Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - January 21, 2026: Oak Knoll Improvement and Centennial Updates
Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting - January 21, 2026
The Belmont Parks and Recreation Commission met on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at City Council Chambers. The meeting focused on a recommendation to select a design consultant for the Oak Knoll Improvement Project, a proposed pocket park at the end of Oak Knoll Drive. The commission also approved consent calendar items, heard public comments, and received updates on centennial events and department activities. All six commissioners present voted unanimously on both agenda items.
Consent Calendar
- December 3, 2025 Draft Minutes – Approved unanimously (6-0) as presented, with no commissioners requesting separate discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Henry – Expressed passionate support for the project, noting he originally brought the opportunity to the city's attention a few years ago and recently moved to Pine Street. He thanked the commission for their efforts and highlighted continued interest from young families.
- Oliver – Expressed surprise at the level of investment (professional planners, architects, contractors) but appreciated the funding. He offered to volunteer time and effort, and noted he lives just a few houses from the site and has two young children.
- Mimi – Expressed excitement and support, living downhill from the proposed area and walking there often. She has children and sees the park as a destination for neighborhood meetups. She thanked Henry for his advocacy and looked forward to participating in next steps.
- Chair Emkin acknowledged the positive feedback and explained that city development costs reflect the need for safety, proper regulations, and thorough processes.
Discussion Items
- Oak Knoll Improvement Project Design Consultant Recommendation – Staff reported that a subcommittee (Commissioners Michaels, Whitmore, Parks Manager Matt Ward, and Chair Emkin) reviewed three proposals for designing a roughly 3,000-square-foot cul-de-sac space at the end of Oak Knoll Drive. The site is not a designated park but identified as an opportunity in the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan. The subcommittee independently scored proposals on professionalism, quality, pricing, and one additional factor (not recalled). They reached consensus to recommend Calendar and Associates as the design consultant. Calendar’s proposal was described as complete, professional, cost-effective, and aligned with Belmont’s character. It emphasized community engagement at the site (walk-and-talk sessions) and allowed for additional presentations if needed. Commissioners noted Calendar’s previous work on the Northfield project and that the lack of on-site irrigation would limit amenities but mature trees would be preserved. Discussion also touched on future park naming opportunities (e.g., Oak Knoll Park) and the possibility of community input in naming.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Recommend Calendar and Associates – Approved unanimously (6-0). This allows staff to begin contract approval and schedule next steps, including neighborhood meetings and community input sessions.
- Funds Budgeted – The project funds are already budgeted; no additional appropriation needed.
- Consent Calendar Approved – Unanimous approval of December 3, 2025, minutes.
Other Business & Updates
- Department Updates – Highlights included: the Santa Firehouse event (new Santa, Grinch appearance, toy donations); completion of some Happy Hydrants; reopened applications for Happy Hydrant and utility box painting (part of centennial); summer hiring for camp counselors, pool managers, lifeguards, and swim instructors (applications close end of February); centennial swag shop now live (shirts, hats, jackets); upcoming events: Music & Open Mic Night (Jan 24), MLK Poetry & Essay Contest (deadline Feb 2), Lunar New Year Celebration (Feb 8), Superstars & Sweetheart Dance (Feb 13, registration low).
- Centennial Celebrations – The commission announced a “100 Celebrations” initiative encouraging residents to host small gatherings (backyard picnics, block parties) and register them; the city will provide napkins and swag. A walking tour, parade details, and a model of the Belmont School for Boys (to be displayed at City Hall) are in development. Podcasts featuring oral histories of Belmont residents are being uploaded.
- Park Boosters – Acknowledged for funding a new speaker/microphone set for city events.
- Meeting Schedule – This was the consolidated meeting for January and February; the next regular meeting is the first Wednesday in March (which will also be the last meeting for the outgoing youth commissioner, who was thanked for service).
Meeting Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting for Wednesday, January 21st, 2026. We are here in City Council Chambers. For public participation, you can view things the meeting on Comcast, Cable 27. It's streamed live via the city's website at www.belmont.gov or via Zoom. The address for that would be BelmontGov.zoom.us. Select join and enter the meeting ID 924 8319-3757. For public comment, public in the council chambers may present the clerk a request to speak slip found at the rear of the chamber. If participating virtually, use the raise hand feature to request to speak. For dialing comments, call star 67 1669 900 6833. Your phone number will appear on the live broadcast if star 67 is not dialed prior to the phone number. Enter meeting ID 924 8319 3757 and press star nine to request to speak. All public comments are subject to a three-minute time limit unless otherwise determined by the committee chair. To submit a written public comment, email PRC.com at Belmont.gov before the commission considers the item. Please indicate the agenda item topic or agenda item number you wish to comment on in your email subject line. Any public comment regarding agenda items that are received from the publication of the agenda through the meeting date will be made part of the meeting record but will not be read during the committee meeting. The chair also has the authority to order any person who willfully interrupts the meeting to be removed. All persons are expected to conduct themselves with civility and courtesy at all times. All persons giving comments shall speak directly to the commission and address issues, not individuals. Personal attacks, cursing outbursts from the audience in support or opposition to a speaker are not tolerated in order to foster an environment where everyone feels welcome to speak. Okay, for our agenda, item number one is roll call. Commissioner Lee? Here. Commissioner Michaels? Here. Commissioner Whitmore? Here. Commissioner Lieford. Here. Commissioner Cunha? Here. Chair Emkin? Here. Commissioner Hill and Youth Commissioner Perez and Benkatech are absent. Item number two, uh, all rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. To the Republic, which is one nation, an argument on individual with liberty and justice. Item number three, community forum. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the commission on any city matter within the purview of the commission, which is not on the agenda. The period for public comment at this point in the agenda is limited to a maximum of three minutes per speaker. Do we have any speaker slips or raised hands? We do not. Um item number four, commissioner announcements or agenda amendments. Any announcements? Oh, we're all we're all so quiet tonight. Okay. Well, you can always bring it up at the end if you think of something that you wanted to mention. Item number five, consent calendar. Consent calendar items are considered routine in nature and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion on these items unless a commissioner or staff request specific items be removed for separate action. We only have one item, and that is the December 3rd, 2025 draft minutes. And the recommendation is to approve the minutes as presented.
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