Belmont Unveils Renovated Emmett House

Saturday's rain ceased just long enough for Belmont to enjoy a moment that's been a long time coming: unveiling the renovated Emmett House.

The approximately 100 residents, city officials and local politicians who gathered at the Emmett House on Saturday cheered as Mayor Coralin Feierbach snipped the bright red ribbon with a pair of gigantic scissors, symbolizing, at last, that the Emmett House was open.

“They said it couldn’t be done,” Feierbach said. “It could not be moved; it would fall apart, so let’s tear it down. But it got moved and it looks fantastic. One of our last historical pieces is saved.”

It's been a little more than three years since Belmont residents -- also in the rain -- watched the historic building be moved down the street from Ralston Avenue to its current location at 1000 O'Neill Ave.

The city of Belmont purchased the historic building in 1999, but the first survey of the property dates back to 1990. The house itself -- a two-story Victorian complete with a wraparound porch -- was originally built around 1885.

Belmont Historic Society President Denny Lawhern said there have been more than 125 meetings before the Emmett House reached its current state: modernized and ready for two low-income families to move in.

The building, now split into two homes, features bright, carpeted rooms with views of Belmont from all angles.

The project of renovating the Emmett House, Lawhern said, contained two elements: historic preservation, and providing low- and moderate-income housing.

The Emmett House is named after Walter Emmett, a pioneer, merchant and postmaster who had an early and very strong presence in the city of Belmont.

“We’re here to honor Walter A. Emmett,” Lawhern said. “He came to Belmont in 1880 and became a major merchant who led the business community in the earlier years of Belmont. This was Mr. Emmett’s home.”

Community Development Director Carlos de Melo said the city’s Redevelopment Agency funded the purchase and reconstruction of the original house, as well as the purchase of the lots on which the house now resides.

“The Redevelopment Agency took care of all the components financially to make this home a reality,” de Melo said. “That’s why Redevelopment Agencies are important.”

Assemblymember Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony as well and commended Belmont for its dedication to preserving history.

“This is a perfect example of how Belmont does it best,” Hill said to applause from the audience. “This is a prize that we need to preserve, not just for us, not just for the next generation, but for those generations that we’ll never know.”

Hill also presented the city with a certificate of recognition from the California State Assembly for its “commitment to preserving what’s best about this Peninsula,” he said.

“It’s wonderful that two families will be living in it,” Hill said in an interview after the ceremony. “They were able to preserve the historic value and place this home in a nice neighborhood. It will add a lot to the redevelopment of downtown Belmont.”

City Manager Greg Scoles called the Emmett House a “significant” project for the city of Belmont.

“To me, it represents the history of Belmont,” Parks and Recreation Director Jonathan Gervais said. “Historic structures don’t stand the test of time unless people are taking care of them, monitoring them, managing them, and this, with folks living in it, will stand the test of time.”

Not everyone, however, agrees the building should be used for housing.

Daniel Greenberg, who lives minutes away from the Emmett House near the border of Belmont and San Carlos, said that while he commended Belmont for renovating the historic building, he thought the city could financially benefit more by leasing the property for commercial use.

“Kudos to the people that were involved, it’s a beautiful house,” Greenberg said. “I’ve seen the Emmett House through its transformation, from when it was first moved to this beautiful state today. I think it’s added a lot to the neighborhood.”

But, he added, he believes the building should be used for a purpose other than to house two families.

“They could probably do a better job of preserving this for the long-term by leasing it out for commercial use,” for instance to professional service firms like accounting or law firms, Greenberg said.

“If you’re really looking to preserve a house for the long-term, you don’t have people living in it, you have people using it in a low-traffic manner.”