April 4, 2023
A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School
Issue #3
The Parking Dilemma by Will Sandor ’27 and Brandon Li ’26
You may have noticed the large banners hanging on fences surrounding Belmont Hill’s campus, or the yard signs scattered across Belmont on sidewalks and lawns. One sign declares, “99 YEARS TO BUILD A REPUTATION, 1 YEAR TO DESTROY!” Another sign reads, “F FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES.” As it turns out, these bitter messages refer to a dispute between Belmont Hill and its neighbors, one that has inflamed our school’s relations with the surrounding locals. Belmont Hill has always been associated with sports – one of the first things that come to mind when talking about our school are the sports programs. The support for these programs is overwhelming, and countless friends and families of student-athletes come to watch them play every week. However, these sporting events often overwhelm our relatively small parking lot, resulting in frustration for would-be spectators unable to find a place to park. Because of this lack of parking, during the average BH sports event, between 29-75 cars are parked along neighborhood streets, which often results in angry complaints from locals. As a result, the school administration has decided to construct three new parking lots on unused land across the roundabout near the main entrance to the school. This would provide space for three new parking lots with around 150 spaces, along with a new facilities building. Although this idea may seem fairly straightforward and uncontroversial at first, local communities have protested the decision for various reasons. The main argument used by local opposition to the new construction plan has rested on the negative effects of the 1.7 acres of deforestation that will be necessary to clear the land, both on an economic and moral level. On an economic level, clearing trees will decrease property values, since people tend to like living near nature. The town of Belmont has always prided itself on being filled with trees and wildlife, especially given its proximity to Boston. Some residents believe that allowing us to construct this parking lot would set a precedent for more deforestation for non-residential purposes, ultimately taking away Belmont’s appeal as a heavily-forested town of homes. On a moral level, those opposed to the project argue that the deforestation will push out local wildlife, along with contributing to climate change. A quick visit to one of the websites set up by the local opposition, “belmontwild.org,” will reveal just how much the culture of natural preservation and “tree-loving” among Belmont’s residents has influenced their decision to protest – the website repeatedly states that the construction project “does not represent the values of Belmont.” Our school has always maintained good relations with its neighbors. Even so, the new proposal has caused some in the local community to view this act as a betrayal of trust, shifting our public image from a “good neighbor” to a “greedy, self-serving private institution that throws money around to do whatever its whims tell it to.”
However, from the perspective of those that support our school, the deforestation argument can be pretty unconvincing. In terms of wildlife, it’s unlikely that the deforestation of 1.7 acres of land will have a significant impact on wildlife in Belmont, which is heavily forested and covers 3008 acres. The new complex will be filled with shrubs and trees, which will help to offset the environmental impacts clearing the land will cause. Concerns about climate change, while well-founded, are almost certainly impractical – hundreds of thousands of acres of forest are destroyed elsewhere in the world every single day, and the effects blocking the project would have on reducing global emissions would be negligible. The relatively small impact that stopping the project would have on environmental issues makes it clear that the locals resisting the change are not as concerned about the actual health of the environment as they are about the aesthetics of the environment surrounding their homes. This makes the issue much more personal, and more difficult to solve as a result.
Locals who are opposed to this project have found various ways to protest this project. Some have set up yard signs and hung up banners decrying Belmont Hill’s “hypocrisy” in teaching students the importance of moral virtue and environmental conservation, then going on to violate these principles themselves. Others have sent letters to the local planning board expressing their disapproval of the project. One group of around twenty protesters, composed of adults and children alike, gathered at the entrance to Belmont Hill on the night of the “100 Years of Arts” celebration to voice their concerns. Notably, one protester was dressed as the Lorax, referencing the Dr. Seuss story for children that has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity among climate activists. In addition, protesters have used the Internet to spread awareness about the topic, including a Change.org petition asking planning board officials to block the project that has received over 2,700 signatures, a GoFundMe that seeks to use the money obtained to pursue legal action against Belmont Hill, and countless videos and messages across social media websites expressing resistance to the new project. Even if our school is doing something locals don’t like at the moment, it has a history
of giving back to the community and supporting the town of Belmont. One example of this has been the free access to school facilities Belmont locals enjoy, whether it be athletic facilities for youth sports teams or meeting spaces for local organizations. Our community has also been heavily involved in community service in the area, ranging from mentoring at local schools to frequent participation in local charity drives. In addition, we spend over $285,000 each year on goods and services from local businesses, greatly contributing to the local economy. In all cases, Belmont Hill’s reputation as a neighbor should not be “destroyed” as some locals are suggesting; the aesthetic value of the trees surrounding a few homes should pale in comparison to the services and economic benefits our school provides to the town as a whole.
Overall, there are good arguments for both sides in this scenario. From the locals’ perspective, the greedy and self-serving Belmont Hill school is violating the town’s historic values as “nature and tree lovers,” which might set a precedent for more deforestation and industrialization. However, from the perspective of those in support of our school, a group of entitled locals is trying to meddle in Belmont Hill’s affairs on their own land, using impractical moral arguments as a smokescreen to disguise the true nature of their disagreement. It’s likely that if our school was located anywhere besides Belmont, this plan would go through without much resistance. However, we must respect local values while searching for a compromise, recognizing that it’s pretty important to have your neighbor like you instead of dislike you. Regardless, the whole affair remains frustrating for school officials; Headmaster Schneider has recently stated, “We feel like we did exactly what the town has asked us to do, and we’ve tried to really navigate the public process as transparently as possible.”