Development

Councilor Warns Building Moratorium Could Impact Town, School Budget

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Residents concerned about the pace and size of development in Watertown have requested a building moratorium on Arsenal Street, but a Town Councilor said stopping the projects could impact the town and school budgets. The town relies heavily on property tax revenues to fund town departments, including the Watertown Public Schools. Town Councilor Vincent Piccirilli said that new development is one of the keys to increasing the budget. The schools too rely heavily on the town’s appropriation. “The school appropriation increased almost 7 percent (for Fiscal 2015), and how were we able to do that under Proposition 2 1/2, was though new growth through new development in town,” Piccirilli said.

Development

Council Considering Options for Arsenal Street Moratorium

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The Town Council voted to have a public hearing to consider how to approach a citizens petition asking for a moratorium on development on Arsenal Street. Wednesday night the Council heard from the petitioners, who want to put a hold on new large projects on Arsenal Street. The petition was started after some large projects have been proposed, and others appear to be in the pipeline. The Council will likely decide how to proceed with a moratorium at the meeting on July 22 at 6 p.m. in Town Hall. “Its not only time sensitive because of the petition, but also something being brought forward with all the things (projects being brought),” said Town Council President Mark Sideris.

Development

LETTER: Resident Opposes Moratorium on Arsenal Street Developments

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All,

If you move next to vacant or underutilized industrial property you should not be surprised if the site gets redeveloped! I am NOT in favor of a one-year moratorium on the Arsenal Street redevelopment. I am in favor of reasonable refinement of the projects planned based on the Pleasant Street experience gained. Step-backs with height limitations are important. I have lived in Watertown for 25 years now.

Development

Council Discussing Making Transition Zones Between Industrial, Residential Areas

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With a tide of development hitting Watertown, a Town Council subcommittee will discuss creating transition zones between industrial areas and residential neighborhoods. Councilor Aaron Dushku made the motion to analyze and look at creating residential transition zones at last week’s Town Council meeting. The council approved the motion and the issue will be discussed by the Economic Development and Planning subcommittee. The town is in the midst of creating a Comprehensive Plan to help shape the town in the future, but Dushku said he does not think that it has fine enough detail for things such as neighborhoods. “We [the Council] got such pushback over the last few years from Pleasant Street residents, that this has been on my mind,” Dushku said in an email.

Development

Residents Start Movement to Have a Moratorium on Development on Arsenal Street

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In the wake of the Planning Board’s decision to allow a seven-story garage to be built at the Arsenal on the Charles, a effort has started to put in a moratorium to halt large buildings going up, such as the garage. The Arsenal Street Corridor effort is lead by resident Marcia Ciro, who lives on a small side street of North Beacon Street, very close to the Arsenal complex. She said the town has already had large developments along Pleasant Street that have been unpopular with neighbors. In the flyer she handed out at the Watertown Comprehensive Plan meeting she wrote:
“The Chair of the Planning Board [John Hawes Jr.] state that the 79 ft. for the Arsenal seemed reasonable given they already approved 79 ft.

Development

LETTER: Group Concerned About Future of Arsenal Street After Planning Board Vote

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TO: Michael J. Driscoll, Town Manager; Steven Magoon, Director of Community Development and Planning; Honorable Town Council; Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals
FROM: Concerned Citizens Group, Inc.
DATE: 6/18/14
It is disheartening to hear the recommendation on 6/11 for current Cresset-Hanover-WS plans to move forward to Zoning Board of Appeals for consideration. After many public discussions about “learning from Pleasant St” and not wanting homogeneous, long corridors, canyonization, and projects disconnected from the surrounding contexts, etc , in addition to all the good work put into drafting a new Comprehensive Plan, we are in disbelief. Concerned Citizens Group “CCG” continues our appeal for a coordinated effort between developers/owners, Planning/Zoning, and the neighbors. As you are aware, as part of our ongoing appeal to Town, we completed a vision statement for our neighborhood four years ago (see attached). By following a similar process modeled by Athena-Boylston Properties efforts on the Arsenal Overlay Development District, an overlay for the Watertown Square end of Arsenal St corridor could also be accomplished in short order.

Development

Planning Board OKs Seven Story Parking Garage at Arsenal on the Charles

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The Planning Board gave the go ahead to the owners of the Arsenal on the Charles to build a parking garage that will be 90 feet tall. 

The parking structure will have seven stories, which will reach the maximum height of 79 feet, and then will have a “green” roof with grass or other things growing on it. This roof will increase the height to 90 feet. The roof is needed so the top floor does not have to be plowed when it snows. The garage will have about 1,800 spaces, and will allow owners athenahealth to remove the same number of spaces from ground level in the complex that stretches along Arsenal Street, said Larry Beals, architect with Beals Associates Inc. which is designing the garage and other changes in the Arsenal. When completed 94 percent of the parking will be in garages, compared to 58 percent now. Residents worried about the size of the structure.

Development

Residents, Business Owners Say Pleasant Street Zoning Changes Go Too Far

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The Planning Board got the first public input Wednesday night on proposals to change the Pleasant Street Corridor zoning rules and heard from a lot of business owners and residents who do not like the proposals. Some did not like the restriction of uses proposed by creating three different zones in the area. Others said the new rules to make the area less “canyon-ized” with tall, long buildings close to the street makes some parcels unbuildable. The Pleasant Street Corridor came into existence several years ago when the Town Council sought to redevelop unused or underused former industrial properties in the Westside of town. In the last couple years development has taken off, but virtually all have been residential, and mostly large apartment buildings.