The East Campus parking lot has finally arrived, providing 150 parking spots—including five handicapped and four electric vehicle spots—for Belmont Hill faculty, staff, and other guests at special events and game days. “It was definitely necessary,” explained Mr. Matos, Director of Facilities, as “[Belmont Hill was] renting 50 parking spots at a lot in Arlington.”
Until last year, Belmont Hill relied on small buses that brought many Form IV and V students to and from the St. Paul Lutheran Church Parking Lot, across the bridge over Route 2, before and after school. Students’ cars are now all together in one spot. Mr. Matos explained that this system is safer because students no longer need to go through traffic if they miss the shuttle—a highly common occurrence. The Church Lot was incredibly inconvenient to students, as they could not regularly access sports equipment, and needed to arrive at and get out of school earlier. Ernest Lai ’25 elaborated; “The Church Lot was really annoying. I had to get there early. If you missed the second [morning] shuttle you were ‘cooked,’ even though you didn’t arrive late. The afternoon was also not great.”
Generally, the faculty approves of their new parking situation. “I love it,” stated Mr. Harvey. “First of all, I’m literally right next to [my class]room, so I’m not walking up a hill. So far, I’ve been able to move my car [to the Jordan lot] after school. I enjoy it…when I get out of the car in the morning, I’m hearing ‘nature’ sounds.”
The school had to obtain approval from the Town of Belmont Planning Board, a lengthy process. Neighbors on nearby Rutledge Road and objectors throughout the town voiced their opposition to the lot, citing both environmental and property-value-related concerns, most notably through an in-person protest in January 2023. However, once the plan was approved, Mr. Matos said the building process was “pretty smooth.” Belmont Hill did not need a special permit at any point in the construction process. Mr. Matos explained that projects of such size and change often require exceptions. He noted that the lot was built entirely “by right.”
Thanks to the advocacy efforts of Belmont Hill’s Sustainability Team and the work of the Facilities Crew, the beautified parking lot now has twice as many trees as the former woodland. The asphalt in the parking lot is also porous, allowing rainwater to be flushed through it and find nearby tree roots. Above all, as far as parking lots go, the space is beautiful and well-manicured due to the diligence of Mr. Matos and his facilities team.
The parking lot facilitates Belmont Hill’s greater future plans regarding the layout of the academic side of campus. Parking spots were removed behind Robsham and the dorms, allowing for a single dropoff and pickup line extending from the Jordan to the entrance behind the Admissions House. These “lost” spots are currently being built behind the Jordan, making that part of campus look nicer while maintaining the number of parking spots. Now, students who cannot drive do not need to cross into parking before or after the school day. There will also be a new bus entrance for visiting sports teams to have easy access to the Jordan lot.
The current facilities building next to the bus dropoff and behind the Chapel is being relocated to the new parking lot. This move is the first step to establishing a new dining hall in that space. Next month, a committee will begin meeting to discuss this construction process. The current dining hall will eventually become classrooms or some other form of student support space.
The East Campus Parking lot is the first step in what will surely be an incredible project to better Belmont Hill’s campus.
