Attend the Kickoff Meeting for Belmont's new Comprehensive Plan

The Kickoff Summit is an effort to get the public engaged in the process and update everyone on the progress made so far. As many of you know, the Office of Community Development is heading up this process and solicited community feedback last Spring on residents’ feelings about life in town, commercial development and their vision of Belmont’s future.  The results of that survey (to which 500 residents responded) have been collected and analyzed by Larry Koff & Associates. You can review a summary of the findings here (note: PDF document). Reminders have gone out from Jen Fallon, Planning Board Chair to members of the various town committees to encourage attendance. Following the kickoff, there will be a series of meetings this Fall around specific topics (dates to be determined), including: Historic Preservation, Public Facilities/finance, Open Space, Housing, Energy Reduction & Transportation. There will also be three public workshops on plans for the town’s business districts: Belmont Center, Brighton Street, and Concord Ave. A second meeting will focus on the Trapelo Corridor Villages and south Pleasant Street. Finally, a third workshop will focus on Greenbelt Corridors, Concord Ave., neighborhood connections and historic preservation. The plan will be up for final approval in the Spring.

Belmont Farmer's Market - best in Boston

It wasn’t mentioned in the Boston magazine piece, but I’d add Baba Ganoush and Hummus from Belmont’s own Samira’s Homemade, which the Roberts family is crazy about. The article has the ring of truth: I know of a few friends who trek over from Arlington, Watertown and other locales to get what Belmont’s Farmer’s market has to offer, even though their towns offer perfectly respectable alternatives. Boston Mag gave Lexington’s Farmer’s Market at Union Square the runner’s up award. In its fourth season, Belmont Farmer’s Market takes place every Thursday through October 29 in the municipal parking lot in Belmont Center (behind Macy’s, etc.). Check it out!