Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/author/cbreitro/page/168/)
Check out all the open houses around town this weekend. 39 French St. #39, $1,349,000 4 bedroom 5 bathroom 3,112 sq. ft. Townhouse, Open House: Sunday, April 16 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
804 Belmont St.
An illustration of the project at 104-126 Main St. submitted to the City. Designed by Icon Architecture. The Planning Board saw the plans for the major project on Main Street for the first time Wednesday night, and asked designers to tinker with the design after they had questions about the retail space and the pedestrian passage between Main and Pleasant Street, as well as the height of the building. The 104-126 Main Street project proposed by O’Connor Capital Partners is six stories tall and includes 143 apartments in five stories and 6,201 sq.
Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall
The City Council approved a linkage fee on large developments that would be used to create affordable housing in Watertown. The ordinance also spreads the fees into two payments and the City can consider offers of housing units or land in lieu of the fee. Before they deliberated and voted, the Council heard from people advocating for changes to the proposed ordinance. Charles River Regional Chamber President Greg Reibman, who represented multiple developers who do business in Watertown, asked to delay the start of the fees until 2024, and phase in the amount starting with $5.56 per sq. ft.
Watertown Girl Scout Daisy Troop 77117, is hosting a School Supply Drive from April 17-27 to earn their Make the World a Better Place badge.
The Troop, comprised of nine kindergarten girls across all three Watertown elementary schools, is are partnering with Watertown Savings Bank which will host the collection sites. All supplies will be donated to School on Wheels Massachusetts. See the list of items below. The mission of School on Wheels of Massachusetts is to support the academic, social and emotional growth of students impacted by homelessness. The drop-off locations at the following Watertown Savings Bank locations:
Headquarters: 60 Main St.East Watertown: 10 Bigelow Ave.Nonantum: 175 Watertown St.Church Street: 45 Church St.Warrendale: 739 Main St. For more information contact Amy at amyjlboston@gmail.com
Items Needed (Most needed in bold)
CrayonsPens (blue or black)Sketch Pads and Colored MarkersFlexible Plastic RulersSingle-Subject Notebooks (wide ruled)New books for all grade levels (pre-k through grade 12).
The Watertown Business Coalition will host the third annual Life Science Panel on April 25 featuring representatives from four local life science companies. The first WBC life science event was held in April 2021 during the virtual days of the pandemic. Last year, the group held an in-person event at Hosmer Elementary School. This year’s event, “Biotech in Our Back Yard,” will be on Tuesday, April 25 at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. The event begins at 5:30, and the panel will run from 6:00-7:00, followed by networking and food provided by Branch Line.
The moderator will be Merle Kummer, the founder of CoLab which partners life science companies in the City with Watertown High School students to coordinate class visits, field trips and internships.
The Watertown Public Schools face a shortfall of $1.38 million for the next school year, but the gap will be narrowed by using some grant funds Watertown received for COVID relief. On Monday night, Superintendent Dede Galdston presented the district’s budget for Fiscal Year 2024. The Watertown Schools will have an operating budget of $57,583,829, which is an increase of $1.947,279 over FY 23, or 3.5 percent. To provide a “level services budget,” where the same educational experience and programs are provided, Galdston said there was a deficit of $1.38 million. Salaries account for about 80 percent of the budget, Galdston said, and the level services budget includes the raises for teachers in the recently approved contract, along with the step and lane change increases given for years working in the district and earning work-related college credits.
The mural, called “I See a Dream,” planned to be created on the wall outside CVS in Watertown Square by Amir Tabatabaei. A large wall in the center of Watertown will get a bright new look when a local artist creates a mural inspired by his experience moving to his new hometown. The project will be the first public art for its creator since he emigrated from Iran. Amir Tabatabaei will work on the mural that will go on the side of the CVS on Main Street in Watertown Square starting this spring. It will start where the gate opens onto Merchant’s Row, the alley off of Main Street, and unfolds along the wall.
The creativity of Watertown residents is on display this month during YardArt. A couple of guided tours are scheduled to visit some of the displays, or create your own using the list on the YardArt website. A walking tour on April 14 will be led by Public Arts & Culture Planner Liz Helfer, and on April 23, the Bike & Pedestrian Committee will lead a bicycling tour. Guided YardArt Watertown Walking tour: Friday, April 14, 2023, at 1pm
Meet in front of the Watertown City Hall at 149 Main Street with Public Arts & Culture Planner, Liz Helfer. Liz will take you on a tour of nearby YardArt locations and discuss upcoming public art in Watertown. The tour will take approximately one hour and start at 1pm.