Most Belmont residents drive Waltermire Avenue without knowing the story behind the name. Discover how Edward Waltermire helped build Belmont’s first business district, operated the historic Belmont Hotel, and shaped the community before Belmont became a city.
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If you’ve lived in Belmont Heights or Belcrest Gardens for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed the barrier gate at the end of Hallmark Drive.
Most people drive by it without giving it much thought. To many residents, the barrier was never simply a gate. It became a symbol of local involvement and community identity. Dick Green’s History of Belmont Heights describes the barrier as one of the Belmont Heights Civic Improvement Association’s greatest accomplishments, helping preserve the neighborhood’s quiet residential character for generations.
But that modest gate has quietly been the subject of neighborhood discussion, city planning, emergency preparedness concerns, and even debate between Belmont and San Carlos residents for years.
The debate extended beyond Belmont. At the time, San Carlos officials favored connecting Crestview Drive and Hallmark Drive, arguing it would benefit the public. Belmont Heights residents saw things differently, believing the connection would primarily serve as a shortcut for regional traffic. The disagreement drew large crowds to city meetings on both sides of the city boundary before the barrier was ultimately approved.
Now it’s about to change.
Nearly fifty years later, the discussion surrounding the Hallmark barrier has shifted. The original debate focused on traffic and neighborhood quality of life. Today’s discussion centers on emergency preparedness and evacuation planning. Yet the goal remains remarkably similar: finding the right balance between public access and protecting the character of Belmont Heights.
Beginning June 15, the City of Belmont will begin construction on the Hallmark-Crestview Gate Replacement Project. The existing gate will be removed and replaced with a larger emergency access gate. Construction is expected to take just over two weeks, with completion anticipated before the Fourth of July holiday.
At first glance, it may seem like a simple public works project.
It isn’t.
A Gate With a Purpose
The Hallmark-Crestview connection has long served as a barrier between neighborhoods.
For decades, many Belmont Heights residents have supported keeping the gate closed because it prevents Hallmark Drive from becoming a convenient shortcut between Belmont and San Carlos. Without the barrier, neighborhood streets could potentially see a significant increase in commuter traffic heading toward Highway 92 and Interstate 280.
The gate has helped preserve the quieter residential character of the neighborhood.
The new project does not change that.
The road will remain closed to normal through traffic.
Why Replace It?
The answer lies in a concern that has become increasingly important throughout California: emergency evacuation.
As wildfire risks have increased across the state, cities have been taking a closer look at emergency access routes and evacuation planning. While the existing Hallmark gate has allowed traditional fire apparatus to pass through, concerns have been raised that larger emergency equipment could face limitations.
The replacement gate is designed to provide improved emergency access while still maintaining the traffic barrier residents have long supported.
In practical terms, Belmont is attempting to accomplish two goals simultaneously:
• Preserve neighborhood character.
• Improve emergency preparedness.
A Joint Belmont–San Carlos Effort
In May 2026, the Belmont City Council approved an agreement with the City of San Carlos regarding the gate replacement. The two cities agreed to share the cost of upgrading the emergency access facility.
That partnership underscores something important: this isn’t viewed as a neighborhood convenience project. It’s considered part of the broader emergency response infrastructure serving both communities.
What Residents Can Expect
During construction, the existing gate will be removed and temporary lightweight barricades will be installed. Those barricades can be moved quickly should emergency access be required.
The project includes:
• Removal of the existing gate and associated improvements.
• Installation of a larger emergency access gate.
• Reconstruction of portions of the adjacent roadway.
• Sidewalk improvements near the gate.
Construction is expected to be completed by July 2.
The Bigger Picture
For many years, discussions about the Hallmark gate often centered on traffic.
Today, the conversation is increasingly about resilience.
Whether the concern is wildfire, earthquake, severe weather, or another emergency, communities throughout California are looking for ways to improve evacuation options without dramatically altering neighborhood character.
The Hallmark-Crestview Gate Replacement Project appears to be Belmont’s attempt to do exactly that.
The gate will remain closed to everyday traffic.
But if a major emergency ever occurs, Belmont Heights and Belcrest Gardens residents will have a stronger, more capable secondary access route available to emergency responders and evacuation planners.
Most days, the new gate will simply sit there quietly, much like the one before it.
Hopefully, that’s exactly how it stays.
But if the day ever comes when it’s needed, residents may be very glad Belmont decided to make the investment. We’ll see…
As always, thaniks for reading along…
Drew and Christine Morgan are experienced REALTORS and NOTARY PUBLIC located in Belmont, CA, where they own and operate MORGANHOMES, Inc. They have assisted buyers and sellers in their community for over 30 years. Drew and Christine have received the coveted Diamond award, ranking among the top 50 agents nationwide and the top 3 in Northern California by RE/MAX. To contact them, please call (650) 508.1441 or emailinfo@morganhomes.com.
For all you need to know about Belmont, subscribe to this blog right here. You can also follow us on Facebook and on X.
This article provides educational information and is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be considered real estate, tax, insurance, or legal advice; it cannot replace advice tailored to your situation. It’s always best to seek guidance from a professional familiar with your scenario.
BROKER | MANAGER | NOTARY
Have you ever driven through Belmont and wondered who the people behind the street names were?
Not just wondered briefly, but really wondered.
Who was Lyon? Why is there a Monroe Drive? Was Alameda de las Pulgas always called that? And what is the story behind that curious little round turret building that still stands along the roadway like something left behind from another century?
The answers are hiding in plain sight.
Every day, thousands of Belmont residents travel roads named after men they have never met, pass buildings whose original purpose has long been forgotten, and live atop land that once held dreams grand enough to rival the Peninsula’s most exclusive communities.
To uncover the mystery, we need to travel back a century.
A Grand Vision in the Wooded Hills
The year was 1925.
Belmont was still largely undeveloped, a collection of wooded hillsides and open land nestled between San Francisco and San Jose. Yet three men saw something more.
Arthur Lyon.
Lee Monroe.
Lawrence Miller.
Together they formed Belmont Country Club Properties and set out to create what they hoped would become one of the Peninsula’s most prestigious residential communities.
If those names sound familiar, they should.
Their names still appear on Belmont street signs today.
In fact, Mr. Lyon seems to have enjoyed a certain advantage in the naming process. Belmont eventually honored him twice, with both Lyon Avenue and Arthur Avenue preserving his place in local history.
Their plan was ambitious.
Perhaps even audacious.Imagine an elegant country club overlooking the hills, surrounded by an 18-hole golf course called Hillcrest. There would be tennis courts, handball courts, a swimming pool, a children’s wading pool, and beautifully designed homes arranged around manicured fairways.
The centerpiece would be a magnificent clubhouse named Belle Monte.
The price tag?
A staggering $65,000 in 1925.
The Round Tower Mystery
Across from the clubhouse stood an unusual little building.
Round.
Compact.
Almost whimsical.
Many Belmont residents have noticed it while driving along Alameda de las Pulgas.
Most assume it was somebody’s odd residence.
It wasn’t.
The tiny structure served as the sales office for the development.
This was where prospective buyers came to imagine their future lives among Belmont’s rolling fairways and elegant homes.
The building still survives today, quietly guarding its century-old secret while traffic rushes past.
Free Beer and Real Estate
Selling homes in the 1920s required creativity.
Or perhaps persuasion.
Belmont Country Club Properties offered free transportation from San Francisco to Belmont.
Prospective buyers would board buses, enjoy refreshments—including beer—and tour the property while salesmen painted pictures of country club living and leisurely afternoons on the golf course.
Purchase a lot and the membership in the country club was included.
For $100, residents gained access to what promised to become one of the most desirable recreational destinations on the Peninsula.
It was a marketing strategy that would probably attract attention from modern regulators.
But in the Roaring Twenties, it worked.
For a while.
The Dream Unravels
Then came 1929.
The stock market crashed.
The economy collapsed.
And Belmont’s grand experiment suddenly found itself fighting for survival.
Memberships dwindled.
Families moved away.
The developers attempted to keep the club alive by opening it to the public, but the economic forces sweeping across America proved too powerful.
The corporation eventually went bankrupt.
The dream was over.
Or so it seemed.
The Fairways Disappear
Today, Belmont residents may have no idea they are living on what was once a golf course.
Following World War II, housing was desperately needed for returning veterans and their families.
The fairways were subdivided.
Homes replaced greens.
Roads replaced cart paths.
The golf course quietly vanished beneath a growing suburb.
Yet clues remain for anyone willing to look.
Street names such as Fairway still hint at the land’s former purpose.
Several stately homes that once bordered the course still stand and are now listed on Belmont’s historic registry.
Like archaeological fragments, they are reminders of a forgotten chapter in Belmont’s story.
But if you know where to look, their fingerprints remain everywhere.
History has a way of disappearing quietly. Fairways become neighborhoods. Sales offices become curiosities. Names on street signs lose their stories. Yet Belmont’s past remains all around us for those willing to look a little closer. The next time you drive down Lyon Avenue, Monroe Drive, or past the round tower on Alameda de las Pulgas, remember that you’re passing through the remnants of a dream nearly one hundred years old.
As always, Thabnk for reading along…
Drew and Christine Morgan are experienced REALTORS and NOTARY PUBLIC located in Belmont, CA, where they own and operate MORGANHOMES, Inc. They have assisted buyers and sellers in their community for over 30 years. Drew and Christine have received the coveted Diamond award, ranking among the top 50 agents nationwide and the top 3 in Northern California by RE/MAX. To contact them, please call (650) 508.1441 or emailinfo@morganhomes.com.
For all you need to know about Belmont, subscribe to this blog right here. You can also follow us on Facebook and on X.
This article provides educational information and is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be considered real estate, tax, insurance, or legal advice; it cannot replace advice tailored to your situation. It’s always best to seek guidance from a professional familiar with your scenario.
BROKER | MANAGER | NOTARY
