Schools

Town Council Approves Funding for Study & Schematic Design for New High School

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A significant hurdle was cleared on the path to building a new, or renovating the current, Watertown High School when the Town Council approved $1.6 million in funding for the project’s feasibility study and schematic design. 

Last week, the Town Council unanimously approved the funding for what is the end of the first of eight modules required by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), said Superintendent Dede Galdston. The high school project was accepted into the MSBA’s process in December 2017. Since that time school officials have been taking the necessary steps, including creating a school building committee (the same one as for the 3 elementary school projects), documenting maintenance practices, and setting an enrollment. Galdston said, when completed, the high school will be able to accommodate 720 students. Currently the high school has about 660 students.

Around Town

Watertown’s Police and Fire Chiefs Appear on Watertown Cable’s ‘Inside Watertown’

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Watertown’s Police and Fire Chiefs appeared on the latest episode of Watertown Cable’s Inside Watertown. Co-hosts Charlie Breitrose and Bob Airasian spoke to Police Chief Michael Lawn and Fire Chief Robert Quinn about some of their department’s efforts to reach out to the community and connect with residents. Chief Lawn spoke about the Citizen’s Police Academy, the Cops and Rec programs for kids and other ways police officers are trying to get out of their cruisers and interact with the public. The Fire Department has a variety of programs for the public, too. Chief Quinn spoke about how firefighters visit Watertown’s schools to teach fire safety and meet with seniors to put up free smoke detectors.

Sports

Two Watertown Field Hockey Players Sign Letters to Play in College

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Two members of the Watertown High School field hockey team will continue playing the sport when the move on to college next year. 

Monday afternoon, Gabby Venezia and Catherine Connors signed letters of intent to play in college. Venezia will be playing at Holy Cross, while Connors will join the team at Stonehill College. Watertown Head Coach Eileen Donahue thanked Venezia and Connors for their leadership this season, along with fellow co-captain Olivia Lampasona, Venezia and Connors were good examples to their teammates, Donahue added. “Both played any position they were asked to play, they always put the team’s needs ahead of individual needs,” Donahue said. “They only knew one way to play, it was to play all out.”

Cell Antenna

Residents Fired Up Over Proposed Cell Phone Antennae in Watertown

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Residents came out to express their concerns to the Town Council about proposed cell phone antennae in two locations in Watertown. The concern is not just about possible health concerns from having a cell antenna near homes, but also about the new regulations that make it more difficult for communities to deny new cell phone antenna locations. Keenan Brinn, representing ExteNet — which is petitioning for the antennae — said the company seeks to put up one antenna on a utility pole at 141 Palfrey Street and one on a pole at 550 Arsenal Street. The company also seeks to put one near the main intersection of Watertown Square, in the vicinity of Charles River Road, but that falls under the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s jurisdiction. “ExteNet is interested in building out the fifth generation cellular network, otherwise know as 5G,” Brinn said.

Real Estate

Watertown Home Sales: 2 Condos and a 2-Family Home Sold This Week

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These three Watertown homes sold this week. $600,000 – 113 Winsor Ave. Unit 113, 9 room, 4 bedroom, 2 full bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse

$702,000 – 95-97 Spring St., 2 unit, 10 total room, 4 total bedroom, 2 Family – 2 Units Side by Side multi-family home

$836,000 – 7 Molloy St. Unit 7, 7 room, 3 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, condo/townhouse

Sponsored by:

 

Letters

OP-ED: Changes to Traffic Signal Timing Will Make Mt. Auburn St. Bus Lanes Work Better

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The following piece was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger (D – Belmont) who represents Watertown:

Thousands of commuters on Mount Auburn Street and on Fresh Pond Parkway had a very rough ten days starting on Monday, November 5. That is the day that a contractor swapped in a new controller for the traffic signals and failed to properly program it. The new Siemens 60 signal controller is so sophisticated that only a few engineers have the expertise to properly program it. Commuters endured ten days of bad timing until the right specialist was able to get it working as intended. As of Thursday, Nov.

Government

Town Council Approves Design Concepts for Mt. Auburn St. Reconstruction

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After many meetings looking at the proposals to reconstruct Mt. Auburn Street, including the controversial road diet, the Town Council voted to approve the preliminary designs Tuesday. The project now moves to the state transportation officials for their input, but there are still many steps before it becomes a reality. 

The Town Council’s Public Works subcommittee recently held two meetings to take a closer look at the plans for the major corridor through town, particularly focusing on Coolidge Square and the business district near the intersection with Common  Street. Residents and business owners had a lot of concerns, ranging from reducing the lanes from two to one each way, loss of parking and loading areas for businesses, and bicycle and pedestrian safety. On Tuesday, Councilors weighed whether to approve the plans recommended by the Public Works Committee, and send them to the state’s Department of Transportation (MassDOT) for the 25 percent design review.