Watertown Planning Department
The grey area bordered in yellow on the map shows where the housing project with a market and restaurant will be built.
The major residential and retail project at 202-204 Arsenal Street received final approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals Wednesday night.
The project includes a four-story, 297-unit apartment building (with 30 affordable rate units), as well as an 80-seat restaurant and a 33,000-square-foot market on Arsenal Street, a little east of Irving Street.
The Zoning Board gave its approval after a lengthy discussion and with certain conditions, said Watertown Community Development and Planning Director Steve Magoon.
Among the conditions that were already recommended by town Planning staff were that the developers contribute to a transportation management association (TMA) to provide additional public transit to the area. Also, the project will also make improvements to the Community Path along the length of the project.
Tuesday night the Zoning Board added some conditions, Magoon said. Among them are to turn a rain garden (designed to soak up storm water) would be turned more into a park with smaller areas for rain retention. Also, a traffic study must be conducted a year after the project is built to see how traffic in the area is impacted by the project.
I think a traffic study one year later is great…as long as a study has already been done to compare against a baseline. Has a study in this area already been done..if not how can many conclusions be made about before and after? Traffic was one of the largest concerns in the Comprehensive Infrastructure Plan(as this is not a comprehensive plan which includes other quality of life issues like social emotional..schools and the such).
I oppose:
As a resident of Irving Street for over 58 years and property owner, I am convinced that this plan will exacerbate the area. For one, the proposed housing of 300 units is overly dense, and not suitable for this area. I believe that the project will definitely have an adverse affect on the neighborhood. Traffic, safety, density, and diminished property values are of major concern. How does this project fit into the comprehensive plan? Is there one?
Ingress and egress access to the proposed development by Irving Street absolutely must be prohibited. Traffic is already at a maximum level and at a stand still level during peak times. Access through Irving Street will completely cripple the area, which is already the “go to” through street from Mount Auburn Street to Arsenal and North Beacon Street and visa versa.
Having served as Chairman of the Zoning Board for 14 years and Chairman for three terms, I feel that this development is does not meet the criteria set forth in the Watertown Zoning Ordinance, based on the fact that it is detrimental to the neighborhood and there are not enough services available to support a project of this size.
Elaine Victoria Grey
Irving Street Resident (58+ years)
Former Member,
Zoning Board (14 Years)
Chairman, (3 Years)
To Members of the Planning Board and Zoning Board:
Honestly, would you approve this development in your neighborhood if it had the adverse affects described above? By allowing this project to go forward, I believe that you are doing a grave disservice to this community.