Photo: State Rep Dave Rogers (right) with State Sen. Will Brownsberger
State Rep. Dave Rogers has announced his August office hours in Belmont.
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:
Light refreshments will be served!
Please RSVP for Planning Purposes: Meet & Greet RSVP
More meeting opportunities with Jill and Lucia to come.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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:
“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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Photo: Adam Dash (left) being feted by the Belmont Select Board at a recent meeting
It felt odd for regulars at the Belmont Select Board meeting to see Adam Dash addressing the Belmont Select Board and not with them. But this was a special night as the board paid tribute to Dash’s service to Belmont.
“We don’t do this for the recognition or honor or wealth, obviously, but it’s nice to be appreciated,” said the Goden Street resident as his former colleagues and residents spent a few minutes recognizing their former colleague who did not seek re-election in April.
Dash’s six years on the board included managing the town’s response to a worldwide pandemic, overseeing a budget after a failed override, and the more mundane duties such as honoring a retired board member.
Like many esteemed residents in Belmont’s history, the proclamation noted that Dash answered the call to public service and selfishly devoted a decade of his time and abilities on several committees before being elected twice to the Select Board starting in 2017.
“Adam has lived up to the lofty ideals of public service through commitment and dedication to the various causes, projects, and people he has represented and will serve as a source of inspiration to our community,” read the proclamation.
Dash’s most significant challenge while on the board was the unprecedented events brought about by COVID-19 in March 2020. “Adam’s leadership was characterized by great poise and resolved during ever-changing circumstances to contribute to the decisions that prioritize the safety and health of the Belmont community,” said Board Chair Mark Paolillo, who, along with the board, presented Dash an engraved chair as its appreciation.
The newest board member, Elizabeth Dionne, recalled Dash’s role as the town’s senior statesman by providing key insights and information during what could have become a very contentious budget debate “that I was personally grateful.”
Dash, for his part, said he’s “taking a break” from town-wide governance, which he said was a privilege representing all town residents.
“But I have to say that it’s nice leaving [a board meeting] before 7:45 p.m. when you know you’re gonna be here until 11 p.m.,” quipped Dash. “I’m fine with that.”
Photo: Living the dream at last year’s Touch-a-Truck event in Belmont.
It’s back: The second annual Belmont Touch-a-Truck event is on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bulldozers, snow plows, garbage trucks, police vehicles and motorcycles, fire and EMT apparatus, and a whole assortment of large vehicles will be open for children – and their parents – to climb into and explore at the Claflin Street Parking Lot in Belmont Center.
“Last year it exceeded all our expectations, the honking notwithstanding,” said Stephen Rosales, formerly of the Belmont Select Board and a member of the board of Belmont Youth Activities, who is sponsoring the event along with the town’s D.A.R.E. chapter.
“But honking [the vehicles’ horn] is what all the kids and some of the adults wanted to do, quite frankly,” Rosales told the Select Board at a recent meeting.
According to Rosales, talks are also underway with the Belmont Lion Club to have a mobile eye examination clinic that can test kids’ vision in 30 seconds to detect early signs of problems.
Attendees can expect refreshments – it was hot dogs and water last year – and there was a request from the Select Board.
“Stephen, can Touch-a-Truck include touching a food truck? That would be good too,” said Board Chair Roy Epstein.
