Around Town

Watertown Restaurant Using GoFundMe to Try to Stay Open

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Watertown’s Ritcey East has struggled since the pandemic, and owner Max Ritcey has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise enough money to keep the doors open at the Waverley Avenue restaurant. Ritcey said the restaurant has been down tens of thousand dollars behind each month, in part due to paying back COVID loans. The goal is to reach $30,000 by September, and fans have already stepped up to donate more than $22,000 in the first four days. See more information about the campaign at the Ritcey East GoFundMe page. Ritcey posted the following letter on the campaign page:

It’s very hard for me to share this but Ritceys is down on average 20k a month since the pandemic.

Around Town

Study Finds Watertown Multi-Family Complexes Have Many Empty Parking Spaces

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Courtesy of MAPC

A study of large large apartment complexes in Watertown found that nearly 40 percent off-street parking spots remain empty, even during peak parking times. The Perfect Fit Parking study conducted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) looked a several communities in the Boston area. In 17 multi-family residential complexes in Watertown, 62 percent of the spaces were full. The Watertown complexes had 1.45 parking spaces per unit, and 0.99 spaces were utilized, according to the study’s summary. The study comes at a good time, Watertown Assistant City Manager Steve Magoon said in the MAPC’s announcement (read it below), with the draft Comprehensive Plan update recommending the the City review its parking requirements for new developments.

Schools

Dozens of Watertown Students Earn Academic Honors at Their College

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More that two dozen students from Watertown earned academic honors this spring at 14 colleges and universities. The information was provided by the schools to Merit. Bryant University

Bryant University is pleased to recognize the students who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to academic excellence and achievement and have been named to the spring 2023 President’s List. The President’s List is an academic distinction reserved for Bryant’s highest achievers who earn a GPA of 4.0 for at least 12 semester hours of work. Congratulations on this outstanding achievement!

Around Town

Neighbors Concerned About Size of Proposed, Noise & Traffic from Project at Cannistraro Site

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A rendering of the proposed life science project at former Cannistraro property on Pleasant Street, Rosedale Road, and Acton Street. (Courtesy of Broder)

Developers heard from dozens of residents who showed up Monday night for an in-person community meeting about the project proposed for the former Cannistraro site, pro and against. Many with concerns lived in the residential neighborhood across the street, who fear they will be negatively impacted by the size of, and noise and traffic from the life science project. The project includes parcels on Pleasant Street, Rosedale Road and Acton Street. The proposal calls for a four-story, 148,0000-sq.-ft.

Around Town

Replacement & Larger Recycling Toters Available from DPW

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Recycling toters are available from the Department of Public Works. The following information came from the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Department of Public Works (DPW) is currently offering 96-gallon recycle totes for purchase as an option for broken totes and as part of the 2nd tote program. These can be purchased at the DPW at 124 Orchard Street and can be delivered if needed. The prices per bin are: $76 for a replacement and $90 for an additional tote.The DPW believes that this program change will make it easier for residents to increase the amount of recyclable material put out for pickup on each collection day. 64-gallon totes are currently still available for purchase if residents prefer to replace a broken bin with that size.

Around Town

Mt. Auburn Street Renovation Includes Reduced Travel Lanes, Buffered Bike Lanes & Pedestrian Gathering Areas

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A rendering of the new landscaped area in Coolidge Square at Bigelow Avenue as part of the Mt. Auburn Street Project. (Courtesy of Tighe & Bond)

When work finishes on one of Watertown’s major arteries, the street will have fewer lanes in some places, protected bike lanes, and landscaped areas for people to gather. Mt. Auburn Street will receive a major facelift, and be redesigned in some places, during the project that will impact almost the entire length of the artery that runs from Watertown Square to the Cambridge line.