Development

Community Meeting to be Held for Proposed Multi-Family Development Just of Main Street

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A community meeting about a proposed multi-family development on Church Hill Street will be held on July 30 in City Hall. The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT – COMMUNITY MEETING NOTICE

The project applicant will be holding a Public Information Meeting as required by the Watertown Zoning Ordinance related to 6 & 12-14 Church Hill Street proposed multi-family development on Thursday, July 30, 2026. This community meeting is required prior to formal application and public hearing in front of the Planning and Zoning Boards. PROJECT DESCRIPTION and LOCATION:

The project proposes constructing a 3-story multi-family building with 9 residential units and a ground floor parking garage fronting on Church Hill Street. The meeting is presented by the project team, sharing existing site context, conditions, and the redevelopment plans.

Letters

LETTER: Do You Know Where Your Neighborhood is Going? (Part 2)

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Looking at Trends

Looking back on the past few years, I see a trend:

1 – The Watertown Square Planning process was a plan to rezone our city core. The MBTA state Law that mandated zoning for 1701 new housing units was a major part of this process, and yet a plan for 1,701 didn’t even reach our councilors’ desks, not to mention the community. After community input for 1,701 units, the City came back with a plan for 6,320 units and effectively defined Watertown Square as an area that extended west on Main to Lexington Street and up Galen, almost to the Mass Pike. The City ultimately “settled” for a number just over 3,000 (3,133) units. The response from our City government when this bait and switch was pointed out?

Letters

LETTER: Do You Know Where Your Neighborhood is Going?

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Part One: Preserving Our Neighborhoods

“Preserving neighborhood character involves balancing tradition with growth through strategieslike historic designation, context-sensitive zoning (scale and setbacks), protecting green spaces, community engagement, and rehabilitation of existing buildings, all while fostering a sense of place, often focusing on a neighborhood’s unique look, feel, and activities, rather than just enforcing uniformity, to maintain stability and appeal.”

The above AI definition of preserving neighborhood character is a far cry from the standard, knee-jerk response to the phrase “preserving a neighborhood’s character” as a racist construct. (See also this AI definition: The phrase “preserving neighborhood character” has a complex history rooted in racially exclusionary policies [often referred to as redlining] that were used to maintain segregation in housing in the United States. While seemingly neutral today, the language was historically used as a coded way to prevent people of color from moving into predominantly white areas”). Can it be used for these purposes? Sure.

Around Town

Regional Planning Group Seeks Feedback on Areas of Town to Develop, Places to Preserve

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Watertown will be one of five communities on the I-90 Corridor studied by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to see which areas of town are the best fit for new homes and jobs, and which are best preserved. A feedback session will be held on July 31 in City Hall. See more in the information provided by MAPC. I-90 Corridor Development and Resiliency Plan: Mapping Feedback Session

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), is working with five communities along the I-90 corridor, including Watertown, Wellesley, Natick, Framingham, and Ashland to determine priority areas of regional significance. Which areas would be good for more homes and jobs?

Around Town

LETTER: Is Watertown in Balance?

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Are We in Balance? Balance: “An even distribution of weight, enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.” Oxford Languages

I was reading a Watertown News article entitled: “Life Science Building Could Potentially Go on Part of the Home Depot Parking Lot” and the comments that ensued and felt the need to write. As usual, it got long! Balance in Bio Lab Development

First, thanks, Corey Dillon for the list of labs that are empty and/or underutilized at this time. May I add to your list with other lab spaces in Watertown?

Government

City Manager: State of the City is Healthy & Strong, Concerns Remain About Tax Revenues

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The State of the City is “healthy and strong,” City Manager George Proakis stated Thursday evening. Watertown sits in a good position financially, Proakis said, the Council has done a good job improving and replacing facilities and parks, the City has been able to fill long-time openings, and there are some major efforts in the works, such as the new high school, the human services study, and Watertown Square. Proakis and City Council President Mark Sideris gave the second annual State of the City address on Thursday evening at the Watertown Library. The State of the City is a requirement added in the recent City Charter changes. While the City’s financial situation looks good, Proakis said there is still much work to be done.

Around Town

LETTER: Meeting TONIGHT on Future of Former Trampoline Park

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There is a VERY IMPORTANT meeting of the Planning Board tonight, May 8, at 7 p.m. regarding the 10-30 Manley Way proposed development. This is the site of the former Launch Trampoline Park and the Boston Rhythmic Dance Studio, which has been vacant for some time. There was a community meeting on September 5, 2023 that almost never happened. It was found out that our city rules needed to be amended so that a conversion of a 95,000 building required a community meeting for any type of change in such a building, not in just a newly planned one. About 70 plus residents attended this meeting via Zoom and the myriad of questions raised was quite impressive.