Real Estate

Single Family Colonial in Watertown Goes for $1.75 Million & More Home Sales

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The sales prices of Watertown homes continue to rise, with one single-family going to $1.75 million. $765,000 – 223 Westminster Unit 0, 5 room, 3 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$585,000 – 21 Knowles Road Unit 21, 6 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse

$917,500 – 5 Lovell Road, 7 room, 3 bedroom, 1 full & 1 half bathroom, Colonial single-family home

Sponsored by:

$990,000 – 11 Fayette St. Unit 11, 8 room, 4 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$815,000 – 46 Washburn St. Unit 46, 7 room, 4 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$1,750,000 – 95 Barnard Ave., 12 room, 5 bedroom, 5 full bathroom, Colonial single-family home

Schools

New Principal Selected for Watertown Middle School, Along with Lowell Assistant Principal

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Watertown Superintendent Dede Galdston announced appointment of the new Watertown Middle School principal and the new assistant principal at Lowell Elementary School. Donna Martin has been selected as the new WMS Principal. She succeeds Kimo Carter, who is leaving after 13 years to become assistant superintendent in Weston. The superintendent also appointed Candice Whitmore as the assistant principal at Lowell School. This is a new position for the 2018-19 school year (Fiscal Year 2019).

Schools

Conceptual Designs for Renovation of Watertown’s Elementary Schools Approved

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Details of what Watertown’s three elementary schools will look like after they are renovated came more into focus Thursday when the School Building Committee approved the conceptual designs for Hosmer, Cunniff and Lowell elementary schools. With the approval, the architects from Ai3 will move onto the schematic design phase of the project. The conceptual designs provide a guide for where designers will put new additions and which areas will be renovated inside the existing buildings, said Scott Dunlap, principal of Ai3. He added, however, that architects are still “pushing and pulling” the floor plans inside the buildings. Thursday’s meeting began with a walk through of the Hosmer site, where Ai3 had staked out the corners of the proposed new school building that would be built in front of the building with the auditorium and gym, ask you look from Mt.

Government

Council Subcommittee to Vote on Recommendation for Mt. Auburn Street Project

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A recommendation for how to renovate Mt. Auburn Street will be discussed and likely approved by the Town Council’s Public Works Committee on Wednesday, June 27, 2018. 

The Department of Public Works has been discussing proposals to repave and renovate the major artery through Watertown for several years, and has had a number of public meetings over the last year to share ideas for how the street will look. Proposals have included reducing the number of travel lanes from two to one in many places, putting right turn lanes at key intersections and adding bicycle lanes for most of the length of the roadway. The project will ultimately have to be approved by the full Town Council. See coverage of the Mt.

Real Estate

Many, Many Open Houses in Watertown Over the Weekend

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It’s an embarrassment of riches for home buyers in Watertown this week. $729,000 – 3 Quincy Unit 3, 7 room, 3 bed, 2.5 bath half duplex, Open House: Sunday 12-2

$699,000 – 1 Quincy Unit 1, 6 room, 3 bed, 2.5 bath half duplex, Open House: Sunday 12-2

$749,000 – 504 Main St. Unit 2, 8 room, 3 bed, 2 bath 2/3 family, Open House: Sunday 12-1:30

$599,000 – 504 Main St. Unit 1, 6 room, 2 bed, 2 bath 2/3 family, Open House: Sunday 12-1:30

$995,000 – 85-87 Putnam St., 2 unit, 15 total room, 6 total bedroom 2 family, Open Houses: Saturday 1-3 Sunday 11-1

$275,000 – 194 Lexington St. Unit 3, 5 room, 2 bed, 1 bath garden, Open House: Friday 2-3:30

$700,000 – 60 Hillside Road, 8 room, 3 bed, 1 bath colonial, Open House: Sunday 1-2:30

$639,0000 – 90 Edenfield Ave., 6 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath colonial, Open Houses: Saturday 11-12:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$329,000 – 100 Summer St.

Schools

Watertown School Committee Puts Hold on Purchasing Vans with End of Year Surplus

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The School Committee balked at using funds remaining at the end of the year on two vans, at least for now, but approved spending money to prepay special education tuition and to add funds to the Town’s Special Education Stabilization Fund. The proposal came Monday night, at the last planned School Committee during Fiscal Year 2018, and if funds are not spent or designated they go back to the Town’s general fund. The Watertown Public Schools is projected to end the year with a $785,928, said School Committee Vice President Kendra Foley. The surplus came about due to lower than expected special education costs, vacancies left unfilled and hires that were not made, Foley said. The School Committee’s Budget and Finance Subcommittee discussed what to do with the funds at a prior meeting, and proposed using $400,000 to prepay special education tuitions for the first three months of the next fiscal year, put $200,000 into the Special Education Stabilization Fund and purchase two 12-seat vans (10 passengers plus the driver and the front passenger seat) with $100,000.

Government

Watertown Shuttle Will Have to Wait Until More Businesses, Apartment Complexes Sign On

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Those hoping to ride a shuttle down Pleasant Street to Watertown Square, or anywhere else in town, will have to wait. 

The proposed shuttle would be largely funded by private businesses and residential developments, with the Town also contributing. The Council’s Economic Development and Planning subcommittee heard from Transportation Planner Laura Wiener Tuesday night, who said that not enough organizations have committed to funding a shuttle to launch a viable pilot program. The current plan is to run a shuttle along Pleasant Street, Wiener said, because the street does not really have any public transportation. The estimated cost for running a shuttle for a year is $150,000, Wiener said. The Watertown Transportation Management Association (TMA) has committed $25,000, and the Town has volunteered in-kind donations of a vehicle and fuel equivalent to about $50,000.

Environment

Solar Panel Requirement for New Buildings Supported by Council Subcommittee

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New developments in Watertown would have to put up a solar energy system if the zoning amendment heard by a Town Council subcommittee is adopted by the full Town Council. Watertown would become the first community in Massachusetts to require solar energy systems on new developments, Ed Lewis, the Town’s Energy Manager, told the Economic Development and Planning Committee Tuesday night. Other communities and the state has come up with proposed ordinances, but none has enacted them, Lewis said. Town Councilor Vincent Piccirilli said it is nice to be leading the way. “I’m excited to be the first in the state to require solar on buildings,” Piccirilli said.