“Till Belmont Gets a Village” – The Case For Overlay Zoning 

Belmont has never been afraid to go its own way and do what it thinks is right. In 1859, our community incorporated by carving out territory from Watertown, West Cambridge, and Waltham, despite opposition from all three neighbors. As one opponent put it:

There is no business center nor anything approximating to such, in the whole proposed town… There is nothing which makes a town except people and houses, and these for the most part are scattered over four square miles of territory. — Ivers J. Austin

The author, Ivers J. Austin, serving as counsel to Watertown opponents, argued that the corn grown in what is now Belmont’s Winn Brook neighborhood still had to be ground in Watertown, since the proposed town of Belmont had “no water power… nor ever can have.” Moreover, “till Belmont gets a village,” he contended, the proposed citizens of Belmont would still have to go to Watertown, West Cambridge, or Boston for supplies and meals out, for there was “no house of public entertainment.” 

Belmont ultimately built its own village, but – more than a century and a half later – our town still stands to benefit from expanding its local commerce. If, in the 1850s, Belmontonians had “no house of public entertainment,” today we might drive to another town to find family- or teen-friendly activities, like Brighton Bowl or Versus Arcade. And, as a community, we still need to attract customers from Belmont and surrounding communities if we hope to help sustain Belmont businesses.This means creating commercial areas that draw people in and serve the public’s needs, generating more foot traffic.

Zoning for buildings with commercial space on the lower floors and housing above them will not only bring more foot traffic to existing stores and eateries. It will also provide Belmont residents with what we have long asked for: a way to age in place safely. A recent survey conducted by Belmont’s Council on Aging found that nearly half of respondents reported that their home needed modifications or repairs for safety’s sake. Many would like to live in an apartment, condominium, or townhome in Belmont if they were to move in the next five years. However, such accommodations are in very short supply here and come at a very high cost. We can change this by approving the proposed Belmont Center Overlay district. Doing so will create incentives for private developers to build mixed-use accessible buildings in the town center, allowing seniors to age in place and in proximity to town amenities.

Take the old Bank of America building. This building and its roped-off lot have sat unused for over three and a half years – relinquishing potential revenue that redevelopment could bring. Imagine instead a new, more attractive, multi-story building with a family-friendly restaurant on the ground floor, an exercise studio on the second floor, and two floors of accessible apartments overhead. To do this under current zoning laws would require a string of exceptions to existing zoning – adding time, expense, uncertainty, and red tape that drive developers away. 

Adopting the Belmont Center zoning overlay would clear away those obstacles, simplifying “by right” zoning and thereby encouraging the development of old and unused or underused parcels in Belmont Center. The zoning overlay will also tightly regulate the appearance of proposed buildings. This ensures that any new development will fit the town’s aesthetic character – an improvement over our current zoning, which does not provide for this. 

The Overlay Zoning Project was discussed and modified throughout 2025. Town employees and volunteer Planning Board members spent countless hours gathering information, conferring with residents and abutters, presenting ideas, and modifying plans in response to public input. The result is an excellent plan that responds to what Belmont residents and businesses need. 

Back in the 1800s, Belmont did “get a village” when it built Belmont Center. But despite this, our more populous neighbor to our south still grinds a lot of our proverbial corn. I’ll continue to drive to Watertown for my gym, but I would much rather walk to one here in Belmont. We can make this wonderful town we inhabit more vibrant commercially: providing residents with easy access to the businesses, services and housing options they need, while promoting infrastructure to help the wonderful businesses we already have. Doing so will improve our commercial sector, our quality of life, and our town’s finances. It takes a village to improve a village, and the Overlay Zoning Project does just that. I urge you to join me in supporting it and encouraging your Town Meeting representative to vote in favor of the Town Center overlay zoning at the upcoming Town Meeting.

— Mary Lewis, Town Meeting Member, Precinct 1