Development

Council Hashing Out Rules for Cutting Solo Driver Commuters

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The Town Council’s Transportation subcommittee would like to cut down the number of people driving alone to work as a way to reduce congestion on Watertown streets, but now they must figure out how to legislate that effort. The subcommittee met last week to discuss a town ordinance for Transportation Demand Management Programs.

Assistant Town Manager Steve Magoon suggested a transportation demand management plan be required for any non-residential project 10,000 square feet or more, or a residential project of 10 units or more. Also, any project that generates more than 150 average daily trips (a car coming and going would be two trips), or more than 15 trips during peak hours. A Transportation Demand Management plan would need to include:

Goals and targets for trip reduction based on the new trips from a project
A comprehensive list of measures used to reduce the number of trips
A description of ways of monitoring how well the measures are controlling trip numbers
A schedule for monitoring and reporting on the TDM
Provide a list of corrective measures (including additional trip reduction efforts, incentives or penalties) if the goals are not met

Exceptions
Some uses will be exempted from having TDM plan, including land or structures for religious or non-profit educational purposes, for child care facilities and land owned or leased by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or its subdivisions. 

Councilor Aaron Dushku wanted to remove the non-profit educational exemption. “I want to make sure Harvard doesn’t come in and have it not apply to them,” Dushku said.

Development

See the Latest Documents Submitted for the Athenahealth Project

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Watertown’s Department of Community Development and Planning released the following links to documents relating to the major renovation of the Arsenal on the Charles by owner Athenahealth. The company will present its plan to the Planning Board on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. Here is the announcement:

Athenahealth has submitted updated documents for the Campus Master Plan for the Arsenal on the Charles.  A staff report and supporting documents have also been finalized and uploaded. The new documents include:

Staff Report: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19582
Design Peer Review:  http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19579
Transportation Peer Review: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19580
Comments received as of June 9 2016: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19581
Updated Special Permit Plans and Documents
Petitioner’s Memo on updates: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19583
Updates Site Plan Review Narrative: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19584
Updated Site Plans: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19585
Transportation Improvements Proposed: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19586
Final Draft Transportation Demand Management Program: http://www.watertown-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19587

You can also look at the entire list of documents by clicking the link to the project folder.  Please be aware that some of the files are very large and can take a long time to open so please be patient.

Arsenal on the Charles

Athenahealth Reveals Plans to Cut Number of Cars Coming to Arsenal Site

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Athenahealth released details of how it will seek to reduce the number of people driving to work alone, and it will participate in the town’s effort to bring a shuttle to Watertown. 

On Wednesday, the company that owns the Arsenal on the Charles released its Transportation Demand Management plan that was created as part of its proposal to redevelop the former U.S. Army facility on Arsenal Street. The plan calls for the company to employ a full-time, on-site Transportation Demand Management Coordinator, as would any subsequent owner of the complex. It will also join MassRides, a group that will “encourage healthy transportation options for employees.” Athenahealth’s plan said the company will participate in the Watertown Transportation Management Association, which is likely to include a shuttle. The company said it would contribute in a proportional way with other developments in the area.

Development

LETTER: Patio at La Casa de Pedro at Risk in Athenahealth Plans

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Editor,

The developers of the Athena Health property on Arsenal Street propose to eliminate the patio in front of the west entrance to La Casa de Pedro Restaurant.  This very popular patio fronts a broad vista of sunlit green lawn with a fountain, the Arsenal Center for the Arts, and shade trees on the opposite side. The developers’ plan proposes removing this patio and installing a new patio on the north side of the building, next to heavily trafficked Arsenal Street. What a loss that would be for Watertown! The patio in its current location provides exceptional beauty, comfort and utility, IMO the best outside restaurant seating in the whole of Watertown. There’s a delightful view over the wide green lawn from every patio table.

Arsenal Project

Future of Arsenal Mall Comes Into Focus on Tour of Site

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Interested residents got a firsthand look at where the buildings at the Arsenal Mall will be going in the newly renovated mall. Wednesday evening, the folks designing the mall led a walking tour of the area to try to give people a better idea of how the new project will look. There will be some major changes, including three buildings in what is now the main parking long in front of the mall. Also, a residential tower at least 12 stories high. Some familiar things will remain – the two long historic brick buildings that date back to the time when the property was part of the Watertown Arsenal.

Around Town

Tour the Arsenal Mall Property to See Where the New Buildings Would Go

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The owners of the Arsenal Mall invite the public to take a tour of the property to see exactly where the new buildings are proposed to go in the renovated mall. Picturing exactly what changes are being discussed for the Arsenal Project can be tough, with new buildings planned where parking lots, or even current buildings now sit. Also, some current buildings will remain. For instance, looking at the picture above, the old building on the right, where Marshalls is located, will stay, but the pedestrian area and the new building (in white) will sit in space now occupied by the section of the mall added to connect the two historic buildings. The owners and designers of the new mall will lead a tour on Wednesday, June 1 at 6 p.m. The group will meet at the Innovation Space, inside the mall, near the Old Navy entrance.

Arsenal Project

See Designers Vision of What the New Arsenal Mall Could Look Like

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Thursday night, the owners of the former Arsenal Mall showed their first drawings of their vision for the renovated mall, which will have buildings with retail and residential units and tall one large one with just residential units. Buildings along Arsenal Street would be close to the street with retail on the bottoom, and would be six stories and 70 feet tall. The taller buildings – a six story, 84 foot building and a 12 story 129 foot building – will be father off Arsenal Street. “As you step back from Arsenal Street that’s the appropriate place for a tall building,” said Mark Eclipse of PCA, one of the architects designing the project. Two of the buildings in the middle of the site will be “C” shaped, and will come together to form a central square area where people can gather and events can take place, Eclipse said.

Arsenal Project

LETTER: Where Will Families, Seniors Go to Eat and Play in New Mall?

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Dear Editor:

One of the hallmarks of Watertown was that it was a sleepy, safe, family friendly place. I know that The Old Country Buffet went out of business due to bankruptcy and it looks like Friendly’s lease is about to expire soon but The Old Country Buffet was a place that working families could  take their kids out to dinner because it was affordable. There were plenty of choices and let’s just say it was far from swanky so working families could go in their sweats and their kids could be a bit noisy without too many people being offended. Senior Citizens on a fixed income used to take advantage of their all you could eat buffet and eat enough for lunch and dinner. I know The Old Country Buffet isn’t coming back and I’m not saying we should have something exactly like it but it would be nice if we did reserve some space for restaurants that don’t charge approximately $35 for a roasted chicken. While a nightclub like bowling alley may bring in more profit and tax revenue than a traditional bowling alley, its not family friendly nor is it family affordable.