New recreational playing fields.
A new home for the Department of Public Works.
A solar photovoltaic farm.
Open space.
A grove for growing medical marijuana.
Those are just a few of the suggestions citizens and town officials put forward for the future use of the former town incinerator located off Concord Avenue near the Lexington town line with Belmont.
With the state prepared to sell the nearly 16 acre parcel to the town, the Belmont Board of Selectmen will be updating Town Meeting members and the public on possible uses for the former incinerator at a presentation and discussion set for Monday, Nov. 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School auditorium.
The public and Town Meeting members are encouraged to provide their ideas for the best use for the land, according to a press release for the board.
The town is moving forward on a new use after Gov. Deval Patrick in January signed legislation pushed by State Rep. Dave Rogers that authorizes the sale to the town of the state-owned land. The law allows Belmont to purchase the land after an appraisal determines the fair market value of the property. In addition, the town will be responsible for the site’s costly remediation of environmentally hazardous material.
An important provision of the law is the land is limited to recreational or municipal use; it can not be sold or leased for commercial or business operations.
Constructed in 1959, the incinerator operated until 1975, when it became the town’s transfer station for two decades. It is currently used by the Belmont DPW for equipment storage, leaf composting and placement of debris.
Questions and ideas can be submitted prior to the meeting at selectmen@belmont-ma.gov . More information on the meeting can be found by contacting the Board of Selectmen/Town Administrator’s office at 617-993-2610.
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