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Politics & Government

Zoning Blueprint Pushed For South Pleasant Street

Planning Board seeks to move process on future development at town's commercial corridor.

The first two forums the Belmont Planning Board held on the future of south Pleasant Street featured open discussion and exchange of ideas pertaining to concepts for what could ultimately become the town's largest commercial district.

For the next forum will be geared towards presenting more concrete ideas.

At its meeting on Wednesday, May 17, the board directed the town'sto begin work on possible zoning bylaws to be presented at the third forum scheduled for either July 12 or 19.

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The board hopes to receive the zoning blueprints by late June.

“Zoning bylaws will be presented in draft form for residents’ consideration and reaction,” said in an interview after the meeting.

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“Depending on the reaction we receive, there may be a possibility to bring the zoning bylaws to a fall special Town Meeting,” he said.

Baghdady added that the sooner the town is able to provide some guidance for zoning in the area of south Pleasant Street, the sooner the area will become developed and more viable as a commercial center.

For now, the Planning Board is keeping the underlying zoning for that part of town in place–known as Limited Business Two–and focusing on an overlay district for the area.

An overlay district maintains existing zoning requirements but provides a second layer of zoning that allows a developer to ask for greater development opportunities such as greater height or greater floor ratio.

“The existing base zoning stays in place but a different zoning is there for those who want to submit themselves to more scrutiny and design control by the Planning Board,” Baghdady said.

In other news, Planning Board meetings will now be taped by the Belmont Media Center. Beginning June 14, when the board next meets, residents will be able to watch the meeting live.

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