Government

Parts of Common Street Closing for Construction Starting This Week

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The Watertown Department of Public Works announced that the construction project on Common Street will soon begin, and the street will be closed much of the day. 

The project includes creating a roundabout at the intersection of Common Street, Orchard Street and Church Street. Also, the intersection with Spring Street will be redesigned. The DPW sent out the following announcement:
Beginning Monday, July 23, Common Street will be closed between Mt. Auburn Street and Orchard Street between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., with local access provided to abutters and Middlesex Road residents only. The closure will also include the intersection of Spring Street — there will be no access to Common Street from Spring Street.

Around Town

Signing of First Treaty Made by U.S., Reading of Declaration of Independence Celebrated in Watertown

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The Historical Society of Watertown commemorated two important moments in the history of the Town, the state and the nation during the annual Treaty Day on July 14. During the ceremony, the Historical Society held a reenactment of the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Massachusetts, and also remembered the first treaty signed by the recently formed United States. Both events took place at the Edmund Fowle House, the meeting place of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress during the first year of the Revolutionary War. Members of the Historical Society reenacted the reading of the Declaration of Independence, which was done from the second floor window of the house on Marshall Street. The first reading took place on July 18, 1776.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Driver Arrested on 3rd OUI, Man Gets in Trouble for Setting Off Fireworks

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests
July 4, 9:31 p.m.: Police received multiple reports of fireworks being set off in town, and when an officer was patrolling on near Mt. Auburn Street and Parker Street he noticed fireworks going off on Phillips Street. The officer saw a man light more fireworks. Police also found that the man was wanted on a warrant.

Arsenal Yards

Hearing on Amendment for More Height at Arsenal Yards, RMUD Postponed

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The Watertown Department of Community Development and Planning sent out notice of the postponement of the proposed amendment to allow additional height in the Regional Mixed Use District. The amendment was submitted by Boylston Properties, the developer of Arsenal Yards. The following is the announcement from the Town:

The RMUD Zoning Amendment for height will not be heard at the Planning Board meeting on August 8.  The petitioner has requested that the request be continued until September 12, 2018 Planning Board Hearing.  Please spread the word that the request will not be discussed at the August meeting. Read more here:

Opinions Split Over Taller Tower Request by Developers of Arsenal Yards

Around Town

‘Equalizer 2’ Actor Also Appearing on Watertown Cable Show

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Watertown Cable host Fred Grandinetti has an eye for talent. He has had some actors who have gone on to the big screen to be guests on his show, Drawing With Fred. Grandinetti announced that award winning actor, Kazy Tauginas — who can be seen in the new movie Equalizer 2  — will appear on Drawing With Fred which airs on The Watertown Channel. Tauginas, a professional boxer, spars with a partner and quickly swallows a can of spinach to introduce a Popeye cartoon. Taugnias stars, and wrote the screenplay, for the award winning film Standing Eight.

Real Estate

Many Open Houses Around Watertown to Visit This Week

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Dozens of open houses around town to choose from this weekend. $949,900 – 50-52 Chapman St. Unit 52, 10 room, 5 bed, 3 bath townhouse, Open Houses: Friday 1-2 Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$899,900 – 50-52 Chapman Street Unit 50, 9 room, 4 bed, 3 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Friday 1-2 Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$559,000 – 26 Wilmot St., 7 room, 2 bed, 1.5 bath other, Open Houses: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$539,000 – 97 Poplar Unit 97, 8 room, 3 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

$849,000 – 199 Coolidge Ave. Unit 105, 5 room, 2 bed, 2.5 bath high-rise, Open Houses: Saturday 11-1 Sunday 11-1

$725,000 – 125 Coolidge Ave. Unit 501, 6 room, 2 bed, 2.5 bath high-rise, Open Houses: Friday 12-1 Saturday 2-3:30 Sunday 2-3:30

$479,999 – 227 Coolidge Ave.

Bicycles

Designers Add More Options for Redesigning Watertown Square After Traffic Counts

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After taking traffic counts in the area around Watertown Square and along Charles River Road an North Beacon Street, the designers of the Watertown Square Improvement project added more options for how the intersection could be changed. On July 9, the Town of Watertown held an open house to present the latest options for reconfiguring Watertown Square. The last time the project was presented to the public, in November 2017, many residents — particularly those living between Charles River Road and North Beacon Street — opposed the idea of removing Charles River Road from the Watertown Square intersection. Representatives from the Town’s consultant on the project, VHB, said traffic counts would be done before coming back with recommendations for the project. “Based on the traffic counts, rather than reduce the options, we added more,” said Dennis Sheehan, the DPW’s Director of Administration and Finance. “If one solution would have clearly worked best we would have presented less options.”

Development

LETTER: Resident Writes in Favor of Taller Building at Arsenal Yards

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Editor:
We read Jon Bockian’s letter in the Watertown News and want to take exception to several of his comments as he doesn’t speak for ALL Watertown residents. First and foremost, the proposed changes Boylston Properties is making to the Building G plan are very beneficial to the overall development, increasing open space and providing better access to the Park.  
Mr. Bockian further states that one option Boylston has is to reduce the footprint and keep the height at 130 feet. He knows that this is impossible as Boylston was very clear that reducing the footprint in exchange for height needs to be done for economic reasons, they need to build 188,000 SF. Mr. Bockian also avoids speaking in terms of affordable housing, which would be severely impacted by the overall reduction in SF and thus unit count. Losing affordable units should not be an option.