Elections

Sheriff Koutoujian Endorses Warren Tolman for Attorney General

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Watertown’s Warren Tolman received an endorsement from a familiar face to town residents – Middlesex Sheriff and former State Representative Peter Koutoujian. On Thursday, Koutoujian announced his support for Tolman, pointing to his proven leadership and his vow to take on the National Rifle Association and push for fingerprint trigger locks. “As Sheriff, I see every day the importance of protecting our communities from gun violence,” Koutoujian said. “As the only candidate who will implement fingerprint trigger locks, Warren Tolman is the best choice for making our neighborhoods safer and moving the Commonwealth forward. Smart gun technology will save lives, and I’m supporting Warren Tolman for Attorney General because he will make it a reality.”

Development

Arsenal Street Hotel Gets Final Approval from Zoning Board

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Watertown will be getting a six-story hotel on Arsenal Street after the Zoning Board of Appeals approved the project Wednesday night. The 148-room hotel will be a Residence Inn by Marriott, said Bill McQuillan, the principal of developer Boylston Properties. Rooms in the hotel, which is aimed at business travelers, will cost about $175 a night, but prices fluctuate higher or lower depending on demand, McQuillan said. A number of Town Councilors applauded the project. “Some of us, including myself,  have been anxiously looking to bring a hotel to the Watertown community for the number of benefits it could bring,” said Town Council President Mark Sideris.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Man Caught Red Handed Trying to Cash Fraudulent Check and More

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. 

Arrests

July 7, 3:18 p.m.: An officer stopped a vehicle after taking a left at a stop sign without stopping. The officer discovered the driver did not have a license. A 27-year-old man from Hyde Park was arrested on charges of unlicensed driving and failing to stop. July 7, 5:51 p.m.: A 24-year-old Watertown woman was arrested on two counts of domestic assault and battery. July 8, 12:56 a.m.: An officer spotted a car driving with no headlights or taillights on.

Around Town

Big Bunch of Bikes Donated to Watertown Boys & Girls Club

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Ten members of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club headed over to the Belmont Country Club and received a special gift – a new bike. In all, 40 new bikes were donated to the club. The bicycles come courtesy of Intuit Software and Best Corporate Events and were assembled as part of a team building exercise. “The bikes will be distributed to club members over the next few days,” said Renee Gaudette, executive director of the club. “The Watertown Boys and Girls Club wishes to thank Best Corporate Events and Intuit Software for selecting our organization as beneficiary of this amazing donation!”

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.