Grove Street Playground Ready to be Redressed

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It’s been sized and appraised. Now, how should the Grove Street Playground be dressed?

This month, the town will formalize a contract for a landscape architecture firm – familiar with Belmont – to begin the  creation a master plan for the 10-acre site on the Cambridge-townline used by numerous youth sports groups, residents and neighbors.

David Kale, Belmont’s town administrator, told the Belmont Board of Selectmen at its Monday, Jan 5 meeting the town was finalizing a contract with Dedham-based Activitas Inc. to create a master plan for the playground.

Currently, the playground is one of the most used in the town. With three dedicated ball fields, Grove Street is the base for youth baseball in Belmont. The soccer field in the lower section is used from early spring to late fall by Belmont Youth Soccer. In addition, the park has four tennis courts, a basketball court (used as a backdrop for a political ad by Maura Healey, the incoming state Attorney General) and a new playground. After any significant snow fall, the playground becomes a place many smaller children first learn to sled.

Yet the evolution of the playground from an open space to a location for many athletic facilities was completed with little planning. Responding to the concerns of residents and neighbors, the Capital Budget Committee submitted in June for Town Meeting approval $30,000 toward the creation of a comprehensive plan to determine if there are efficiencies in land use.

During the fall, a survey was conducted to provide a detailed overview of the playground and its current uses.

Activitas is best known in town for creating the Belmont Athletic Facilities Study as well as managed last year’s Belmont High School Track and Harris Field renovation.

Kale said the firm will hold public meetings to hear from athletic groups, residents and those who live close by for opinions and ideas.

“Anyone interested in Belmont parks should attend those meetings,” said Belmont Selectmen Chair Andy Rojas.

Belmont Joining Smart 911 Network

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Many Belmont residents own smartphones. Smart watches are just around the corner.

And beginning in the next few weeks, Smart 911 will be available to every Belmont resident.

That’s the word from Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin after he presented what was an upgrade to the town’s existing 911 system to the Belmont Board of Selectmen at its Monday, Jan. 5 meeting.

“We want to get as many people as possible onto the system,” said McLaughlin, calling it “an enhancement to community policing.”

Smart911 – currently being used by the Massachusetts State Police, in Watertown, Medford, Chelsea and Stoughton and on the campuses of Boston College and MIT – allows citizens to create a Safety Profile at www.smart911.com for their household that includes any information they wish first responders to have in the event of an emergency.

“It is all voluntary; residents can provide as much or as little information to the system,” said McLaughlin, adding the profile is secured, and password protected. The company – Rave Mobile Safety of Framingham – also verifies the information every six months to keep it up-to-date.

When a citizen makes an emergency call, their Safety Profile is displayed to one of the two Belmont dispatchers located at the Police headquarters on Common Street, allowing them to send the appropriate response teams with the right information for those making the call.

“Right now, we only have the phone number and address. We don’t know what to expect,” said McLaughlin.

Police, fire and EMTs can be aware of a greater amount of information that is not known under the current system: fire crews can arrive at a house fire knowing how many people live in the home and the location of bedrooms including children’s rooms, EMS can be advised of allergies or specific medical conditions and police can have the photo of a missing child in seconds rather than minutes or hours.

McLaughlin said that the system can include all phones used at the location including cell phones, emergency contacts, vehicle identification and even the number of pets.

The chief said an added benefit is the personal information is “portable” which allows it to be used in other communities served by Smart911.

“Let’s say you are in Orlando [Florida] and need to contact 911, [the dispatchers] there will have the callers information because the caller is using a cell phone that is linked to the system,” said McLaughlin.

Outstanding restraining or protection orders can not be placed into the system by residents, said McLaughlin, indicating that local police are informed of those court-issued judgements.

The Smart911 system costs $9,000 annually – $4,500 for each dispatcher – with a three-year contract. The town will begin promoting Smart911 through its website and through social media in the upcoming weeks.

The Selectmen gave their support for the town to join Smart911.

“This is exciting for our community,” said Chair Andy Rojas.

Oh, Christmas Tree, You Can Place It On the Curb Beginning this Week

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Today, Jan. 5th, is Twelfth Night, which marks the end of the Christmas holiday (it’s the night before Epiphany, the day when the nativity story says the three wise men visited the infant Jesus), which in the past was a time of revelry and merry making.

And with the end of the holiday comes another tradition: the dumping of the family Christmas tree onto the curb.

And starting today, the Belmont Department of Public Works will collect your Christmas trees at the curb for regular trash pickup on the designated trash day during the first two full weeks of January.

Town Administrator Kale To Receive Second Three-Year Contract

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Receiving four-and-a-half (out of five) stars on the review and ranking website Yelp says a lot about how people think of a business or service.

You can add Belmont’s Town Administrator David Kale to that high-standard list as the official who manages the day-to-day operations of the town’s departments received an enthusiastic annual evaluation from the Belmont Board of Selectmen its Tuesday, Dec. 30 meeting.

“It was all very positive,” said Board Chair Andy Rojas.

During the meeting, the board announced Kale will receive a second three-year contract through July 2017 to stay in the position he’s held since August 2012.

“We are finishing the wording” in the contract, said the Cambridge-resident, who will receive a two percent cost-of-living adjustment to his current salary retroactive to July 1.

Kale’s evaluation was a tabulation of individual assessments by each selectmen, said Diane Crimmins, the town’s human resources director. The board appraised Kale’s expertise in professional tasks, public relations, organizational leadership, personnel management, leading the budget process and planning. Kale received a combined rating of 4.5 out of 5, said Crimmins.

The three selectmen praised Kale on improving morale in town personnel and working collaboratively with departments, and the school district, “which is critical is a small town like Belmont,” said Rojas.

Kale’s handling of the annual budget – which included creating a “one budget” process that requires a close working relationship between the town and the school committee and district – was sighted by the board.

“You’ve enhanced the public budget process,” said Selectman Mark Paolillo.

Kale, in turn, acknowledged the work of “a great group of department heads and employees” who “makes the work happen.”

“This is not done in a vacuum,” said Kale.

The Aftermath: How to Get Rid of All That Holiday Cardboard in Belmont

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Now that all your holiday presents are unwrapped, the Highway Division of the Belmont Public Works Department asks that residents recycle all of their cardboard in the following way:

  • All boxes must be flattened with a dimension smaller than 3 feet by three feet (3’X3′) about the size of your average four year old.
  • The cardboard must be cut, not folded, to make the above measurement.
  • If you have a great deal of cardboard, tie or tape them in stacks not higher than nine inches wide. Residents can leave an unlimited number of stacks for pickup.

Ambulance Base Approved for Pleasant Street, January Start Likely

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Photo: Armstrong Ambulance Service’s CEO Richard Raymond speaking before the Belmont Zoning Board of Appeals, Dec. 22.

At a “special” meeting on Monday, Dec. 22, requested by the applicant, the Belmont Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a Special Permit allowing Arlington’s Armstrong Ambulance Service to open a satellite base at 1010 Pleasant St. situated between Belmont Motors and Star Market.

The five vehicles – four basic medical transports and one advanced life support unit – stationed at the Belmont location are likely be ready to roll from the company’s ninth base sometime in January, according to ZBA staffer Ara Yogurtian.

The meeting was the continuation of the discussion earlier in the month at which the board asked for information on traffic impact and possible use of sirens from vehicles at the site.

The town requires a Special Permit since the zoning bylaw doesn’t cover this use and Armstrong would need to show how their operation would benefit the town, said Eric Smith, the ZBA chair.

Armstrong officials assured the board the vast majority of the vehicles activity takes place away from the office site.

“They will only be at Pleasant Street either in the garage or at the beginning and end of a shift. Other than that, they will be away from the base,” said Richard Raymond, Armstrong’s CEO.

Once leaving the Pleasant Street site, the four transports will be located in or near area hospitals such as the Lahey Clinic in Burlington or Cambridge’s Mount Auburn, nursing homes and dialysis centers handling non-emergency trips during their eight or sixteen hour shifts.

“Many of calls are from hospitals to transport patients back home and to other facilities,” said Raymond.

The single paramedic unit – which responds to emergencies and calls for medical assistance – will also be away from the base situated in and around Watertown pre-positioned in locations such as at Target and Stop & Shop. The unit is operational 24 hours a day and 365 days a year and “is fairly busy,” said Raymond.

Raymond told the ZBA members sirens are only used to “open the flow of traffic,” which doesn’t appear to be a problem on Pleasant Street. In addition, the “backup” alarm can be turned off by a member of the crew placing the ambulances in the garage bays.

The facilities for the ambulance crews at Pleasant Street will consist of a room with couches, chairs, television and a kitchenette. Vehicle maintenance is performed in Woburn. Oxygen tanks are stored in the garage as will medical equipment which will be delivered three times a week.

A legal requirement under state law is washing the vehicles after a shift, which the site allows as it has an existing oil/water separator, said Raymond.

There will be no public access to the office nor will there be signage. Fifteen reserved parking spaces next to the building are for Armstrong employees.

Once the Special Permit is written and submitted to the Office of Community Development – which could be completed in the next few days or within the week – a 21-day review begins after which the company can being operations.

Finally: Sale of Town-Owned Woodfall Road Parcel Likely by Year’s End

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More than a year after it was selected to develop a town-owned property on Belmont Hill, a conglomerate of local businessmen will finally close on a deal to purchase the property and build three or four luxury homes on the site.

The 5.4 acre Woodfall Road parcel, a long-abandoned residential lot currently home to road material and overgrowth, “will be purchased by the end of the year,” said Andy Rojas, chair of the Belmont Board of Selectmen, at a meeting of the Warrant Committee on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

The winning bidder Belmont Advisors – made up of partners Greensbrook Development, Line Company Architects and Phoenix Construction Group – will pay the town a purchase price of “between $1.8 to $1.7 million” to build luxury housing on the land, said Rojas.

When it was selected by the Selectmen in Nov. 2013 as the future developer of the site, it’s bid was $2.2 million. The other bidder, Northland Residential Corporation, which developed the residential portion of the McLean Property in Belmont, offered $750,000.

The deed transfer and final sales price were affected by a series of delays that included financing issues and drawn out concern with the abutting property owner, the Belmont Country Club. Apparently, the proposed housing was in the flight path of golf balls launched by members on the pitching and practice course. There is likely to be fencing on the property line.

The drawn-out purchase process would have a significant impact on the financing of the Belmont Center road reconstruction project. Early in 2014, town officials predicted the sale of the Woodfall Road site at nearly $2 million and the $850,000 for the municipal parking lot in Cushing Square to the current developer of the Cushing Village, Smith Legacy Limited, would fund the $2.8 million road and parking project.

When the two sales did not materialize, the town was forced to use a portion of its “free cash” reserves and call a special Town Meeting in November to secure the remaining funds to complete the project by the fall of 2015.

The proceeds from the sale, deemed “one-time” revenue receipt, will not be heading to the town’s general fund. In the past, such “one-time” monies have been directed to the Capital Budget Committee, which pays for long-term, large budget items such as public safety vehicles and repairs and upgrades to municipal buildings.

The sale for the parcel – known as 108 Woodfall Road – will bring to an end nearly a decade of attempts to sell the property that the town acquired through a foreclosure in 1938. The town thought it had sold the land to a private developer in 2006, but he never came up with the money.

In June 2012, the town’s Office of Community Development proposed a plan that would allow an Atlanta-based for-profit hospice firm to build a small residential building for end-of-life care for Belmont residents and others. But the opposition from homeowners in the upscale neighborhood drove the Selectmen’s decision to withdraw the proposed plan and restricted it to only residential construction.

Belmont Selectmen Appoints Community Path Implementation Committee

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The Belmont Board of Selectmen selected five residents – each with their specific skill set – to determine not just the best route for a community path to transverse Belmont, but also how to pay for it.

The Community Path Implementation Advisory Committee takes over from the Community Path Advisory Committee which completed its work in May after it researching and then developing a number of possibly combined bike/walking routes from Waltham to Cambridge.

“The desired outcome of this entire process is to have the community path built,” said Andy Rojas.

“The ultimate intent isn’t for a study … it’s for a physical path to be built that services the town and mitigates the negative and highlights all the positive impacts,” said Rojas.

The residents appointed to the committee are:

  • Brian Burke
  • Michael Cicalese
  • Heather Ivester
  • Russell Leino
  • Vincent Stanton

Each member comes with work experience or involvement with the proposed community path in the past. Burke was a member of the CPAC and will bring continuity to the process. Cicalese was selected to raise residents’ concerns to the group as a likely route will impact the Channing Road neighborhood. Ivester is a state licensed structural engineer while Leino is an attorney.

Stanton, who Selectman Mark Paolillo noted has been responsible for extending Belmont Town Meeting nights with his array of knowledgeable quires, is well-known in town for his divergent thinking and novel ideas and solutions to any number of issues facing the community.

The committee’s charge from the selectmen is to come to a consensus on the best path but also to uncover outside funding – be it private or from the state or federal governments – to pay for a good portion of the trail and also the evaluation and analysis of the potential of a proposed project.

“It’s pretty clear that this body needs to commit some how … identify public sources of funding to do a feasibility study,” said Rojas.

“We can then pursue other government grants for the implementation, but we need that feasibility study in hand,” he added.

According to several members of a pro-community path group that Paolillo noted at the meeting, “with a feasibility component, there could be significant funds from the state level for a path.”

The study will also provide the Selectmen – who will make the final decision on the route and if the project will move forward – the economics of building specific routes through Belmont.

“While not set in stone, that we would expect the feasibility study would give us input on the route options before we make up our minds,” said Rojas.

Wait ’til Next Year: State, Once Again, Skips Over Belmont High Renovation Plan

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Despite several hints that this could have been the year, Belmont will need to wait yet another year for just the possibility of being selected to receive state funds to help pay for a new and approved high school.
In a letter dated Monday, Dec. 15 and announced at Tuesday’s Belmont School Committee meet, the Massachusetts School Building Authority once again denied the committee’s statement of interest calling for the complete renovation of Belmont High School and the construction of a new science wing with a price tag of between $90 and $100 million.
“Through the MSBA’s due diligence process and review of the 108 [fiscal year] 2014 [Statement of Interests] that were received, the MSBA has determined that the Belmont High School SOI will not be invited into the MSBA’s Eligibility Period at this time,” stated the letter signed by John K. McCarthy, the Authority’s executive director.
Stating the Authority was proud to have collaborated in the building of the Wellington Elementary School which opened in September 2011, McCarthy said the MSBA “remains committed to collaborating and partnering with [Belmont] to better understand any other school facility issues in [Belmont].”
There have been a number of hints over the fall that Belmont’s application had been placed on the short list of projects to be accepted. In October, the MSBA came for a “senior study” of the high school, one of 25 the Authority made this fall. According to a school official on the Cape, a MSBA officials said “a substantial percentage of districts [that received a senior study] will be recommended to move forward with an invitation into the MSBA eligibility period.” In addition, districts that have submitted SOIs for more than a decade are traditionally placed higher on the approval scale.
Belmont can reapply for what will be the 11th consecutive year for the school’s addition and renovation by April 10, 2015.
See the MSBA letter to Belmont below:
Belmont_2014_SOI_Status_Letter

Saturday’s Power Outage Left 2,000 Belmont Light Customers in the Dark

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The Christmas lights went out to about a quarter of Belmont homes on Saturday, Dec. 13 as a large-scale blackout hit the town.

According to Becca Keane, Belmont Lights’ executive assistant and communications coordinator, the outage, first reported at 12:51 p.m. on Saturday, was related to an energy supply issue from NStar, the town’s wholesale power supplier.

The issue resulted in a loss of distribution out of one of the three Belmont Light substations. The resulting drop in power caused outages to nearly 2,000 customers, said Keane.

Before long, Belmont Light’s field and engineering teams had the problem under control with power restored by 2:20 p.m.

“The shortest outage lasted approximately 1 hour, 10 minutes and the longest approximately 1 hour 35 minutes,” said Keane.

“We don’t anticipate further service interruptions and the issue was not caused by Belmont Light’s system,” she added.