Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Planning Board likes the approach, so far, on what the street could become.
A presentation of how South Pleasant Street could look in the future was upended by a technological SNAFU that severely limited architect Luis Cetrangolo’s demonstration to the Belmont Planning Board on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Cetrangolo was hired by the board to create a virtual view of commercial buildings along the byway using variables such as land coverage and building density to provide the board and residents – especially Town Meeting members who will need to approve zoning changes – a picture of how the area should be zoned for development. But Cetrangolo's presentation was limited to his personal laptop computer as he could not use the town’s projector. Belmont’s IT department has instituted a policy that no outside equipment – such as …
42.39627
-71.17714
Belmont Town Hall
455 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA
/articles/a-peek-at-south-pleasant-streets-future
157295
/locations/5576740
Friday, August 5, 2011
South Pleasant Street rezoning blueprint growing personal between Board and professionals.
It was supposed to be your typical mid-summer town board meeting where housekeeping items are at the top of the agenda and the first priority is to finish the official business early so participants can enjoy the warm evening. But Tuesday’s Planning Board meeting brought a bit of the August heat inside Belmont Town Hall as a contentious altercation between Planning Board Chairman Sami Baghdady and the town's Planning and Economic Development Manager Jay Szklut revealed a growing tension over how best to move forward on the future of South Pleasant Street, the largest and most significant parcel of developable land in Belmont. In a challenge that surprised many in the tone it took, Baghdady confronted Szklut over a three-and-a-half page …
42.388885
-71.192885
Pleasant St & Trapelo Rd, Belmont, MA
/articles/the-battle-over-planning-the-towns-future
/locations/5028245
42.39438
-71.18028
Pleasant St & Snake Hill Rd, Belmont, MA
/articles/the-battle-over-planning-the-towns-future
/locations/5028246
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Town's initial blueprint would allow mixed-development, four stories; a resident raises alarm.
It's the largest portion of developable land in Belmont; the South Pleasant Street corridor has the potential of adding millions of dollars in tax revenue to the town’s coffers. And if the town’s Planning Department’s initial blueprint presented Tuesday night, June 28, to the Belmont Planning Board was adopted, a new village-style neighborhood would arise where abandoned garages and empty lots now stand adjacent the long-winding road between Shaw’s supermarket and the Belmont Police Station. “My vision for (the south Pleasant Street development plan) is that it’s a village atmosphere as opposed to a planned unit development,” said Jay Szklut, manager of Planning and Economic Development of his draft outline. Szklut’s report – which he …
Friday, May 20, 2011
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's Planning Department to begin work on possible zoning bylaws to be presented at the third forum scheduled for either July 12 or 19. 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 Planning Board Chairman Sami Baghdady in an interview after the meeting. “Depending…
42.397157
-71.17686
Planning Division
19 Moore St, Belmont, MA
/articles/zoning-blueprint-pushed-for-south-pleasant-street
230758
/locations/4388203
Bonnie Friedman
9:15 pm on Sunday, August 7, 2011
I was at the South Pleasant Street planning meetings, and I don't think there was a clear consensus on residential units. I remember lots of us supporting mixed-use in this area. I also don't remember a clear consensus on dividing the area into two separate zoning areas. I can also understand why Jay Szklut is surprised by the Planning Committee's report. more ›