Belmont Better
Zoning
Belmont Better Zoning is committed to educating Belmont citizens on significant zoning changes. Our current focus is the Belmont Center Overlay proposal which will be debated at the Special Town Meeting on March 4.
Our goal is to go beyond the rhetoric of town leaders and planners and to present the facts regarding the Center Overlay finances, parking, traffic, zoning language, impact on current small businesses, and other issues.
Belmont Better Zoning supports development that meets important community needs without sacrificing the town’s special character.
Headlines
Financial Impact
The Belmont Center overlay will not provide property tax relief or more funding for the schools.
There is no current fiscal analysis by the town to show the likely financial impact of the proposed zoning.
Impact on Business Community
Current businesses will be forced out and will not be able to afford new rents - as demonstrated by a recent comparable project in Newton.
The proposal is opposed by virtually all local businesses.
Zoning Language
The zoning proposal is seriously flawed.
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The bylaw is confusing and includes many drafting errors.
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The bylaw's by-right provisions give developers free rein and deprive the town of adequate control and protections.
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The rules and regulations implementing the proposed changes have not been developed so Town Meeting will be voting with incomplete information.
Scale & Rendering
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Four and five-story buildings will overwhelm the Center. No comparable town in Massachusetts has undertaken anything of this magnitude.
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There are no current renderings of the proposed impact.
Parking & Traffic
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There is no parking plan for 500 new residential units and 1,200 additional employees beyond overnight parking, neighborhood streets, or church parking.
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There is no plan to address the compounding of already serious traffic problems.
Full Disclosure
The Select Board has declined to participate in a public forum to educate citizens on the approved zoning, its tradeoffs, and the impact of recent changes. The Select Board claims there have been enough public forums.
Do you feel adequately informed?
Headlines
1
The Belmont Center overlay will not provide property tax relief or more funding for the schools.
2
Current businesses will be forced out and will not be able to afford new rents - as demonstrated by a recent comparable project in Newton.
3
The proposal is opposed by virtually all local businesses.
4
Four and five-story buildings will overwhelm the Center. No comparable town in Massachusetts has undertaken anything of this magnitude.
5
There are no current renderings of the proposed impact.
6
There is no parking plan for 500 new residential units and 1,200 additional employees beyond overnight parking, neighborhood streets, or church parking.
7
There is no plan to address the compounding of already serious traffic problems.
8
There is no current fiscal analysis by the town to show the likely financial impact of the proposed zoning.
The Select Board has declined to participate in a public forum to educate citizens on the approved zoning, its tradeoffs, and the impact of recent changes. The Select Board claims there have been enough public forums.
Do you feel adequately informed?
The zoning proposal is seriously flawed.
-
The bylaw is confusing and includes many drafting errors.
-
The bylaw's by-right provisions give developers free rein and deprive the town of adequate control and protections.
-
The rules and regulations implementing the proposed changes have not been developed so Town Meeting will be voting with incomplete information.
-
The town has not undertaken any analysis of the major infrastructure costs for electricity, water, sewer, sidewalks and safety.
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The town has not shown how it could oversee such a project with limited town staff and resources.
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