Around Town

Watertown Facilities Closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

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Charlie BreitroseA closeup of the section of the Kingian Nonviolence Mural featuring Martin Luther King. In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Watertown municipal facilities will be closed, and trash and recycling will be impacted. The City of Watertown announced that City Hall and the Senior Center are closed on Monday, January 16, 2023 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. Also, the Watertown Free Public Library’s list of holiday closures includes Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Trash and recycling collection will be delayed by a day the week of Jan.

Government

City Will Discuss MBTA’s Multi-Family Zone as Part of Watertown Square Improvements

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Watertown City Hall

Discussions about how Watertown will meet the state’s requirement to allow multi-family housing in certain areas of town will be included in the City’s planning for improving Watertown Square. Discussions about the Square will begin later this year. On Tuesday night, The City Council heard an update on the multi-family zoning, which requires communities served by the MTBA to create an area where multi-family housing would be allowed by-right, and therefore would not need special approval from the Planning or Zoning boards if they fall within the city’s zoning requirements. When the state first released the requirements, they called for Watertown’s multi-family zone to be near the Waverley Commuter Rail station in Belmont. The Council objected, however, because the area would be in the middle of a section of town zoned for single-family homes.

Government

State Giving Watertown Nearly $1 Million for Community Preservation

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Watertown’s Community Preservation Committee is pleased to announce that the Commonwealth has released $203,645 more to Watertown’s Community Preservation Fund, bringing the total annual state match to $956,905 for our City. These resources are a supplemental distribution from $20 million in state surplus funds for Community Preservation Act (CPA) communities in fiscal year 2022. State matching funds come from fees assessed on certain real estate transactions through the registration of deeds. For the past fiscal year, the state match equaled 38.5 percent of the CPA funds raised locally. Mark Kraczkiewicz, current chair of the CPC, said, “These matching state funds of nearly a million dollars confirm the wisdom of Watertown voters when they adopted the CPC.

Government

Council Approves Millions for Easements for Mt. Auburn St. Project, State Still Has Not Released Comments on Plans

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The $30 million Mt. Auburn Street reconstruction project will likely go out to bid at the end of 2023, and the 75 percent plans will soon be submitted. City officials, however, are still waiting for the state to release the public comments from the 25 percent designs submitted back in 2018. The project will be paid for by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) using federal transportation funding, but the design occurs at the local level, said Watertown Public Works Superintendent Greg St. Louis.

Government

Watertown City Manager Holding Meet & Greet in District A

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Watertown City Manager will be available to speak with the public during an event focusing on District A in the East End of Watertown on Jan. 18. A similar meeting was previously held in District D in November. The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

Please join us at the District A Meet and Greet with City Manager George Proakis on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Hosmer School Cafeteria, 1 Concord Road, Watertown, MA.

Around Town

Watertown Business Coalition Hosting Coffee Connect at Local Business Fixture

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The Watertown Business Coalition will be hosting a coffee connect on the morning of Jan. 18. The group sent out the following information:

Come out and network with members of the Watertown business community, local non-profits and others on Wednesday, Jan. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

This month’s Coffee Connect will be hosted by a business that has been a fixture in Watertown for decades — Eastern Clothing. Hear from owner John Airasian, who is also a Watertown City Councilor.

Around Town

See How to Tune Into Watertown’s Annual MLK Day Unity Breakfast

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Clementina Chery will be the keynote speaker at the 2023 Watertown Unity Breakfast. The following information was provided by the Unity Breakfast Committee:

The Watertown Annual MLK Day Unity Breakfast will be held virtually on Monday, January 16, 2023 at 10 a.m. You are invited to join together to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders and to celebrate our commitment to an inclusive and diverse community. Our Keynote Speaker this year is Chaplain Clementina Chery, the founder, President and CEO of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute (LDBPI), a center of Healing, Teaching, and Learning for families and communities impacted by trauma, grief and loss. She is an inspiring speaker whose vision is to create and sustain an environment where all families can live in peace and to transform how we respond to violence. In addition to the Unity Breakfast’s traditional essay contest, which recognizes outstanding essays by high school and middle school students, in 2023, two Visionary Awards will be given to high school or middle school students who present their compelling vision for a more just and equal future in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr and other civil rights leaders.