Letters

LETTER: Resident and Dog Want Dog Park at Filippello Park

By |

To the Editor,

We are writing to support the choice of the Grove Street entrance to Filippello Park for the East End Dog Park, using the guidelines written by the Watertown Dog Park Task Force more than a year ago. We are grateful for the other off leash dog parks. There is a need for a somewhat larger one in this area with larger numbers of people potentially using it. 15,000 sq ft is an optimal size and possible in this space. It is accessible and part of a well-used neighborhood park and, most importantly, in the middle of a well-trafficked area.

Government

Find Out About Watertown’s Social Services Resource Program

By |

Watertown officials will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Social Services Resources Specialist Program, and the public is invited to come and meet the specialist. Danielle DeMoss will talk about what she has accomplished in her year as Watertown’s Social Services Resource Specialist and what issues she plans to take on next. The event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 29 in the Watertown Savings Bank Room at the Watertown Free Public Library from 5 to 7 p.m.

She will be joined by Town Council President Mark Sideris, State Rep. Jonathan Hecht and representatives from St. Patrick’s Parish, the Watertown Housing Authority, Watertown Public Schools, and the Watertown Boys and Girls Club will share their stories about the program, according to an announcement about the event. Also scheduled to attend the celebration are State Sen. Will Brownsberger, State Rep. John Lawn, Town Council and School Committee members as well as representatives from the Watertown Savings Bank, the Commission on Disabilities, the Helen Wright Robinson Fund, the Watertown Community Foundation, Mt.

Sports

Watertown Football Team Remains Undefeated

By |

The Raiders football team continued their unbeaten season with a tough game at Burlington on Friday night. Watertown watched a 28-7 third-quarter lead disappear when Burlington scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to go up 29-28 with 2:44 left in the fourth quarter, according to a report in the Lowell Sun. The Raiders drove and Zach Rimsa scored on a 2-yard run with 30 seconds left, the Sun reported. The team added a two-point conversion to win 36-29. Watertown improved to 6-0.

Police/Fire

Find Out Why a Helicopter was Buzzing Around Watertown Friday

By |

A Massachusetts State Police helicopter joined the search for someone reportedly in the Charles River Friday night. “We got a report that someone fell or jumped into the river,” said Watertown Deputy Fire Chief Dan Tardiff. “We searched the river with State Police and with units on the shore. We didn’t find anyone.” Authorities got a report of someone who fell or jumped into the river after 7 p.m. Friday.

Government

Town Council Move Aimed at Increasing Affordable Housing in Watertown

By |

The Town Council voted to approve steps to increase the number of affordable housing units when new developments are built in Watertown. Tuesday night, the council voted 8-1 to increase the requirement of affordable units in complexes from 10 percent to 12.5 percent. The move was made to help Watertown meet the state requirement of having 10 percent of the total housing units in town available at an affordable rate. If a community does not meet the 10 percent requirement under Chapter 40B (sometimes called the anti-snob law), developers could come into town to build projects with 25 percent of the units sold or rented as affordable, and they would not have to comply with the town’s zoning regulations, said Councilor Vincent Piccirilli. To qualify for affordable housing, applicants must make below 80 percent of the Area Median Income.

Development

Design Standards – What They Are, What Residents Want

By |

More than 100 people showed up Wednesday night to find out about Watertown’s new design standards and give input about what they hope to get from them. Design standards and guidelines provide a visual and detailed explanation for how town zoning rules will work. The Town Council approved hiring David Gamble of Gamble Associates to create the new set of standards. During the meeting at Watertown Middle School – Gamble, who is also a Watertown resident – explained what design standards and guidelines can do and what they cannot do. They can:

Improve the character of new developments
Articulate standards of quality
Provide Examples
Represent spatial and dimensional criteria graphically

Gamble also warned they can also go too far, and make all new buildings look the same or be too restrictive.

Around Town

New Season of Top Chef Features Show Shot in Watertown

By |

Bravo’s reality cooking show Top Chef shot its latest season in the Boston area, including one episode in Watertown. Top Chef season 12 features segments from Boston area landmarks such as Fenway Park, Plimouth Plantation, the Cheers Bar and our very own Commander’s Mansion. The episode at the historic house located in the Arsenal on the Charles was shot in late May, said Tammy McKenna, facility manager at the Commander’s Mansion. The show included employees from athenahealth, the company that now owns the Arsenal complex. When the show was looking for a filming location athena suggested the mansion, McKenna said.