Government

Watertown Residents Invited to Meeting About Airplane Noise

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A group of communities will gather to discuss noise and air pollution in the area from airplanes from Logan Airport. Boston West Fair Skies (BWFS) is a regional organization of MetroWest communities (Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Malden, Medford, Somerville, Watertown). The group strongly objects to the new concentrated FAA Highways in the Sky from Logan Runway 33L and the resulting noise and air pollution, according to the announcement. Boston West Fair Skies seeks to educate people about this issue and persuade the FAA to fairly re-distribute these flight paths. For example, our monthly action for May was to write a letter to the FAA, and samples are available on our website, www.Bostonwestfairskies.org

The group will meet on Tuesday, June 9 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Robbins Library, 700 Massachusetts Ave.

Development

Watertown Man Appealing CVS Development Drops Suit

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{Updated May 29 at 11:14 a.m.}

The man who filed an appeal against the Zoning Board of Appeal’s decision to approve the CVS in Coolidge Square has dropped his suit in State Land Court after an agreement deal with the developer. David Peckar lives on Wells Avenue, across the street from the back of the proposed CVS at the corner of Mt. Auburn and Arlington streets. He filed suit against the project saying that that project would negatively impact his home and neighborhood (see details here). He recently told his neighbors that he had dropped the suit.

Government

Watertown Firefighters Keep Rallying for Contact after Nearly 6 Years

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The Watertown Firefighters are quickly approaching six years without a contract and they wanted to make sure the Town Council did not forget Tuesday night. About 300 firefighters and their supporters rallied in front of Watertown Town Hall before the Town Council meeting. Some even confronted councilors as the arrived to ask why they have not approved the contract. Local 1347, the Watertown Fire union, has worked without a contract for nearly six years. The impasse appeared to be over in December 2014, when an independent arbitration board awarded a contract agreement. The Town Council, however, voted 8-1 against funding the agreement saying it would be unfair to other unions in town (read more here).

Around Town

We’re Number 1! – Watertown is Fastest Growing Community in Mass.

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With all the new housing going up around town, it may not come as a surprise, but Watertown had the fastest growth in Massachusetts according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The town grew by 997 people to 34,127 from July 1, 2013 to July 1, 2014, according to estimated population changes made by the Census Bureau. The 3 percent growth lead all cities and towns in the Bay State. The estimate takes into account births, deaths, immigration and housing growth (see details on the methodology here). Bell Watertown, formerly Alta at the Estate, opened within that time period, as did smaller apartment complexes in the Pleasant Street Corridor.

Government

Meeting Planned on Bike, Pedestrian Path from Watertown and Cambridge

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The Department of Conservation and Recreation will meet on Tuesday, June 9 to discuss the planned bicycle and pedestrian path linking Watertown and Cambridge. 

The meeting will be on Tuesday, June 9, from 6-8 p.m. at the West Cambridge Youth Center, 680 Huron Ave. in Cambridge. The Watertown-Cambridge Greenway is an effort recently launched with the joint purchase of a former B&M Railroad line, the Watertown Branch, by the City of Cambridge and the DCR to create a multi-use pathway and greenway. This purchase, which includes the former railroad right-of-way from Concord Avenue in Cambridge, through the Fresh Pond Reservation, under Huron Avenue, and into Watertown, will be developed into a pedestrian and bicycle path, helping complete the important regional connection linking the Charles River path system and the Minuteman Bikeway. At this meeting, DCR and the City of Cambridge will provide background information about the project, now at a pre-conceptual stage of design, and obtain public input.

Police/Fire

Watertown Police Department Seeks Accreditation from the State

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The Watertown Police Department will host an assessment team in June as the department seeks to gain accreditation from the state. The Police Department released the following statement:
Chief Edward Deveau is pleased to announce that a team of assessors from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission is scheduled to arrive on June 8th, to begin examining various aspects of the Watertown Police Department’s policies and procedures, operations and facilities. Verification by the Assessment Team that the Department meets the Commission’s standards is part of a voluntary process to gain state Accreditation, a self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain standards that have been established for the profession, by the profession. The Massachusetts Police Accreditation Program consists of 257 mandatory standards as well as 125 optional standards. In order to achieve accreditation status, the Department must meet all applicable mandatory standards as well as 60 percent of the optional standards.

Government

Veterans’ Services Officer Wants to Make Sure Vets are Honored Properly

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Watertown’s new Veterans’ Services Officer has plans to bring things up to date and give the town’s current and former veterans their due. The town has memorialized those who died in this country’s wars, and have acknowledged the actions of servicemen and women by naming squares in their honor. The town’s rolls of honor and the squares could use some upgrading, said Veterans’ Services Officer Mark Comeiro. “I would like to replace the Korean War Memorial with a new upgraded honor roll,” Comeiro said. “Some Korean War veterans are not on the plaque.”

Development

Town Council to Consider Special Zoning for Arsenal on the Charles

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On Monday June 8, the Town Council will hold a special meeting to discuss zoning changes proposed for the Arsenal on the Charles complex, owned by athenahealth. The company seeks to make changes to the Arsenal Overlay Development District, which covers the complex. The changes would allow the creation of a master plan to redevelop the Arsenal on the Charles. Among other things it would allow an increase of height of new construction, change parking requirements and modify retail categories to allow limited retail uses within the complex. A more detailed list of the changes proposed to the Arsenal Overlay Development District can be seen on the town website (click here).