OP-ED: It’s All a Balancing Act, Part One: Housing and Environmental Issues

By Linda Scott
Watertown Resident

A quick overview:

In Part One of this series, we’ll explore housing disruption and environmental issues plaguing Watertown.

In Part Two, we’ll look at the costs to the City of Watertown to maintain safe control over the Life Science industry and its effects on our community.

In Part Three, we’ll look at how our community got into a position where in Watertown, a city well known for its fiscal responsibility, residential property taxes could soar to 18 percent higher by 2027.

As I read the Watertown News article on a meeting to be held by the Charles River Regional Chamber, See: Meeting announcement and read Sam Ghilardi’s very upbeat report there on all of the wonders and advantages that life science and bio labs bring to Watertown, it occurred to me that something was missing … balance.

In fairness, people writing reports with Sam’s stated goal: “to promote Watertown as a community of choice for the life science industry …” usually stay away from what might be considered the whole picture.

Also, in fairness, some of the negative aspects are only felt by Watertown’s residents, so they might be irrelevant to his target audience, out of town companies considering moving into the City of Watertown.

Companies (especially those from out of the area), no matter how community-conscious they may seem, come here to make money. Residents come here to make their homes and memories. There’s nothing wrong with this. All it means is that sometimes our priorities and interests will clash.

Terms to Know:

As a point of reference, “life science” and “bio labs” are terms often used interchangeably. Here’s an AI definition differentiating the two:

“The core difference is that Life Sciences is the broad scientific field studying living organisms (biology, biotechnology, medicine), while BioLabs refers specifically to a network of shared laboratory and office spaces (incubators) designed to support life science startup companies.

Life sciences is the “what” (science), and BioLabs is the “where” (physical infrastructure) where that science is often developed.”

A caveat: In an effort to achieve balance, I thought that I’d mention a few of the unmentioned costs (economically, socially, and environmentally) associated with a city full of bio labs. In bringing these issues up, I am, myself, presenting an unbalanced scenario, in response to Sam’s 100% positive view, so please keep that in mind. At times, I’ll be referring to Sam Ghilardi’s report when making my point. I’ll be sure to mention that when I do.

So, having said all that, this is a look at the other side of the coin of Watertown bio labs and the issues that accompany abundant construction in a 4 square mile area.

Housing Disruption/Resident Displacement:

According to Sam Ghilardi’s report, 1,736 (life science) jobs have been added to Watertown over the last decade. This comprises 11% of our entire Watertown workforce.

According to Sam’s report, “life science jobs pay about 2.36 times higher than the average Watertown weekly wage.”

How many of the over 1700 people who work in Watertown life science/bio lab firms are new residents in Watertown, squeezing out and raising rent/home prices for other long-term residents, adding to Watertown’s affordable housing crisis? The displacement numbers caused by the new life science jobs would be a helpful number to know.

The Watertown City Council voted on a linkage fee ordinance in 2023, with this growing imbalance in mind:

“In general, the key purposes of linkage fees:

• Fund Affordable Housing: The primary goal is to generate revenue for affordable housing projects to offset the housing demand created by new commercial development.

• Mitigate Development Impact: They address the increased demand on public infrastructure, traffic, and services resulting from new projects.

• Support Workforce Development: Fees often fund job training, job readiness programs, and community services.

• Address Mismatch: They help bridge the gap between where people work and where they can afford to live.”

The above is from inclusionaryhousing.org. More on this in Part Three.

Public Transportation/Traffic:

How many of these 1,736 life science workers take public transit to and from work in Watertown? How many walk or ride bikes or scooters? How many bring their cars into Watertown each day?

Fun fact: recently, there was a Boston Globe article highlighting a biotech building in Watertown. The advantages listed included lower lease prices (than Cambridge or Boston), a parking garage, the close proximity to the MassPike, and manageable commutes for executives from the suburbs, implying that cars are a preferred mode of worker transport to Watertown.

How many employees use the shuttles provided? Perhaps Zeke Mermell, Watertown’s Senior Transportation Planner, can give us these and the shuttle numbers. Last time I looked, ridership on the shuttles provided by bio lab companies was in the single digits.

Other Environmental Issues:

In Sam Ghilardi’s report, he states that bio lab space has grown 6 times larger since 2016, from 600,000 square feet to 3.6 million square feet in 2025. He also mentions future numbers: 1.2 million square feet of bio lab space permitted but not built yet. These numbers, in a small community such as ours, reflect an overwhelming saturation of one industry. Here are some of the results of both the construction and maintenance of these properties and companies:

Noise Pollution:

There’s the significant matter of noise pollution emanating from some of these bio labs along the Charles River in West Watertown, affecting both wildlife and people, which hasn’t been satisfactorily dealt with yet. Is it possible to get that resolved? I hear that in the past, a similar bio lab building noise problem was reported by residents abutting Arsenal Yards, and that issue was resolved.

For years the Newton residents across the river have suggested some solutions which would involve the City putting pressure on businesses to do the right thing and build additional sound barriers.

A personal aside, when I went to one of these labs to hear and measure the noise for myself, an employee of that lab walked past me on his way to walk along the river. He said to me, “Noisy, right?” I nodded my agreement. He said, “Yeah, I work here, but I live farther out west…it’s quieter there.”

Because Watertown’s current noise ordinance is ineffective to address current construction and large buildings in our community, including large bio labs with powerful blowers, these abutting Newton residents have been left to live with this constant nuisance/pollutant.

The Newton residents are the canaries in the coal mines for Watertown residents, who if they don’t already, will experience this noise and perhaps a constant or intermittent vibration as more (1.2 million square feet – Sam’s number) of new bio lab construction and operation begins in their neighborhoods.

Remember, this is not a 9 to 5, Monday through Friday set of noises…it’s twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, with scientific data piling up that this is not a healthy environment to live in.

As one knowledgeable Watertown resident told me, “Labs need to run equipment 24/7/365. Heating/cooling takes a lot of energy and generates a lot of roof noise. Chiller fans are loud, and when you have many running simultaneously on buildings clustered in small square milage alongside neighborhoods, people are going to hear them when their windows are open at night.”

“Noise pollution is an invisible, modern-day hazard that quietly threatens public health, causing stress, sleep disruption, and cardiovascular issues. As an under appreciated danger, it requires urgent awareness…” UC Davis Center for Occupational and Environmental Health.

Air Quality:

At a very active Watertown community meeting, where there was a discussion about converting an older building into a lab facility near the river, (a third within a tenth of a mile), another knowledgeable resident who lived close to the site pointed out that there were certain exemptions from the NAAQS standards (National Ambient Air Quality Standards) for some R&D facilities. He feared that since this building’s purpose was left open, it might qualify for this exemption.

He suggested that even if it was exempted under current plans, that the City should write in a plan approval (pre-construction permit) for air emissions just to be cautious, and to prevent anything dangerous from slipping through the cracks. It’s not clear whether his advice was heeded by the City.

Again, according to AI:

“Plan Approval Exemptions (MassDEP Example): In some jurisdictions, such as Massachusetts”biotechnology laboratories” may be exempt from obtaining a specific “Plan Approval” (pre-construction permit) for air emissions. This exemption typically applies to labs used solely for research, development, or support for medical devices, drugs, or biologics undergoing FDA approval, even if emissions exceed one ton per year.”

Also: “Hazardous Chemical Reporting (EPCRA): Research laboratories are generally exempt from reporting specific hazardous chemicals under Sections 311 and 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), provided the substances are used under the direct supervision of a technically qualified individual.”

Bio-Lab Accidents:

But the ultimate potential cost: A major bio lab disaster in a 4 square mile area. For years we’ve (dangerously, in my opinion) skidded by without Health Department bio lab safety on-site inspections. (See Parts one through four of my Watertown News Op-Ed, “How Safe Is Watertown From a Bio Lab Emergency”: https://www.watertownmanews.com/2023/02/24/op-ed-how-safe-is-watertown-from-a-bio-lab-emergency-part-1/)

My understanding is that our new Health Director has been working on this. When I questioned her at a recent Watertown Bio Safety meeting, she explained that plans for inspector training were in the works, but instead of using an industry professional, our regular inspectors would be trained and used. I give her credit for making progress on this, but I believe this form of inspection falls short. Yet, better something than nothing.

If, in fact, inspections are in place and being conducted and knowing that there are “101 firms” (Sam’s number), how much does any current inspection of bio labs and life science buildings cost the taxpayers of Watertown? How much more would it cost to use industry professionals to do the inspections?

A note for the following: These environmental concerns refer to construction in Watertown in general. Because construction of bio labs has been so extensive, (according to Sam, from 600,000 square feet to 3.6 million square feet in ten years), it’s reasonable to say that they play a large role in the problems below.

Rats, Rats, and more Rats:

Once again, the Health Department’s mandate includes this environmental issue, which has been brought on and accelerated by the massive destruction of rat warrens (tunnels rats use for nesting and food storage) during construction all over the City. We recently took a giant step backward with a long garbage strike.

Again, as people deal with city-wide rats and other destructive rodents, even with “safer” solutions to these problems, are we still endangering other wildlife who prey upon the rodents? It’s my understanding that the “safer” option isn’t 100% safe. It just takes more of the substance to kill a creature.

How many Watertown residents forgo normal, healthy activities such as planting vegetable gardens in order to avoid attracting rats? How many more residents are discouraged from planting gardens, because of the past damage done by runaway populations of rats and rabbits, caused by an imbalance of natural predators? See this Op Ed just published in Watertown News: https://www.watertownmanews.com/2026/02/24/op-ed-preventing-owls-raptors-from-being-poisoned-by-rodenticides/

And, another simple and pleasurable gone-by activity … feeding the wild birds. This simple and educational leisure activity is a thing of the past if rats are to be controlled.

How many Watertown residents/taxpayers have had to pay thousands of dollars to fix damage to their cars from rodents chewing on the wires? For that matter, how many small businesses in Watertown are finding the rat problem more costly and challenging as well?

And Trees:

Tree canopies reduced for construction: How many mature trees have we lost to the construction of 3.6 million square feet of bio labs and life science facilities? How many new trees have been planted? How many years will these new trees need to grow before they restore the same environmental value to this community, including reducing heat islands?

Hazardous Waste Removal and Construction Pollutants:

According to Sam, as of December 2025, there were 101 life science firms in Watertown. How many trucks come and go daily servicing these firms, and what percentage of those vehicles carry hazardous waste?

Is there any increased danger to the community from the many trucks traveling on Watertown streets, carrying hazardous waste and chemicals to and from these facilities? Yes, they could be carrying hazardous materials into the labs as well…for instance diseased animal tissue for experiments and testing.

Speaking of hazardous waste and pollution, what does it cost (to the city and to Watertown taxpayers) to keep track of all of the new and continuing construction in Watertown? I have mentioned these neighborhood-eroding examples before:

One (non-lab) example: a knowledgeable resident reported a large new construction project for haphazardly (and illegally) disposing of asbestos from an old structure that they were tearing down.

It took her a while to find out who the responsible city department was for this complaint. Turns out, it’s not the building department, but the Health Department, once again, who bears this responsibility.

And here’s another example of residents dealing with massive construction and the pollution added to our City: A Watertown resident got off a bus in Watertown on a windy day and was immediately assaulted by a strong wind carrying dirt from an uncovered construction dirt pile on a large bio lab building site.

She located a worker to say that the rules required that this huge pile needed to be covered or sprayed down so that it wasn’t polluting the air. The worker’s response? “F—- you, lady.” Once again, the Health Department to the rescue, and another day in paradise!

Tomorrow, see: It’s All a Balancing Act, Part Two: City-related Costs and Concerns