Business

Local Bank Named One of the 50 Fastest Growing Residential Lenders

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The following announcement was provided by Belmont Savings Bank:
Belmont Savings Bank is proud to announce that it has been selected by Banker & Tradesman as a part of their Fast 50 fastest growing residential mortgage lenders.  The bank has been ranked in the Residential Lending by Number of Loans category. The Fast 50 rankings are based on the number of loans and dollar volume for the first six months of 2018 as compared to the same time frame in 2017.                                                                                                                                                         Belmont Savings was previously included on this list in 2014 in the same category. The Fast 50 has been published annually since 2011 and draws its data from The Warren Group, publisher of Banker and Tradesman.  Lenders selected for the Fast 50 include national as well as local and regional institutions. “We are thrilled to be recognized once again by Banker and Tradesman as a part of their Fast 50 list,” said Bob Mahoney, President and CEO of Belmont Savings Bank. “This is the latest example of Belmont Savings’ emerging regional leadership, this time in the residential lending market.”
Last year, the bank was honored as the sole New England bank on Fortune Magazine’s 100 Fastest Growing Companies List.

Business

Changes Recommended to Plastic Shopping Bag Ban to Encourage Reusable Bags

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The ban of single use plastic bags has been in place in Watertown for just over a year, and those who pushed for the ban suggest some tweaks be made to the ordinance. 

Earlier this month, the Town Council heard a report about how the Bring Your Own Bag ordinance has gone in its first year. All stores have stopped giving the thin plastic bags to customers, but some continue to hand out plastic bags made of thicker material which are not biodegradable. The bags meet the requirement that bags must be 4 mil thick, but do not “meet the spirit of the ordinance,” said Councilor Anthony Donato, who read the report from the Rules & Ordinances subcommittee. “The community didn’t envision this outcome and the Council wants to see how we can strengthen our current ordinance,” Donato said. The plastic bag ordinance was first presented to the Town Council by ReThink Plastic, a resident group seeking to eliminate single-use plastic bags and encourage people to use reusable shopping bags.

Real Estate

More Than a Dozen Open Houses in Watertown This Weekend

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Check out all the open houses around town this week. $449,900 – 14 Chapman St. Unit 14, 5 room, 2 bed, 1 bath townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 10-12 Sunday 11-1

$514,900 – 42 Maplewood St. Unit 1, 7 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Friday 5:30-7 Saturday 11:30-1 Sunday 11:30-1

$669,000 – 26 Charles St., 10 room, 4 bed, 2 bath cape, Open Houses: Saturday 1:30-3:30 Sunday 1:30-3:30

$899,000 – 75 Summer St. Unit 75, 9 room, 4 bed, 3 full 2 half bath townhouse, Open House: Sunday 12-1

$519,000 – 660 Belmont St.

Business

COLUMN: Using Your Talent to Bring Prosperity & Personal Satisfaction

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At my firm, we often say that Financial Planning is about more than money, it’s about what happens in between paychecks. Something similar can be said about HOW you manage your money. It’s not simply a matter of working harder; it’s much more about using your non-financial skills and talents in new ways to bring you prosperity and a greater sense of personal satisfaction. Here are five tips to follow when seeking balance in your finances. 1.

Business

LETTER: Watertown Needs Committee to Oversee Biotech Labs in Town

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Dear Friends & Neighbors,

I delivered the following comments to our Town Council on August 14, 2018.:

I am here to talk about Biotech in Watertown. Last week, August 8th, I attended a Planning Board hearing regarding Arsenal Yards. At the hearing, the developer requested approval for façade modifications, changes to the ‘river green’ layout, and a change of use to Building A’s second floor from a commercial office/retail use to a combination of office and R&D use
(https://www.ci.watertown.ma.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4027). Since I could find no staff report, I checked a promo piece for Arsenal Yards, and found that, without receiving approval from the Planning Board, they are already promoting 100,000 square feet of creative office and “lab space” (www.arsenalyards.com/office/). During the meeting, the Planning Board was focused on proposed changes to the windows, entrances, the roof, and the ventilation system.

Real Estate

Watertown Had Three Home Sales This Week

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See the three homes that sold in Watertown this week. $500,000 – 50 Watertown St. Unit 504, 4 room, 2 bedroom, 2 full bathroom, Mid-Rise condo/townhouse

$389,000 – 12 Dana Ter. Unit 1, 3 room, 1 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, Duplex condo/townhouse

$555,000 – 47 Morrison Road, 6 room, 2 bedroom, 2 full bathroom, Ranch single-family home

Sponsored by:

Real Estate

Watertown Has a Variety of Homes Holding Open Houses This Week

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Here are all the open houses around Watertown this week. $799,900 – 69 Bradford Road Unit 69, 9 room, 4 bed, 3 bath townhouse, Open House: Sunday 1-3

$525,000 – 56 Sparkill St., 6 room, 4 bed, 1 bath cape, Open House: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$799,000 – 22 Quincy St., 2 unit, 10 total room, 4 total bedroom 2 family, Open House: Sunday 12-1:30

$519,000 – 660 Belmont St. Unit 660, 7 room, 3 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 11:30-1 Sunday 1:30-3

$839,000 – 199 Coolidge Ave. Unit 105, 5 room, 2 bed, 2.5 bath high-rise, Open House: Saturday 12-1:30

$745,000 – 13 Hazel St. Unit 13, 9 room, 3 bed, 2 bath townhouse, Open Houses: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$689,000 – 238 N Beacon St., 8 room, 4 bed, 1 bath colonial, Open House: Sunday 2:30-4

Sponsored by:

$949,900 – 11 Hill St., 14 room, 6 bed, 3 bath colonial, Open House: Saturday 1:30-3

$1,095,000 – 35 Otis St., 8 room, 4 bed, 2 bath victorian, Open House: Sunday 1-2:30

$470,000 – 11 Wollitzer Lane Unit 11, 5 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 11:30-1 Sunday 12-1:30

$450,000 – 9 Wollitzer Lane Unit 9, 5 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 11:30-1 Sunday 12-1:30

$499,000 – 199 Coolidge Ave.

30 Elm Street

Proposed Self Storage, R&D Building on Elm St. Pleases Planning Board

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The latest proposal for the property at 30 Elm Street — which would create a self-storage facility with space for biotech and a community space —  pleased members of the Planning Board, who recommended that the Zoning Board give it final approval. Developers seek to put up the four-story, 49-foot tall building on the property behind Target which used to be the Atlantic Battery Co. Previously there was a proposal to build a five-story hotel, but it was rejected by the Zoning Board in 2015. While the majority of the building would be devoted to self storage, the front of the building would feature space for a research and development company and space for a community use, such as the Hatch maker space, said attorney Bill York, who represented 30 Elm Street Partners LLC. Architect Hans Strauch from HDS Architecture said designers wanted to make the building attractive.