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2002 was a busy year for the Planning Board. The Board considered several zoning proposals, including allowing research and development at the Belmont Uplands and extending the commercial zoning district at the former Volkswagen dealership on Trapelo Road. In conjunction with the Fair Housing Committee, the Board helped draft an Inclusionary Zoning By-Law. The Board met on seventeen (17) different occasions throughout the year to discuss these proposals and other issues.
The Board included members Joseph Barrell, Deborah Emello, Karl Haglund, Andrew McClurg, and James Heigham. It voted to retain Joseph Barrell as Chair. Mr. McClurg continued to serve as the Planning Board representative to the Housing Trust and volunteered to attend the Belmont Economic Development Planning Group meetings as the Board’s representative. Mr. Heigham was the Board’s representative on the Warrant Committee.
Although a controversial rezoning proposal for the Belmont Uplands was defeated at Town Meeting in the fall of 2001, the Planning Board continued to play an active role in the project in 2002. The owners of the property, O’Neill Properties, returned to the Town with a modified, though extensive, rezoning petition. As originally proposed, the rezoning petition sought to amend the Zoning By-Laws to change the 15 acre residentially zoned property to a new business zone the “Belmont Uplands District”. The proposed zoning by-law allowed a 245,000 square foot Office or Research & Development building while maintaining 65 percent of the property as open space. The by-law also included protections for the community such as transportation improvements, lighting limitations, increased stormwater storage
capacity over existing conditions, a Conservation Restriction on the open space as well as an open space maintenance plan. After a great deal of work and negotiation, the Board recommended the proposal to Town Meeting.
Board members also offered advice to the Board of Selectmen in their efforts to draft a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between O’Neill and the Town. The rezoning package was an important component of this MOU. The rezoning petition and the MOU were adopted by Town Meeting in March.
The proposed rezoning of the former Volkswagen dealership on Trapelo Road to extend the commercial zoning district into the abutting residential district was an active issue throughout the year. The initial public hearing was opened in April and continued throughout the remainder of the year as new issues arose. A new 10,000 square foot Walgreens Drugstore was proposed for the front of the site. The Town’s interest in locating its fire station headquarters on a portion of this property added a new wrinkle to the discussions. (The Board of Selectmen continues to negotiate the acquisition of the property for a fire station.) Opposition to the Walgreens development was expressed and the rezoning proposal remained unresolved at the end of the year. The Board expects to conclude the rezoning discussion
and to review development plans in 2003.
The Fair Housing Committee worked diligently with the Board over several months to negotiate and draft an Inclusionary Zoning By-Law. Staff at the Office of Community Development worked with the authors and a Special Legal Counsel (retained by the Board) to refine the document. After the Board held the required public hearings and no commentary was received, it voted to recommend the proposal to Town Meeting. Unfortunately, the proposal did not receive the required 2/3 majority, falling just under 20 votes short at the April Town Meeting. Given this close defeat, the Board expects to continue work on this important issue in the new year.
The Board was also charged with administering the Trapelo Road/Belmont Street corridor planning study. This project was funded through the state Executive Order 418 Planning Program, local money, and in-kind services provided by the Office of Community Development. It is projected to be completed in the spring of 2003. The focus of the work will be to promote economic development and transportation improvements along the Trapelo Road/Belmont Street corridor. It is the first comprehensive study of this area. Public participation is urged and necessary for this project to be successful. Interested citizens are invited to visit the Town’s website (www.town.belmont.ma.us) for up-to-date information and to provide commentary.
Throughout the year various discussions were held on how to resolve the outstanding issues with the McLean development. The senior housing developer, American Retirement Corporation (ARC) appealed the Site Plan Approval condition on affordable housing to a court of law and to the Zoning Board of Appeals. The appeals remain outstanding. The status of Junction Brook as an intermittent stream also remained unresolved before a state environmental appeals board. However, amendments to the Conservation Restrictions on the open space were approved by Town Meeting. The Board will continue to monitor these issues.
In March, the Massachusetts Appeals Court heard arguments on the second appeal of the decision on the McLean Zoning amendment. In November, the Court upheld the Town and McLean and declared the zoning amendment as valid. A subsequent appeal was not filed and the Board expects the developers to begin construction in the spring of 2003.
Several joint public hearings were also conducted with the Zoning Board of Appeals. These included wireless telecommunication facilities at 125 Trapelo Road and 2 Leonard Street.
The Board would like to thank the Office of Community Development Planning Division staff, Senior Planner Timothy Higgins, and Planning Coordinator Jeffrey Wheeler. Both provided technical and administrative support. The Board also thanks Adriana D’Andrea for her cheerful assistance in obtaining meeting places for the Board, and for posting and mailing information out about the Board’s many meetings. Thanks are also extended to other town committees, and departments that reviewed and commented on the O’Neill rezoning and helped with other issues before the Planning Board.
In conclusion, 2002 was another busy year for the Planning Board. The Board looks forward to 2003, as construction should begin on the McLean development, the Design & Site Plan Review public hearing process should begin on the Belmont Uplands office building, and the Trapelo Road/Belmont Street corridor study will be completed. The Planning Board always welcomes public participation and all of its meeting notices are posted on the Town’s website. Commentary and recommendations can also be forwarded via e-mail to the Planning Board at thiggins@town.belmont.ma.us.
Respectfully submitted,
Joseph P. Barrell, Chair
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