Government

Watertown May Get Smart Parking Meters to Manage Lots, Spaces Around Town

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As the town looks at replacing parking meters, the Town Council’s Public Works Committee will consider installing smart parking meters that take multiple forms of payment and could even let them know when spaces are free, coins are jammed and allow fees to be adjusted on the fly. More and more communities in the Boston area use these high tech meters, and Mark Berling of IPS Group said the meters can slip right on top of the current meters. The new meter system can be a big money maker, too. “A well run smart parking system can be the third largest revenue generator of funds municipalities,” Berling said. “This includes revenue from meters and the tickets.”

Real Estate

Here are a Dozen Watertown Homes Showing This Weekend

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Watertown home seekers have a wide array of open houses from which to choose. $379,000 – 5 Repton Cir. Unit 5106, 3 room, 1 bed, 1 bath mid-rise, Open House: Saturday 12-1

$509,900 – 7 Swetts Court Unit 7, 6 room, 4 bed, 1.5 bath townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 2-4 Sunday 1-3

$339,900 – 39 Cypress St. Unit 39, 5 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open House: Sunday 12-1

$840,000 – 8 Hawthorne St., 11 room, 4 bed, 4 bath colonial, Open House: Sunday 12-1

$440,000 – 181 Lexington St. Unit 181, 6 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open House: Sunday 11:30-1:30

Sponsored by:

$699,000 – 414 Mount Auburn St., 7 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath colonial, Open House: Sunday 12-1:30

$675,000 – 11 Hersom St.

School Master Plan

Residents Worry if Renovated Schools Will be Big Enough for Future Enrollment

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Watertown’s current school buildings don’t have to be torn down to make room for the all of Watertown’s students, but rather can be reconfigured and have some additions. However, parents and residents at Wednesday’s Schools Master Planning Community Forum worried whether they will be able to handle the growing enrollments. The forum was led by architects from SMMA, a Cambridge firm hired to put together the master plan, which will be a “50,000 foot view” of the school facilities and needs. Eventually the plan will help guide Watertown to renovating or rebuilding the schools so they can provide an education fit for the 21st Century. Michael van Hamel of SMMA said he used guides for size of classroom as laid out by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), which oversees school projects and provides some money for districts to build or renovate schools.

Police/Fire

Dorchester Man Arrested for Selling Cocaine After Long Investigation

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A Dorchester man faces drug dealing charges after being arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover officer in Watertown. 

The Southern Middlesex County Drug Task Force conducted an investigation. The man, identified as Alberto B. Mendes, was known by law enforcement to be selling drugs in and around Watertown, said Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor. “The task force  made five undercover drug buys from the person – cocaine,” O’Connor said. “They were always at a predetermined location in Watertown.” Members of the Task Force decided to make the arrest after the fifth drug buy, O’Connor.

Sports

March Madness in July! Watertown Summer Basketball Playoffs Tip Off

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Watertown’s highly competitive Papas Elite Summer Basketball League has reached the postseason and Tuesday night the top squads played their quarterfinals. The best-of-three semis start Wednesday. In the quarterfinals, fourth seed Made Men fell to fifth-seeded Gauchos 70-67. Donohues Kaos, the third seeds, beat sixth-seeded Middlesex Magic 59-41. Top seeded Game Creek came away with a 59-41 win over eighth-seeded The Dream Team.

Around Town

Watch Out for Invasive Pods in Watertown Which Can Harm Birds & Butterflies

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An invasive weed known as Black Swallow-wort has been spotted in Watertown, with its telltale pods. This weed threatens monarch butterflies, songbird by displacing native plants vital to them. 

The problem has become pervasive in neighboring Cambridge, which started an effort to control the invasive plants. Now they plants have been spotted in parts of Watertown, said Councilor Angeline Kounelis. “Through the years, so many residents unknowingly have thought, and continue to think, the vine with pods, should be enjoyed as an ornamental plant; absolutely not true,” Kounelis said. “The East End of Watertown has already been invaded.”

Fire Department

Brush Fire Ignited by Fire Pit Burns Part of an Abandoned Property

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Firefighters extinguished a fire that started on an abandoned property off of Pleasant Street Thursday evening. 

Watertown Fire Prevention Officer Capt. Ryan Nicholson said the blaze started with a fire pit made on a piece of land behind the Launch Building. “It started from careless extinguishment of a fire pit,” Nicholson said. The fire occurred at a building on property formerly owned by Raytheon, but mostly burned a brush and wood covered area of about 500 square feet, Nicholson said. The Fire Department had difficulty locating the fire at first, because it is on abandoned property, Nicholson said. When they got there they had to break open a lock to get into a gate.

Real Estate

See the Four Homes That Sold This Week Around Town

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Here are the homes that sold this week in Watertown. $370,000 – 60 Pierce Road Unit 60 5 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$499,000 – 24 Franklin St. Unit 24, 4 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, 2/3 Family condo/townhouse

Sponsored by:

$679,000 – 1 Oakley Road Unit 1, 7 room, 3 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$635,000 – 200 Westminster Ave., 2 unit, 10 total room, 4 total bedroom, 2 Family multi-family home