Development

Sideris Calls for All Developers in Town to Come Talk About Their Plans

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Town Council President Mark Sideris wants to get developers of all projects planned for Watertown to come and tell residents what they have planned for their property. Tuesday night the Town Council declined to approve a moratorium on developments on Arsenal Street, but decided to fast-track creating design standards and design guidelines for all developments in town. Sideris said he ran the idea past Director of Community Development and Planning Steve Magoon, who advised against having a developer summit. “I am not going to listen to him,” Sideris said. “All people with projects in the East End, the West End and the rest of town will come and talk about what they want to bring forward.

Obituaries

OBIT: Dorothy J. Bruno, 90, of Watertown, Worked at Harvard

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A Funeral mass will be celebrated in the Church of St. Luke, Belmont on Friday July 25 at 9 a.m. for Dorothy J. Bruno. Miss Bruno passed away on Sunday July 20, 2014 in the Epoch Senior Living Center in Weston at the age of 90. Born in Chicago and educated in Chicago, she lived in Brookline before moving here to Watertown where she made her home. She was the director of the Harvard University Credit Union and later a Research Technician at the Harvard school of Public Health.

Development

Town Council Rejects Moratorium, Will Fast Track New Design Guidelines

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The proposed moratorium that would have temporarily halted development on Arsenal Street was rejected by the Town Council Tuesday night, but instead voted to quickly develop guidelines and standards for how projects can be built across town. A group of residents petitioned the Council to put in the moratorium, and Tuesday’s special Town Council meeting was scheduled to address the issue. Community Development and Planning Director Steve Magoon advised the Council that a moratorium would send the wrong message to developers. “It can send the message we are a community closed for business and not a place to invest in,” Magoon said. In addition, the moratorium can take time to go into effect.

Government

Board Sends Housing Section of Comprehensive Plan Back for Overhaul

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The Housing section of the Watertown Comprehensive Plan focuses too much on affordable housing and does not have a clear stance on what kind of residential developments should be built in town, said the boards reviewing the plan. Looking at the goals in the housing section of the Watertown Comprehensive Plan, the members of the Town Council’s Economic Development and Planning Committee and the Planning Board said the recommendations focus too much on creating affordable housing and not enough on what kind of housing should be added. Town Councilor Susan Falkoff said she has heard differing views from residents. “Do we want families or do we not want families,” Falkoff said. The large developments with mostly one- and two-bedroom units tend to attract single people or childless couples.

Obituaries

OBIT: Ryan James Eaton, 18, Watertown Resident, Chef in Training

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A Funeral Mass for Ryan James Eaton will be celebrated on Thursday July 24th at 10:30 a.m. in the Church of Saint Patrick, Watertown. Born at the Winchester Hospital, Ryan was a life long resident of Watertown. A graduate of the Minuteman Technical High School, Lexington, Class of 2014. Ryan was enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America College in Hyde Park, NY. He was 18 years of age.

Environment

Long Awaited Charles River Improvements Will Have Something for Everyone

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Efforts to upgrade the path and park along the Charles River, east of Watertown Square, started more than seven years ago, and Monday morning workers officially broke ground on a project that will improve the path, the park and add a special feature for the visually impaired. 

The park sits just blocks from Perkins School for the Blind, and a chorus from the school kicked off the ceremony by singing the National Anthem. The school is just one of several groups who helped make the project a reality, said Jack Murray, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The $1.4 million project is a partnership between the state, the town, private organizations, foundations and more. The Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation donated $175,000, the Town of Watertown added $100,000, the Bilezikian Foundation added $50,000, Perkins School for the Blind gave $25,000, the Watertown Commission on Disabilities put in $15,000 and the Watertown Community Foundation added $5,000. Improvements

One of the new features of the park will be a Sensory Garden and Braille Trail, which will allow the blind and visually impaired to learn about nature.

Real Estate

These Homes Sold This Week in Watertown

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A number of homes sold in Watertown this week. See where they were and how much they sold for. $800,000 – 16 – 18 Saint Marys St., 2 unit, 4 total bedroom

$602,000 – 41-43 Carroll St., 2 unit, 4 total bedroom 2 family

$565,000 – 14-16 Washburn St. Unit 14, 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom townhouse

$950,000 – 213 Palfrey Street, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom contemporary

$301,000 – 308 Lexington Street Unit 308, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom townhouse

Police/Fire

Police Log: Mother, Daughter Busted for Shoplifting and More

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

July 1, 3:49 p.m.: A woman and her mother were seen in Target allegedly shoplifting. The woman appeared to be keeping lookout while her mother took items and put them in a bag. The pair tried to leave without paying. The 30-year-old woman from Revere was arrested on a charge of shoplifting.