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Belmont council hears Age Friendly City action plan emphasizing mobility, housing and emergency preparedness for older adults
Summary
Consultants from the Center for Age Friendly Excellence presented Belmont's action plan, which draws on seven focus groups and a 229‑response community survey; the plan recommends projects across eight domains (plus a newly added emergency services domain) to help older residents age in place.
Consultants from the Center for Age Friendly Excellence (CAFE) presented Belmont's Age Friendly City Action Plan at Tuesday's council meeting, summarizing survey and focus group findings and recommending a multi‑year set of projects to support older adults.
The 5Ws: CAFE consultants Anne O'Brien and Karen Cunningham told the City Council the plan is a five‑year roadmap based on seven focus groups and a 229‑response community survey. The document maps strategies across eight World Health Organization‑based domains of livability — outdoor spaces, transportation, housing, social participation, communication, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, community support and health services — and CAFE added a ninth domain, emergency services, following staff consultation in February 2025.
Why it matters: The plan is intended to identify low‑cost, short‑term projects and longer‑term priorities that help older residents remain independent and connected. It recommends outreach, accessibility upgrades, intergenerational programming, technology training, and greater inclusion of older adults in housing conversations — all intended to address unmet needs surfaced in Belmont’s focus groups and survey.
Key recommendations and supporting details - Outreach and information: The plan calls for centralized, accessible places to share information about services — the senior center, library and community hubs such as farmers markets and local diners — and for technology classes and improved internet access to reduce digital exclusion. - Outdoor spaces and mobility: CAFE recommended research into age‑friendly seating and park furniture, partnerships to expand pedestrian and bike safety education, and better promotion of existing mobility options such as county senior guides and local shuttle services. - Housing and inclusion: The plan urges the city to ensure that older adults are included in housing discussions and made aware of upcoming affordable units as they become available. - Emergency preparedness: CAFE added emergency services as a formal domain and recommends targeted outreach (including SMC Alert and Genesys signups), emergency preparedness training for older adults, and distribution of paper checklists (for example, in water bills) because older adults tend to prefer printed materials.
Survey and engagement background CAFE reported that Belmont’s certification process began in 2022; focus groups and surveys informed the action plan. Consultants said the plan is a living document and can be adjusted by staff and council priorities. "The action plan is a living document that will continually evolve in order to support older adults and continue to be relevant as you need it to be," Anne O'Brien said during the presentation.
Council response and next steps Council members praised the city staff and the parks and recreation team for existing senior services and welcomed the plan’s practical suggestions. CAFE said the city should submit the action plan for AARP approval and schedule periodic evaluations; staff will consider which projects to implement and suggested forming ad hoc committees or a senior advisory group to pursue age‑friendly furniture, outreach and intergenerational events.
No formal council action was taken; the presentation was accepted and staff will follow up as the city incorporates the action plan’s recommendations.
