Idea #107 -- Reevaluate Town Zoning with Master Plan

Idea #107 – Reevaluate Town Zoning with Master Plan

Report Status: Fully Reviewed

Researched by: Brian Antonellis

Original Idea as Submitted

Review re-zoning opportunities to increase revenue-generating properties

Other ideas included in this report

#106, #119-Upon completion of Cushing Village project, review surrounding parking management issues and opportunities.
#127 – Examine new growth opportunities at South Pleasant Street and recommend the Town re-zone this area to encourage development.
#130 – McLean/Northland Development
#154 – Adopt zoning overlays for South Pleasant Street to spur development
#167 – Create a revised Economic Development Committee to help businesses
#174 – Create a revised Economic Development Committee to help businesses
#175 – Cushing Square Development
#176 – Acorn Park Development
#202 – Negotiate McLean development
#231 – Modify zoning restrictions along Trapelo Rd to allow more multifamily housing above the businesses.
#233 – Offer tax incentives to drive businesses to town
#245 – Create overlay district along commuter rail line near BHS campus (Hittinger/Brighton St) to allow large commercial developments.
#247 – Find friendly 40B projects and rezones areas to increase affordable housing to achieve 10% threshold.
#255 – Examine West Belmont for office development use.
#270 – Relax the height limit/use limit on all commercial lots in Belmont
#277 – Develop Trapelo Rd, Pleasant St, and Concord Ave.
#300 – Increase building permit requests filed by non-residents (developers, etc.)
#301 – Improve transparency for commercial development,
#331 – While understanding land/space is limited, I would love to see us take meaningful steps to bring more commercial space and business to Belmont.
#332 – I just submitted my suggestion about encouraging more business to come to Belmont
#351 – Build a shopping mall or a casino somewhere on Belmont Hill
#362 – My thought (if its structurally possible) is what if an RFP went out to develop 2 more stories of office space over the 1 story buildings in downtown
#380 Create a new Open Space/Conservation Overlay District where commercial, industrial, and residential use is prohibited.
#418 – SCI-142 Offer property tax incentives for apartment owners to turn their apartments into affordable housing. This would alleviate Belmont's shortage of affordable housing much faster and at much lower cost than building new units. Plus Belmont would still be able to build new affordable housing to accommodate new residents. [snip]
#419 – SCI-143 The construction of the Community Path along an abandoned railroad line through Belmont (E/W) will mark a major turning point for the town and the most significant piece of new infrastructure affecting Belmont’s neighborhoods and economy since the creation of Route 2 in the early 1970s. The Community Path is 21st century infrastructure that will create a major thoroughfare for pedestrian and bicycle traffic for commuters heading into Cambridge/Boston via Alewife and for pleasure seekers taking advantage of a safe, car free passage out from Cambridge/Boston to points west. It will also draw younger workers interested in “car free” living and commuting to Belmont. Our Town should welcome this change with open arms...but that requires forethought and planning. [snip]

Idea intent

Review Town zoning and redevelopment opportunities to create a strategic vision on how development will happen.

Weighted Final Score: 51 (Financial Impact: 5, Operational Impact: 2, Time Scale: 2, Ease of Implementation: 1)

Background Information

Belmont needs a comprehensive master plan. The current master plan was written in 2010 and does not consider the current market or needs of the town. This plan is required to be updated every ten years by State law.

Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is an organization which assists in community outreach and the preparation of municipalities master plans. Master plans are a guidance document that includes a zoning study. The final zoning bylaws based on the master plan guidance need to be approved during a Town Meeting (two-thirds majority vote).

The town has applied to the MAPC's Technical Assistance Program (https://www.mapc.org/about-mapc/funding-opportunities/) for funding support (which is usually in the form of in-kind consulting from MAPC staff) to support a master plan.

In January 2021, the Massachusetts Legislature adopted an Economic Development Bond Bill (H5250) that made long-overdue changes to the state’s Zoning Act. The “Housing Choices” sections of the bill made it easier for municipalities to adopt pro-housing zoning changes, discourage meritless anti-housing lawsuits, and require each municipality that is a MBTA community to zone for multifamily housing by right. The new multifamily zoning requirement could be a tremendous opportunity for the region and its municipalities.

The law created a new section—Section 3A—in the Zoning Act and authorized the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOHED) to develop guidelines for implementation of the requirements. Draft guidelines for the program were issued on December 15, 2021; and EOHED is inviting comments on the guidelines until March 31, 2022.

Recommendations

Create a comprehensive town master plan
- A committee should work with the town to design a future plan of where we want to drive commercial development and what type of commercial development will create the largest increase in revenue/benefits, but also the lowest burden on the town and its services.
Meet with MAPC on how they can help and where to leverage their experience in the process.
There was a "Master Plan Refresh Committee" appointed but it never met. The Vision 21 Implementation Committee is coordinating a restart to this effort, including the funding application noted above, and will support the refresh committee, but the plan is for that committee to take the lead. This should also be a full comprehensive plan not a simple refresh. For more details, see Idea #40.
The master plan should walk residents though the benefits and risks of rezoning specific areas of the town, and ultimately, why these zoning changes will help protect the town going forward from unwanted development by guiding developers to what residents believe will help the future of our town.
Zoning should include a developer’s perspective to help reduce development risk and barriers to entry. This will subsequently allow for a quicker development process and path to increased real estate values.
Apply for State and Federal grants related to the funding of a master plan.

Next Steps

Engage MAPC to create a comprehensive master plan which will include a review of potential rezoning of the town and promote redevelopment in line with the community desires embodied in the final master plan.
To remain in compliance with the Economic Development Bond Bill (H5250) law (Section 3A of MGL 40A) Belmont must:
- Hold a briefing of the Select Board on the Draft Compliance Guidance no later than May 2, 2022.
- Submit the MBTA Community Information Form no later than May 2, 2022.