concord Avenue.

Ted Galante of Galante Architecture Studio in Cambridge designed the 40,300 sq. ft. structure scheduled to open in late 2025.

Skanska was chosen in 2018 as construction manager for the $295 million Belmont Middle and High School facility, which is nearing completion for the school year opening in September. As the Middle and High School Building Committee Chair Bill Lovallo told a town meeting in May, the project is being completed “on time and on budget.”

While all the committee members proclaimed that the two finalists – Skanska and Consigli Construction of Milford – could do the job, the majority came down on the side of the large international construction firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

“I read the correspondence over the best as I could, and I feel just as strong as I felt before that Skanska has the upper hand on the project,” said Committee member Dante Muzzioli, pointing to additional information requested of the finalists.

“They are the best to get to [the completion] date,” said committee member Frank French, Jr.

The two members favoring Consigli highlighted the Massachusetts company’s slight price estimate advantage and its direct one-page plan “how do we get to ice” according to William Shea. Skanska’s past relationship with the surrounding neighborhood (not the best) and a lack of diversity on its proposed team were negatives for Ann Marie Mahoney.

But for the majority of the members, Skanska has the “institutional knowledge” of working for the past five years in town as well as the ability to obtain material and necessary equipment for the running of the building in a time when backlogs continue. The company also has a permit with the MBTA to work adjacent to the authority’s commuter rail tracks.

Skanska is also familiar with building rinks, constructing the facility at Deerfield Academy, a multipurpose arena with an ice surface in Clarksville, Tenn., and several sites in Europe and Russia.

Town To Begin Laying Out Critical Fiscal ’25 Budget(s) With September Public Forum

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Photo: The budgets for fiscal ’24 for the town and schools will get underway with a public forum in mid-September

The budget process for fiscal 2025 will kick off with a town-wide public forum in mid-September which Town Administrator Patrice Garvin announced would be a prelude “to start talking about the needs of the town, the fiscal constraints, [and] the budget deficit.”

“[It’s a] start to explain to the community what the deficit is, why we’re looking for an override, and hopefully have give-and-take questions and some participation from the public,” said Garvin, noting the Select Board will be presenting a Proposition 2 1/2 override early in the New Year on the town elect ballot in April 2024 to meet the town and school’s needs in the coming fiscal year.

“It’s the start of the education [of the public],” she told the board. Garvin is aiming at an ambitious New Year’s deadline for two budgets, which is nearly two months before a drop dead date for the board to submit an override amount to be on the town election ballot.

Earlier in July, Garvin met with the chairs of the Warrant Committee – Town Meeting’s financial watchdog – Select Board, School Committee, the new School Superintendent Jill Geiser, Town Moderator Mike Widmer, and the town’s finance team to begin formulating a timeline for Belmont’s fiscal year 2025 budgets.

“It was really an opportunity to have some brainstorming and some ideas of how to … inform the public what we’re going to need for [deliverables] from the schools and the town,” Garvin said in July’s gathering.

The upcoming budget process – led by the town’s financial director and assistant Town Administrator Jennifer Hewitt – will produce a pair of budgets for fiscal 2025; one assuming a successful override and the other if the measure fails.

Garvin and her team is creating a budget timeline that includes setting and meeting goals. Pushing for a successful override vote, “so it’s really critical that a lot of work on the budget is done by the end of the calendar year,” said Garvin.

Yet according to Garvin, the critical line item of unrestricted funds – free cash – is not expected to be certified by the state’s Bureau of Accounts until late October due to issues within the town’s Treasurer Department.

“And without a certified number, you can’t come to a conclusion about the size of the override level,” said Board Chair Roy Epstein.

State Rep Dave Rogers’ Office Hours In Belmont For August

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Photo: State Rep Dave Rogers (right) with State Sen. Will Brownsberger

State Rep. Dave Rogers has announced his August office hours in Belmont.

Let’s Have Coffee And A Chat With The New School Supers: Jill Geiser and Lucia Sullivan

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Photo: (from left) Belmont School District’s new superintendents: Jill Geiser and assistant Lucia Sullivan

The Belmont School District invites residents for a coffee and conversation with its new superintendents: Jill Geiser and Assistant Lucia Sullivan.

You can attend the meet and greet in person at the School Administration Building, 644 Pleasant St. on the following days and times:

  • Wednesday, Aug. 9: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Friday, Aug. 11: 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
  • Thursday, Sept. 14: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Light refreshments will be served!

Virtual Meeting Zoom: Click here to Join

  • Tuesday, Sept. 26: Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Please RSVP for Planning Purposes: Meet & Greet RSVP

More meeting opportunities with Jill and Lucia to come.

Belmont’s Purple Heart Observation At Vets Memorial, Monday, Aug. 7

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Photo: A detail of the poster of the Purple Heart Day Observation on Aug. 7

At 7 p.m. on Monday, August 7, the Belmont Veterans Memorial Committee will host the National Purple Heart Day Observations at the Belmont Veterans Memorial on Claypit Pond at the corner of Concord Avenue and Underwood Street.

Belmont residents, veterans, and their family members, particularly those who are Purple Heart recipients, are invited to attend this special event. 

The event commemorates the date of General George Washington’s commissioning of the first Purple Heart Medal during the Revolutionary War and honors recipients of the medal. 

The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the United States armed forces who an enemy wounds and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or die of wounds received in action.

Town Sets Up Cooling Centers During Current Heat Wave, Thursday Through Saturday

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Photo: It’s gonna be like down south for the next three days

Beat the heat at a pair of Belmont Cooling Center this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; July 27-29.

Due to the upcoming period of high heat and humidity, the Beech Street Center at 266 Beech St. and the Belmont Public Library at 336 Concord Ave. will be open as cooling centers.

The hours will be as follows:

  • Beech Street Center: Thursday, July 27: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday, July 28: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Belmont Public Library: Thursday, July 27: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.,  Friday, July 28: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, July 29: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The town encourages everyone to stay cool and hydrated, and check on elderly friends and neighbors who, along with others, may need help during this period of high heat and humidity.

Board OKs Underwood ‘Ditch’ As New Library’s Staging Area After Dusting Off An Old Deed

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Photo:

It would seem to be a simple ask by the Board of Library Trustees of the town at the Select Board meeting on June 17: allow the 33,000 sq. ft. sunken area between Concord Avenue and the Underwood Pool to be used as the staging area for the new Belmont Public Library construction.

The “ditch” – now referred to as the “Golden Bowl” by some – is town land, and the board expressed support for the plan to allow parking and temporary storage at the site to assist with building the $39.5 million facility beginning in November.

But first, town officials needed to trip into the Town Hall’s former lock-up. The one-time jail is today where the Town Clerk stores essential historical documents. And it was where Town Administrator Patrice Garvin rummaged through looking for a century-old deed.

“We found it in the vault,” said Garvin.

In 1911, the site was part of a large swath of land running from School Street to Concord Avenue that was deeded to the town by one of Belmont’s wealthiest citizens, Henry O. Underwood of deviled food fame, in exchange for a parcel of town-owned adjacent to his residence on School Street.

The deed stated the land would be restricted for recreational use. Part of the agreement was that he would build a playground – the Underwood playground on the hill next to the pool – a bathhouse and the first public outdoor swimming pool in the United States opened in 1912.

Finding the document was critical to determine if the site could be used for this new use, said Garvin, as the deed came with a series of restrictions on how the land could be used. As most residents know, the rectangular area is flooded during the winter and becomes a place for skating and playing hockey (although, in recent years, that activity has been limited to a few days due to warmer-than-usual winters).

When the Trustees first came to the town with the request, the town contacted Town Counsel George Hall, “and that’s when we happened to find the original file,” said Garvin. One of the file documents is a ruling by the town’s attorney from 1962 “that the property in front of the pool as the Select Board deems.”

“I showed this document George Hall … and on a temporary basis, given this opinion, it would be [an appropriate use],” said Garvin, who asked the board to make their approval contingent that the town continues to have direct access to the culvert that runs behind the library before heading underground along the pool, under Concord Avenue before emptying into Clay Pit Pond on the Middle and High School campus.

Tom Gatzunis of CHA, the library’s project manager, said the “Golden Bowl” will be used from the winter of 2024 to the early summer of 2025 during the construction phase. Gatzunis said the library’s current main parking lot would become the “laydown” area while the “bowl” would be used primarily for contractor parking and the contractor trailers. The ground – which is somewhat swampy during most of the year – would have a gravel and stones-base spread over the site. Gatzunis said it would be up to the town if it would want to keep the gravel/stone floor or have it reverted to the “muddy” ground.

Gatzunis said about 60 vehicles are expected to visit the site each day. He also revealed that the site would likely be the parking site for construction workers of the new Belmont Skating Rink that is being constructed across Concord Avenue at the same time as the library.

Town Seeks Volunteers To Fill Spots On Boards, Committees, and Commissions

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Photo: The portal for volunteers to fill board and committee positions

The annual appointment process for residents who want to be part of Belmont town governance is underway.

“We are always looking for more volunteers to serve on committees,” said Select Board Chair Roy Epstein at a recent meeting.

Here is just a partial list of boards, committees, and commissions where there are openings:

  • Zoning Board of Appeals
  • Community Path Project Committee
  • Youth Commission
  • Transportation Advisory Committee
  • Diversity Equity and Inclusion Implementation Committee
  • Historic District Commission
  • Human Rights Commission
  • Planning Board
  • Recreation Commission
  • Shade Tree Committee
  • Council on Aging, and more.

“There is a wide range of skills, backgrounds, and desire to serve in some combination, making effective committee members,” said Epstein. “So if you’re all interested in helping your town and, actually, having what’s for many people is a very rewarding experience, go to the volunteer portal on the town’s website and volunteer for committees. We’d be happy to consider you,” said Epstein.

Belmont’s First Town-Wide Yard Sale Set For Sept. 23

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Photo: Belmlont Town-wide Yard Sale ready for the first weekend of the fall

The Belmont Public Library, the Council on Aging, and the Recreation Department are hosting what they hope is an annual Town-wide Yard Sale.

The event is scheduled for the first Saturday of fall, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (the rain date will be Sept. 30). Households will register online at BelmontRec.com; the cost is $15 per house address. A map will then be produced with every location of a participating household.

What is a Town-wide Yard Sale? Think of it as Porchfest, but instead of musicians at locations across town, you’ll clean out your garage and basements and sell the contents on a specific day with everyone else in the community. Belmont will join municipalities across Massachusetts and the country hosting these tag sales, including Watertown, Burlington, Wellesley, North Reading, and Wilmington.

“This will be an event focused on the recycling of goods, community fellowship, and highlighting of the local business community,” Peter Struzziero, Belmont Public Library director, told the board. He also said, coincidently, the library will be holding its annual book sale that weekend.

Fall Special Town Meeting Likely A Multi-Night Affair, ‘They Know What They Signed Up For’

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Photo: The Belmont Select Board

The first week in November is when the leaves in Belmont start to fall, the high school teams head into the playoffs, the sweaters come out of the armoire, and people begin preparing for Thanksgiving.

No one envisions spending countless autumn (late) nights in endless debates with 300 of your fellow residents at the fall Special Town Meeting. As the number of possible articles piles up and at least two – if not more – citizen’s petitions are making their way to the Town Clerk’s office by mid-September when the meeting warrant will be open.

But don’t go moaning to the newest member of the Select Board about this fall’s ever growing Special Town Meeting agenda. All you’ll get from Elizabeth Dionne is some tough love.

“They know what they signed up for,” Dionne said as the board discussed the articles to be presented over several November nights at the Belmont Middle and High School auditorium. “I think they care that we address pressing issues” which the board grudgingly agreed will take up three nights.

“These are substantive articles … and I support conducting substantive business [at this meeting].” said Board Member Mark Paolillo.

The 2023 Special Town Meeting’s tentative start date will be Nov. 6.

A draft list of warrant articles includes:

  • Transfer the undesignated fund balance (free cash) to the general stabilization fund and transfer new FY ’24 revenue to the generalization stabilization fund.
  • Pay the prior year’s bills
  • Current year supplemental budget for operating, capital, and Community Preservation Act
  • Removal of Civil Service for Belmont Police personnel
  • Change the Board of Assessors from an elected board to an appointed one
  • Amend Zoning Bylaw: Hotels as a permissible use
  • Amend Zoning Bylaw: business signage
  • Amend Zoning Bylaw: restaurants
  • Replace the general bylaw codifying the stretch code for construction with a Specialized Energy Code.

The citizens petitions include a home rule petition to the Massachusetts legislature that Belmont be exempted from Massachusetts General Law 61B regarding golf courses and specifically the 75 percent tax break course are granted. There is another that town officials have heard about which could also be related to zoning.

While the current number of articles, several such as Civil Service and rewriting zoning bylaws could, on their own, easily take several hours or a single night to debate and vote on, both the board, town and Town Moderator Mike Widmer would like to see a good number of them held off until the annual Town Meeting in either April or May 2024. One of those articles included removing Belmont Police from the state’s civil service law. A similar article during a special Town Meeting in September 2020 was withdrawn before it came to a vote.

A Special Civil Service Debate

Despite the heavy lifting expected to pass civil service reform, Board Member Mark Paolillo would like to schedule a public forum on civil service with the Belmont Police Chief James McIsaac and the town’s labor attorney in September. If there appears support for the measure, “we’ll move forward with it” in November.

“I’m just thinking how busy the spring [Town Meeting] will be, that would be a good step forward,” said Paolillo.

Patrice Garvin, Belmont Town Administrator, said the Vision 21 Committee will put its efforts into rewording the restaurant bylaw with the assistance of a town consultant for the November meeting, while the Planning Board said it will work on revamping the signage bylaw for the fall meeting “it’s not the highest or best use of their time,” said Dionne who spoke with the new Planning Board Chair Jeff Birenbaum. Roy Epstein, the board chair, said he can see a new sign bylaw before the special if the Planning Board is assisted by the bylaw consultant.

As for a new hotel bylaw, which would make those structures a permissible use in Belmont, Dionne said it would best for that measure to come before the annual town meeting. “We can’t afford that one to fail,” she said, referring to the multiple revenue sources it provides. Supporters will need time to “educate and advocate” on the benefits and disspell stereotypes the last time a small hotel came before the Planning Board in 2016.

“There were some arguments that I thought were ridiculous and specious made against hotels last time, but they will absolutely come back again” including attracting drug use and sex workers to the Town of Homes.

Along with the hotel bylaw, being shuffled off to the annual Town Meeting will be changing the Board of Assessors to an appointed committee. While there is no great public or town urgency to implement a Specialized Energy Code, the board agreed at the 2023 annual Town Meeting to bring the bylaw change before the meeting in the fall.

But Dionne is eager to get as many of the zoning and administrative changes done as soon as possible.

“Rome is burning,” said Dionne, speaking of the town’s chronic fiscal deficit that will require a multi-million dollar override vote in April 2024.

“So we are in for three nights,” said Paolillo. “Maybe four.”

“Really, really, really late the third night,” added Dionne.