I am writing this in response to Linda Scott’s detailed and well researched op-ed (click here). Linda, your deep dive into our community’s issues certainly speaks to many of the concerns people have raised with me. Thank you so much for kicking off this discussion. I urge all residents to read your op-ed, pass it on to family members, friends, and neighbors, and then discuss it together.
I’ve spoken to multiple people who told me that there is a proposal for a five-story building of 200 +/- units plus a garage wrap similar to a complex at Assembly Square Mall in Somerville which admittedly I have yet to visit. Questions — Who is the garage for? City employees? Employees of the surrounding businesses? Tenants in the complexes being built in the Square area that have minimal parking requirements (0.5 space per unit as I recall)? Commuters who park in Watertown for the day and access public transportation into Harvard Square or Boston? Any other takers? As to the apartments, who will they serve? Single people, couples, families? Is anyone else put off by the idea of combining cars (noise and gas fumes) and open apartment windows? Or will only EVs be allowed to park there?
We are told to bring our questions to the meeting as there will be no Zoom link. As you mentioned, hard to formulate questions in the absence of any concrete information. Why is our City Manager as well as some of our committees, boards, and commissions still failing to follow the consistently excellent example set by our City Council — if something is to be discussed at a Council meeting, the info is provided ahead of time so people can reflect on the actual issues to be discussed and voice their concerns in public forum or at a public hearing. Is this so difficult?
Do I need to raise the issues of our empty storefronts, our treasured small businesses that have suffered given the reconstruction of Mt. Auburn Street and those that will be impacted by the new street scape construction in the Square? Then let’s add-in the war with Iran plus the dark, chaotic economic, political, and environmental storm clouds that are raining down on our country, our state, and our community. The daily stressors in our community are climbing rapidly — rising utility costs, gas prices, tariffs, job insecurity, loss of medical care, costly childcare, personal safety, and the potential high property tax increases (18% +/-) if Watertown’s Home Rule petition is denied. And I haven’t even touched on the very personal issues folks have shared with me as those are private conversations.
Honestly, I haven’t gotten this many calls since the COVID years. A common theme that has come up again and again – our town-ish city seems to be more concerned about bringing in lots of new people with little concern for the people who have contributed to our community for years. Why is that?
If you, my fellow residents who treasure our community, have any thoughts on all this, I and others would love to hear them. And if you have any potential solutions please share them. I want you to know you are not alone. Let’s show up, hang in there together, and try to try to figure out what’s next.
I ask you to reread Linda’s op-ed and attend the April 6th meeting at 6 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library. Thanks for your time.
With warm regards,
Elodia Thomas
Watertown Resident
We Are All Watertown
Thank you Elodia for providing further details about the meeting on Monday the 6th.