Dog Park Part of Discussion at Monday’s Meeting On Off Leash Program

Photo: The dog park that recently opened in Waltham. 

Is it time for Belmont to have its own dog park, join its neighboring towns to provide a separate area to allow pets the chance to play and socialize. 

Watertown (2014) and Waltham (2015) have recently opened enclosed off-leash areas that Fido can run like the wind. Arlington his its own park while Cambridge has eight including two near to Fresh Pond on the Belmont line. 

A Belmont dog park will be one of several issues brought up on Monday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. when the Board of Health holds a public hearing on the town’s off leash dog program.

David Alper, chair of the Board of Health, told the Belmontonian no policy changes will be issued at Monday’s meeting.

“We hope to hear from residents on the current policy and listen to any ideas they may have,” said Alper. The long-time chair has said a dog park, which is becoming the norm in communities, is one area that is worthy of discussion.

The current off-leash program in Belmont allows dog owners a large amount of leeway when and where they can run their pets. Owners need only obtain a $40 yearly permit ($30 for the second dog) from the town – which requires the licensed dog and owner meet with Belmont’s Animal Control Officer, for a pet behavior assessment and a review of the regulations. 

The couple can then go to six Belmont athletic fields – Belmont High School Fields, Winn Brook, Grove Street, Pequossette Field and Town Field – to run as long as they clean up after their pet and defer to requests from town and school officials on use. Newton has a similar program. 

2016 Permit Application can be found at the Health Department’s web page. 

Belmont Police Officer Hurt in Two-Vehicle on Belmont/Arlington Line

Photo: The incident (Photo courtesy of Boston’s WCVB-TV)

A Belmont Police officer was taken to a local hospital after being involved in a two-vehicle accident on the Belmont/Arlington town line on Thursday morning, June 16. 

In a press release from Belmont Police Assistant Chief James MacIsaac, just before 11:30 a.m., a marked Belmont Police cruiser and a private car crashed at the intersection of Park Avenue and the Concord Turnpike Access Road in Arlington 

The officer and the driver of the private vehicle were taken to local hospitals “with what is believed to be non-life threatening injuries,” said MacIsaac. 

The Arlington Police Department is investigating this crash.

Farewell: Belmont’s Wandering Moose Meets End In Weston

Photo:

The sad news came way of Twitter – as most news does today – from out in the western suburbs Monday evening. There was an accident between a car and a moose near Route 128:

While the driver was not hurt, the same was not the fate of the moose, who had to be put down by Massachusetts Environmental Police.

It was soon determined that the animal hit by the car was, likely, the Belmont Moose, the female cow that took an early morning stroll on June 2 through Watertown and many locations in the Town of Home that caught the attention of thousands on social media and television from greater Boston to as far as Japan. 

The news spread fast, reaching the moose’s official Twitter account with its 319 followers who added “RIP” to the account’s name.

And the reaction among her fans was immediate:

Cracks Won’t Prevent Underwood Pool From Opening, Saturday, June 18

Photo: The pool filled with water on Tuesday.

A few weeks back, a rumor was being spread in the local Starbucks/Dunkin’ Donuts that cracks – described as anywhere between “significant” to “devastating” – were discovered at the bottom of both Underwood pools as the less-than-a-year-old complex was being readied for its first full season scheduled to begin Saturday, June 18.

The people who said they heard the damage would result in the coming swimming season to be:

  1. delayed,
  2. suspended,
  3. closed forever;

and would lead to the pool being:

  1. repaired with the cracks costing a king’s ransom,
  2. forced to have the flooring ripped out and rebuilt, and 
  3. ruined beyond all hope.

But ask Anne Paulsen, the chair of the Underwood Pool Building Committee, the particulars of the rumors, and she will tell you one thing: “If the Health Department gives us the OK, [the pools] will be open on schedule.”

So if the chemical analysis of the water pumped into the twin pools this week is up to standards, the 2016 season will open to the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday. (Current forecast over the weekend is for sun with the highs in the low 80s). 

So, what about the “major” cracks lining the bottom of the pool?

First, Paulsen was not happy to hear two weeks ago there was structural issues, even if they turned out to be hairline cracks mostly located in the shallow pool and on the deck. 

“It is less than a year old, so it was disconcerting what was discovered,” said Paulsen, who led the group that supervised the construction of the facility. 

According to Department of Public Works Director Jay Marcotte, the cracks – due to the pool walls expanding and contracting as the ground settles and shifts – were superficial and were not affecting the structural integrity of the swimming pool.

“We cleaned out the cracks and repaired it with an epoxy which did the job,” Marcotte told the Belmontonian.

In addition to the repairs, the deep end pool was repainted, said Paulsen. 

A few days later, before the Special Town Meeting on Monday, June 13, Paulsen gave members an update on the pool in the coming season. She told Town Meeting that the pool:

  • will have new shade structures (like umbrellas) along the edge of the pool to provide sun protection,
  • paper towels will be replaced by electric hand dryers in the bathrooms,
  • The crosswalk and sidewalk on Cottage Street will be completed.
  • In the fall an irrigation system will be installed to protect plants from the summer heat, and
  • vending machines are now located at the facility.

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For information on the pool, activities and membership, head over the Recreation Department’s website. 

Saying that 450 residents have signed up for passes, Paulsen advised the members to get theirs soon, “and enjoy the pool.”

Panic In The Center: Leonard Street Partially Closed Next 3 Days

Photo: Construction on Leonard Street begins today.

If you thought the seemingly endless construction in Belmont Center couldn’t make traveling through the town’s commercial hub any worse, the next three days will prove that assumption wrong.

Starting today, Wednesday, June 15 at 7 a.m. and ending – hopefully – on Friday, June 17, Leonard Street northbound will be closed due to road construction up to Alexander Avenue. Construction hours are expected to be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This means:

  • Southbound traffic – from Pleasant and Clifton streets – on Leonard Street will be unaffected,
  • Northbound Leonard Street traffic – coming from Concord Avenue – will be detoured beginning at the underpass of the Commuter Rail bridge. Vehicles will turn onto Channing Road, take a left on Cross Street, another left on Alexander Avenue before joining Leonard Street. 

In addition, there will be no On-Street parking on either side of Leonard Street from Alexander Avenue to 80 Leonard Street, the Belmont Café during construction hours. 

The work will include excavating the existing pavement, placing gravel and grading for new pavement and on Friday, asphalt and pave Alexander Avenue and Leonard Street.

Refer to the Town of Belmont website for additional information or call 617-993-2665 with any concerns.

New Principal Brings A World Of Experience To The Butler

Photo: Danielle Betancourt.

Danielle Betancourt, a vice principal at the Brophy Elementary School in Framingham, was named on Monday, June 13, as the next principal of the Butler Elementary School. She will arrive in the district July 1, said Belmont Superintendent John Phelan at Monday’s Town Meeting. 

She replaces Michael McAllister who moves to the Chenery Middle School as its new principal. 

Betancourt, who has lived with her family around the world, including Moscow, Philadelphia, London and in Massachusetts for the past 12 years, will take charge of the district’s most diverse school, with students coming from two dozen countries and speaking more than 35 languages. 

Betancourt matriculated at Fordham University where she was received a Bachelor’s Degree in Russian Studies, a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Boston College, and a Master’s of Education in Organizational Management from Endicott College.

Betancourt was named a vice principal at the Brophy in June of last year. Before her appointment in Framingham, she spent an 18-month principal internship at the Horace Mann Elementary School in Newton, where she has been a teacher in a full-inclusion classroom since 2011. 

Prior to the Mann, she served as an elementary teacher in the Boston Public Schools for four years including as a first-grade teacher at the John Winthrop Elementary School in Dorchester.

Additional experiences include co-chairing the PTA at a primary school in England, serving as co-president of the Wharton Kids Club in Philadelphia, and teaching at the Samantha School for English in Russia. 

Breaking: Waverley Station To Remain Open for 10 More Years

Photo: The Waverley Station.

It’s not used by many riders, it’s difficult to get around and it’s in need of a great deal of maintenance. And that’s what the MBTA says about Waverley Station, which runs the commuter rail station in the heart of Belmont’s Waverley Square.

But it now appears that all of Waverley Station’s shortcomings are the major factors which will allow the Fitchburg Line stop to remain open for the next decade, according to Belmont State Sen. Will Brownsberger.

In an e-mail announcement dated Tuesday, June 14, the state’s Architectural Access Board – which in 2014 deemed the station a liability for people with limited access to use the facility – has given the MBTA a 10-year time variance before needed repairs or a new station is required to improve accessibility for riders. 

The announcement came after nearly a year in which the MBTA actively sought to close down the nearly century-old station and create a new stop along South Pleasant Street. That plan was deemed unacceptable by many residents surrounding Waverley Square and the MBTA dropped that plan earlier in the year.

In its decision, the AAB in a letter to the MBTA noted that since the Waverley Station has some of the lowest ridership numbers in the system – only 117 daily passengers arrive or depart from the stop – the board is placing higher priority on improvements at 69 stations and bus stops with much higher use. It also cited a cost of $15 million to $30 million to bring the station up to AAB standards

“[D]ue to the low ridership and high cost to create access, Waverley Station is not considered a ‘priority station’,” read the letter from the AAB to the MBTA explaining the 10 year variance. 

Overnight Road Paving Along Belmont/Trapelo Begins Monday, June 13

Photo: Paving tonight.

Begining tonight, Monday, June 13, crews from Newport Construction will be paving overnight the segment of Trapelo Road and Belmont Street between Cushing Square (Trapelo Road and Common Street) and the Cambridge/Belmont line at Ericcson Street.

All overnight work will occur between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Weather permitting, paving is expected to be completed by Saturday, June 18.

Following the completion of paving crews will begin the installation of final pavement markers along the corridor. This portion of the Trapelo Road/Belmont Street Reconstruction Project will also occur between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. beginning Wednesday, June 15 and run for approximately three weeks.

Access to driveways along the work area may be restricted, so residents are encouraged to park on side streets away from Trapelo Road and Belmont Street if they will need to access their vehicle overnight. 

Please note that this work is weather dependent and might be subject to change if conditions aren’t favorable.

Any questions should be directed to Ryan Gleason of Newport Construction at 603-765-2173 or Belmont’s Office of Community Development at 617-993-2650. Ask for Glenn.

Police Hope A ‘Yes’ On Incinerator Site Provides Them With New Home

Photo: Belmont Police Chief Richard McLaughlin in the hallway that serves as a booking area.

When the Belmont Police Department Headquarters opened in 1931, it was a modern marvel among police stations in Greater Boston, a spacious, three-level facility with an indoor shooting range, a full-service garage, and plenty of room to allow officers to go about their job of keeping residents safe.

But in its ninth decade, the now threadbare building at the corner of Pleasant and Concord Avenue is not just on its last legs; it’s down for the count. Age has caught up with the landmark building across the street from Town Hall, and there’s not much time remaining to find a solution.

“It has served the town well, but it hasn’t kept pace with the times or technology,” said Police Chief Richard McLaughlin last month. “It can’t get any better, and that’s the reality.”

While the deteriorating condition of the building has been a concern for the past 20 years – at one point, the building leaked so freely that during torrential rains streams of water would collect on the walls – a likely solution will come before a Special Town Meeting tonight, Monday, June 13 as the members vote to accept or reject the conveyance from the state the former incinerator site on upper Concord Avenue.

For police leaders, a positive result on tonight’s vote could be the first step in locating a new police station “and that is something we would like to build on,” said McLaughlin.

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Belmont Asst. Chief James MacIsaac at holding cells.

A tour of the station puts into stark focus the challenges facing the personnel who work in a structure opened when Herbert Hoover was president. Around every corner and cranny, in antiquated rooms with Depression-era push button light switches and every spare space, the business of modern law enforcement is running headlong into an intractable past.

The dual liabilities of a cramped working environment (the station is about 15,000 square feet) and an inefficient layout has created a hodgepodge of competing uses. Utility closets are stuffed with boxes of paperwork that the Department are mandated to have on hand while the booking area was cobbled out of a hallway. The wiring and connections that run the department’s communication system are jerry-rigged in a web of cables in a small basement enclave while the evidence locker doubles as storage space for bottled water. It’s a scene only a hardcore hoarder would appreciate.

Personal space: Nil

Caught in the middle are those who work at the facility. Personal space is next to nil for officers as detectives who are located on the second floor (accessible only by a single staircase in violation of federal and state access regulations) are cheek-to-jowl requiring them to leave the room to make phone calls. The men’s changing room is cramped with a feel of a junior high school locker room. 

But it’s the place reserved for female officers – never imagined by the architects who designed the building – that is the greatest cringe-worthy space as the women are squeezed into a rabbit hutch – part storage area, changing room, bathroom facility all in one location – about the size of the men’s bathroom. 

McLaughlin said a recent updating of the public area through the front door has hampered this efforts to impress on the town the department needs a new station house. 

“People come see the lobby and say ‘what’s the problem?’,” said McLaughlin, as he walks around tires placed on in a hall in the basement.

“[The public] don’t understand the operational challenges that we deal with every day,” he noted.

While much of the problems lead to a discomfort for personnel, the building’s lack of modern public safety infrastructure has real world implications such as when a person is “booked” in the building. 

In a contemporary station, a police vehicle enters a secured enclosed area called a “sally port” where the officer will first ensure their weapon and keys before taking the prisoner in the building, removing any temptation to escape or turn on the officer.

But due to the finite parking area in which the building it situated, “we don’t have that luxury,” said James MacIsaac, Belmont’s assistant police chief, demonstrating to a visitor how an officer must escort a prisoner to the station from the parking lot. It is at that point when some arrestees will decide they no longer want to be going to jail. 

“And we had them bolt out to Belmont Center,” said McLaughlin.

Outdated infrastructure places officers, public in potential danger

While the image of a person with their hands cuffed behind their backs running across Leonard Street with officers in hot pursuit may be seen as a humorous event, the lack of up-to-date facility could place officers, the public, and the prisoner in a potentially dangerous position. 

Assistant Chief James MacIsaac said the police department’s needs are similar to those of the Belmont Fire Department that after decades of effort were successful in building two new fire houses ten years ago, but with one important caveat.

“They were not taking civilians into their buildings. They absolutely need the buildings, but we are totally different; we are storing evidence, we have firearms, and we store drugs. We are responsible for the safety of people we bring here and the current building puts all that in jeopardy,” said MacIsaac. 

McLaughlin said the time for town officials and residents to begin serious discussions on the future of a new station with the release of an updated feasibility study issued in February 2016 by Donham & Sweeney Architects. 

Read the feasibility report here.

In a nutshell, the study found that at 14,800 square feet, the current headquarters has become woefully inadequate for the space requirements of a modern police department. The feasibility study calls for more than double the square footage, ideally 30,000 square feet to be a viable building a quarter century in the future.

The report analyzed placing the new headquarters on the incinerator site at a cost of $18.4 million.

If the town moves forward on building the department’s future home, Belmont would join others in updating its police station. This January, Weston opened its 21,000 square feet facility including the shooting range, at a little over $12 million, Malden will enter it’s new 24,000 square foot facility in the fall and Gardner’s new $14 million police station is about 31,000 square feet, replacing the former station with 18,000 square feet.

Many of the new facilities are replacing buildings about 40 years old, half the age of Belmont’s current police headquarters. 

“If the town says the high school is aniquated and that was built in 1971, what are you telling us by not addessing our building that’s twice as old and in much worse shape?” said McLaughlin. 

McLaughlin acknowledges that a new Police Headquarters will be competing with other capital needs such as a DPW facility, a library and other big-ticket items. In past discussions with town officials, a portion of the cost would come from the sale of the existing Concord Avenue police station and the adjacent former Belmont Municipal Light Department for commercial development. And McLaughlin said he would be eminable to share the incinerator site with a new DPW headquarters.

“I’m not saying we’re any more important than anybody else. The unfortunate part is the town hasn’t kept pace with what their projects should have been,” he said. 

Start Father’s Day On The Roads At The 15th Annual Brendan’s Home Run

Photo: The race.

Rather than give dad a tie or take him out of dinner on Father’s Day, how about start the day running a quick five kilometers with the kids and help Belmont’s own Brendan Grant Foundation. 

The 15th annual Brendan’s Home Run will take place on Father’s Day, June 19.

The certified 5K (3.1 miles) race and walk starts and finishes at Belmont High School Harris Field track (adjacent the Skating Rink on Concord Avenue) at 10 a.m. The walk will start at 9:30 a.m.

With its collection of really fast runners – Olympic Trial qualifiers and a few NCAA Div. 3 champs – at the head of the race and a flat, easy course for the less than fast folks, the race has become a must-do Father’s Day event in Belmont and in Eastern Massachusetts.

Pre-register before Thursday, June 16: $25. Register on day of race: $30

Download an entry form at www.brendanshomerun.org

The first 400 entrants receive commemorative T-shirt

To benefit The Brendan Grant Foundation and Memorial ScholarshipsOur presenting sponsors Belmont Savings Bank, Fitness Together, and Belmont Dental Group are instrumental to the success of this great event. We are deeply grateful for their support, and the generosity of Alan & Isabelle DerKazarian.

Refreshments, raffle, prize money for fastest three male and female finishers, age-group and team awards including fastest parent/child tandems.

Contact The Brendan Grant Foundation at 617/489-1514 or at www.brendangrant.org for more information on Brendan Grant and the work of the Foundation.