News

The school will start cutting down trees the week of September 18. Despite the court's ruling that the DEP should asseses the land, the school is pushing forward with it's plans.

Zoning board of Appeals Aug 21, 2023

• Appeal to the PB decision filed on 6/26 by 100+ Belmont residents was discussed

• Public comments by about 20 Belmont residents decrying the insanity of the planning board process and urging for reconsideration

• School lawyer argued against the standing of the appelants and that one cannot appeal a stormwater permit, only a building permit

• ZBA voted to deny the appeal, citing essentially the school lawyer's arguments

• Video is here https://belmontmedia.org/ZBA

Zoning board July 7, 2023

• First meeting on BHS scheduled for Aug 21 at 7pm

Planning Board May 16

• Agenda items include discussion of Developmental Impact Report by-law by Ralph Jones

• Discussion of Open Meeting Law violation complaint

• Meeting at 7pm, zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88025342855

Planning Board May 2

• Matt Lowrie has resigned from the Planning Board.

• Jeff Birenbaum elected new chair, Carol Berberian as vice chair. Karl Haglund to resign as of May 16.

Planning Board meeting April 18

• Conditions for decision include

  • b) Work shall not begin within 100 feet of the currently identified wetland buffer zone, until the pending appeal of the Belmont Conservation Committee's denial of iurisdiction has been finally resolved in a manner where the Proiect continues to remain outside the wetland buffer zone.

  • h) Before East Campus Parking is opened, the School will implement the cross-walk describedin its March 21, 2023 submission. The School will be responsible for securing whatever rights and permits are needed for that work. To the extent that the work is nottimely authorized after being requested by the School, by whatever parties or authorities may havejurisdiction, this condition will be void.

• Decision is approved https://www.belmont-ma.gov/planning-board/files/23-04-dspr-decision-final

Planning Board meting March 21

• Video is https://www.belmontmedia.org/watch/planning-board-town-belmont

• School offers to add crosswalk across Park Ave, based on 2019 rotary plans. Details unclear

• Lowrie calls for a vote to end public hearing. Vote is seconded by Donham. Lowrie, Donham and Haglund vote yes, Birenbaum abstains, Berberian votes no.

• Next meeting is April 11, where final vote will be taken.

Select Board Meeting March 6 at 7pm

• Video is https://www.belmontmedia.org/watch/belmont-select-board

• Select Board said they consulted Town Counsel about firing Lowrie, but it is not possible.

• No public comments were taken, but two citizens spoke up anyway protesting Lowrie.

2/27/23 Letter to the editor, Belmontian by the  Belmont High School Climate Club
http://belmontonian.com/letter-to-the-editor/letter-to-the-editor-belmont-hill-proposed-parking-lot-unhealthy-for-wildlife-community/

Planning board meeting Feb 21, 2023

• Traffic report was discussed, as was the peer-review of the report

Article in the Boston Globe by John Hilliard published 2/14/23

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/15/metro/school-literally-wants-pave-paradise-put-up-parking-lot-belmont-hill-proposal-divides-town/

Planning board meeting Feb 14, 2023

• Eric Kramer from Reed-Hilderbrand (landscape architects) spoke about the landscaping

• Jeff Birenbaum pressed to get an inventory of the trees that will be cut down. Lowrie said they don't need to, because of Dover, and can cut down whatever trees they want

• 3 public comments were taken. 

• Ordering a Developmental Impact Report was not discussed. A wildlife survey was not discussed. No additional peer reviews were discussed.

School revised their plans on Feb 6, 2023

• Details of agreement  https://www.belmont-ma.gov/planning-board/files/23-04-hill-school-updated-project-information

• Short summary

  • Removed the proposed outdoor above ground fuel storage tanks

  • Moved the fence by the parking lot instead of at the edge of the property

  • Maintenance building rotated and moved back 10 feet

• School has also updated their website with weak  responses to many of our objections https://www.belmonthill.org/east-campus-project 

1-17-23: article by Scott Van Voorhis in Contrarian Boston  https://scottvanvoorhis.substack.com/p/01182023

Planning board meeting Jan 10

• Video is https://www.belmontmedia.org/watch/planning-board-town-belmont

• Lowrie allowed public comment

• Matthew Schwartz discussed the justification for parking, showing that the need is at most 63 spaces while the request is for 147.

• Judith Feinlieb, Laura Vecchione, and others also spoke

Jan 3, 2023: Justin Roe discusses School Claims Parking is “Educational Use” in Belmont Citizens Forum: https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2023/01/03/school-claims-parking-is-educational-use/

Planning board meeting Dec 20

• Video is https://www.belmontmedia.org/watch/planning-board-town-belmont

• Lowrie discusses challenges for on-street parking

• Town Council George Hall discusses Dover Amendment issues

• No public comments were allowed

Planning board meeting Dec 6:

• Recording is here https://belmontmedia.org/watch/planning-board-12062022

• Lowrie discussed development Impact Report, timeline of construction, and Dover amendment were discussed.

• School explained that they are short 29 spaces if all 277 (approx 135 staff + 142 students) park simultaneously on campus. With the Arlinton lot they currently have 21 spaces extra.

•  Wes Austin (an abutter) presented comparison of parking needs to other comparable schools

• Justin Roe (an abutter) discussed problems with the maintenance facility and discussed problems with the trucks they plan to park there

• Nov 15: Blogging belmont guest post by Don Hafner. https://www.bloggingbelmont.com/2022/11/opinion-belmont-hill-school-lot-turns-back-progress-on-environment/

• Nov 11: Belmontian interviews Tanya Austin http://belmontonian.com/news/qa-residents-standing-firm-opposing-belmont-hill-schools-parking-proposal-as-project-comes-before-planning-board-video/

• Nov 12: Letters with 1000 Belmont resident signatures were sent to the Select Board and the Belmont Hill School.

• We have a facebook group Keep Belmont Wild please join!

• Nov 9: Judith Feinlieb wrote about the Belmont Hill School in her"If I may" blog https://jfeinleibifimay.com/?p=1202

• On Nov 8, Head of School Greg Schneider rolled out their new website defending the project and sent a letter to the school community. Our response to the letter is here

• On Nov 7, during the Select Board meeting

  • Two citizens spoke up during public comments requesting that the Select Board hold a Public Forum to address concerns of Belmont citizens.

  • Candidates for the Planning Board were interviewed. Selectman Adam Dash asked every candidate if they had a conflict of interest on the Belmont Hill School project.

• Nov 1 Planning Board meeting

  • Video here https://www.belmontmedia.org/watch/planning-board-town-belmont

  • The proposal was not considered. 

  • Matt Lowrie chair of the Planning Board indicated in the last 5 minutes that he was working with the school to improve their presentation. 

• Oct 31: Tanya Austin wrote an article in the Belmont Citizen's Forum https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2022/10/31/letters-to-the-editor-belmont-hill-plans-bike-trails

• June 20: Justin Roe wrote an article in the Belmont Citizen's Forum https://www.belmontcitizensforum.org/2022/06/20/belmont-hill-school-plans-to-pave-woodlands/