Around Town

Watertown Holds Flags Retirement Ceremony, One of the Only Ones in the Area

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A solemn ceremony was held at Watertown’s Ridgelawn Cemetery on Thursday afternoon. Not a burial service, but a retirement of the Star Spangled Banner which flew over Town Hall as part of the Town’s Flag Day Retirement of Colors Ceremony. This was the second year in recent memory that Watertown’s Veterans groups held the flag retirement ceremony. “These flags serve as a constant reminders to all of us that we live in a country where our freedom has been deeply purchased by blood, sweat, tears, and ultimate sacrifice,” said Watertown Veterans’ Agent Mark Comeiro. “To all who shall see these presents, Greetings!

101-103 Morse Street

Reduced Number of Apartments in Morse St. Project Pleases Planning Board

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Developers of the former massage school on Morse Street went back to the drawing board and came back with a new design for an apartment building that pleased that Planning Board. Wednesday night, the Planning Board voted to recommend to the Zoning Board (which will make the final decision on the project) that it approves the latest design. The project will need a special permit to switch from a commercial to a residential use. The first proposal sought to make 45 apartments in the complex at 101-103 Morse Street, just off Watertown Street. The Zoning Board told developers it was too dense, so the designers came back with a 40-unit apartment building in June 2017.

Arsenal Yards

See a Mock-Up of a Taller Tower at the Arsenal Yards Site

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On Monday, June 18, 2018, the developers of the Arsenal Yards project — the former Arsenal Mall — will hold a community meeting to discuss a proposed amendment to allow a building 67 feet higher (197 feet total) than allowed under current zoning. The Town has shared a slideshow that will be used at the meeting which shows a rendering of the taller tower. According to the slides, the taller tower would have the same number of units (122) as the 129-foot-tall tower, but would have a different look. Besides being taller, it would be thinner, and have more glass, according to the rendering. It would also have no studios, but would have a penthouse.

Real Estate

Watertown Colonial on Market for $2 Million, One of Dozens of Open Houses

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A large colonial in Watertown has an asking price of $2 million. There are many more open houses with more down-to-earth prices around town this week. $425,000 – 68 Stuart St. Unit 68, 6 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 1-2 Sunday 11-12:30

$485,900 – 9 Wollitzer Lane Unit 9, 5 room, 2 bed, 1f 0h bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 11:30-12:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$495,900 – 11 Wollitzer Lane Unit 11, 5 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 11:30-12:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$499,500 – 104 Coolidge Hill Road Unit 16, 5 room, 2 bed, 2.5 bath townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$509,900 – 57 Fayette St. Unit 2, 6 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

$899,900 – 23-25 Adams St., 2 unit, 13 total room, 5 total bedroom 2 family, Open Houses: Friday 12-1:30 Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2 Monday 12-2

$649,000 – 90 Edenfield Ave, 6 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath colonial, Open Houses: Friday 4:30-6 Saturday 1-2:30 Sunday 1-2:30

$599,000 – 87 Watertown St.

Development

Planning Board Approves Fourth Phase of Arsenal Yards, Including the Plaza

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The fourth phase of the renovation of the Arsenal Mall, which will create a plaza surrounded by restaurants and retail stores with apartments on top, got the approval of the Planning Board Wednesday night. 

The two main sections of Phase 4 of the Arsenal Yards project will be built around an area that will be shared by pedestrians and vehicles, and is designed to allow outdoor seating for restaurants that look out on the area. The whole area is designed to be blocked off to traffic and used for events such as a fair, a farmer’s market or other gatherings, the developers told the Planning Board. Building C will have 27,500 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space on the ground floor, with 130 apartments on five floors of housing above.

Around Town

Watertown Resident Wins Boys & Girls Club State Youth of the Year Award

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Watertown’s Destiny Santalucia was chosen from the top members of Boys & Girls Clubs around Massachusetts to be the state’s Youth of the Year. She is the first winner from Watertown. Santalucia, who recently graduated from Watertown High School, attended the 2018 Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs Youth of the Year Event, along with the 31 other Youths of the Year from across the state. Then the big moment came. “It was such a surreal moment when they announced my name, I was shocked,” Santalucia said.

Elections

Watertown Resident Interning for Senate Candidate Geoff Diehl

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Today Representative Geoff Diehl, the endorsed Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, announced that Watertown resident Samuel Ford will be interning for his
campaign. “I am happy to have Sam as an intern and I believe he will be a great asset to the campaign. Sam is one of the many young interns on the team and I believe their energy and passion will help contribute to an election day victory,” said Diehl. Regarding his new internship with the campaign Ford said, “I am honored to be a part of the Diehl campaign team and I look forward to helping him succeed. This will be a great learning opportunity and I hope to gain valuable experience.”

Ford is currently a history major completing his junior year at UMass Amherst.

Around Town

Mosquito Control Efforts Underway in Watertown, Ways You Can Stop Them

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The Watertown Health Department announced that treatments have started to try to limit the number of mosquitos in the area, but there are other steps that you can take. The following information was provided by the Watertown Health Department:

Catchbasin Treatment

The Watertown Health Department announces that the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Program (EMMCP) has begun treating catchbasins throughout Watertown with a relatively non-toxic pesticide, Altosid, that kills mosquito larvae. Some species of mosquitoes will breed in catchbasins, and in other containers of water that may be found on private property. Eliminating mosquitoes in the larval stage will prevent hatching of mosquitoes that could become carriers of vector borne diseases such as West Nile Virus, which have been found to be detrimental to humans. Catchbasins that have been treated by the EMMCP will be marked with pink paint. For more information on this pesticide and the Mosquito Control Program, please visit their website at https://sudbury.ma.us/emmcp/larmosqctrlpes/

Property Pesticide Exclusion

The Town does not conduct aerial spraying, however should a public health threat be determined, aerial spraying could be conducted with prior notification communicated to residents.