Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/author/cbreitro/page/299/)
Watertown had five properties sell this week. $640,000 – 29 Angela Lane Unit 29, Condo – Townhouse, 1,525 Living Area Sq. Ft., 5 Room, 2 Bedroom, 2
$627,000 – 266 Belmont St. Unit 1, Condo – 2/3 Family, 1,176 Living Area Sq. Ft., 5 Room, 2 Bedroom, 1 Full Bathroom
$636,000 – 12 Rose Ave.
MassDOT announced upcoming roadwork on Mt. Auburn Street at the intersection with Belmont Street, just east of Greg’s Restaurant in Cambridge, and near the Mount Auburn Cemetery. MassDOT provided the following announcement:
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing that it will be conducting concrete deck, joint, and asphalt wearing surface repairs on Mount Auburn Street over the bicycle path at the Belmont Street intersection in Cambridge. The repairs will take five consecutive Sunday shifts, starting Sunday, July 25, and will have travel impacts on those Sundays and into the early morning hours of the following Mondays. Starting Sunday, July 25, at 2:00 a.m. and until 2:00 a.m. on Monday, July 26, only a single traffic lane will be open in each direction on Mt.
Kelley L Cox / KLC fotosWatertown’s Alexander Richards will be rowing for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics . Rower Alexander Richards, who hails from Watertown, will get his first taste of Olympic competition on Friday, Eastern time, a day earlier than originally scheduled. Richards competes on the USA’s men’s eight team, and while he has had international experience, this will be his first time rowing in the Olympic Games. The 25-year-old attended Belmont Hill School, and went on to Harvard. He currently trains in Oakland, Calif.
The Watertown Community Foundation will help three local organizations with grants over $100,000 after the foundation received the largest grant in its history. The money will go to Metro West Collaborative Development, Watertown Boys & Girls Club, and Wayside Youth and Family Support Network. The funds came to the Watertown Community Foundation in a grant from the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development Community Foundations Grant Program for COVID-19 Relief. “This $400,000 grant is the largest single grant that our foundation has ever received,” said WCF co-president Darshna Varia. “We have been able to distribute the funds quickly and directly to where they are needed most.
Several properties are hosting open houses over the weekend, including a single family listed for over $2 million. $2,175,000 – 30 Lincoln St., Single Family – Detached Victorian, 5,600 Living Area Sq. Ft., 16 Room, 5 Bedroom, 4 Full & 1 Half Bathroom, Open House: Saturday 11-12
$850,000 – 101 North Beacon St. Unit 205, Condo – Mid-Rise, 940 Living Area Sq. Ft., 4 Room, 2 Bedroom, 2 Full Bathroom, Open House: Sunday 11-12
$635,000 – 101 North Beacon St.
The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) seeks applications for potential projects to be funded by Watertown’s Community Preservations Act funds, and informational meetings have been scheduled for potential applicants.
The money raised from a 2 percent surcharge on Watertown property tax bills can be spent on projects in four areas: open space, outdoor recreation, community housing, and historical preservation. As of June, the CPA Fund had nearly $9 million.
The CPC takes applications and recommends which projects should receive funding, but it does not initiate, implement or manage projects. Community Preservation funds can be used for the following types of projects:
buy, create, preserve open space and rehabilitate and/or restore open space that is acquired or created using CPA funds;acquire, preserve, rehabilitate, or restore historic resources;acquire, create, preserve, and support community housing; andacquire, create, preserve, and rehabilitate and/or restore passive and active outdoor recreation facilities. Projects can be done on public or private property, said Watertown Community Preservation Coordinator Lanae Handy, but the applicants must have permission.
“If they are a local group interested in doing a project on town property they need to get the consent and support of the Town,” Handy said. “They can’t just apply for funds if they don’t have the approval of the Town.”
Similarly, applicants may have to get permits and approvals for other types of projects before getting funding.
Town Departments can also apply for projects using CPA funds, Handy said, but they cannot be projects that already have approved funding.
Watertown-based New Repertory Theatre announced it will be suspending operations beginning July 21. The company based at the Mosesian Center for the Arts had to cancel the end of its 2019-2020 season and its entire 2020-21 season. It has put on a pair of moving plays in outdoor locations around Watertown.
“As with many cultural institutions, the COVID-19 pandemic led to fiscal challenges for the New Repertory Theatre,” said the statement from New Rep, which was published by the Newton Needham Regional Chamber. Along with the pandemic, New Rep faces uncertainty about its stage space.
“Additionally, our performance venue, the Mosesian Center for the Arts, is undergoing renovations, which adds to the COVID-related uncertainty we are already experiencing regarding mounting in-person performances in the near future. With these challenges in mind, the Board of Directors of the New Repertory Theatre has made the decision to suspend operations until we determine next steps for the organization,” the announcement said.
New Rep will be making more announcements in the near future, the announcement said. “We have informed the staff of this decision and the reasons for the suspension.
Charlie BreitroseWatertown residents cast their ballots at Watertown Town Hall in the 2020 Massachusetts Presidential Primary. The deadline for submitting papers to run in the Town Election is approaching and as of July 22 there are not enough At-Large Town Council candidates for the number of seats.
While three of the four district councilor seats have contested races, only three of the four councilor at-large incumbents have taken out papers to get signatures to run for re-election.
In District C and the Town Council President election, so far only the incumbents have taken out papers.
The School Committee has had six people take out papers for the three spots, including two incumbents. Current member John Portz announced he will not be seeking another term.
Five people have taken out papers to run for the three spots on the Board of Library Trustees, including two incumbents. Trustee Michael Hanlon is running for District A Town Councilor. The deadline for getting nomination papers into the Town Clerk’s office with signatures is Tuesday, July 27 at 5 p.m. The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov.