Arsenal Mall

LETTER: Tower at Arsenal Mall Too Tall, Will Loom Over Charles River

By |

To the citizens of Watertown, regarding the Arsenal Project MP/SP proposal,

As I sat in the audience of the Planning Board meeting of Dec. 14, 2016, I was again disappointed. In over a year of meetings the issue which I thought would have been a major concern to both the citizens of Watertown, the city councilors and the city planning department employees was rarely discussed. The issue I am referring to is the development of a 12 story building (building “G”) approximately 100 feet from Greenough Boulevard. Now the reason the developer wants to build this building is obvious.

Real Estate

$1.6 Million Home Tops the List of 7 Watertown Properties Sold This Week

By |

Six homes sold in the Watertown real estate market this week including four two-families. $1,615,000 – 18 Winsor Ave., 10 room, 4 bedroom, 3 full & 1 half bathroom, single-family home

$635,000 – 67-69 York Ave., 2 unit, 10 total room, 4 total bedroom, 2 Family – 2 Units Side by Side multi-family home

$830,000 – 77 Union St., 2 unit, 12 total room, 5 total bedroom, 2 Family multi-family home

$625,000 – 59 Bradford St., 2 unit, 6 total room, 4 total bedroom, 2 Family multi-family home

Sponsored by:

$342,500 – 59 Grant Ave. Unit 59, 5 room, 2 bedroom, 1 full bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$730,000 – 4-6 Sexton St. Unit 6, 8 room, 4 bedroom, 3 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$781,000 – 198 Maplewood St., 2 unit, 13 total room, 5 total bedroom, 2 Family – 2 Units Up/Down multi-family home

Around Town

Watertown Insurance Agency Runs Successful Toys for Tots Drive

By |

H&K Insurance Agency is excited to announce another great Toys for Tots drive with more donations from the public than ever before! H&K Insurance has been participating in Toys for Tots for the last ten years and continues to grow with each passing season. This year, through the support of their customers, partners, staff, and the local community, they were able to collect an astounding amount of 65 toys. A big contributor this year were individual donations from the public, more than any time in the past. “We are thrilled to see our staff and the Watertown community unite as one to be a part of such an amazing program,” said Paul Perry, the Treasurer and General Manager of H&K.

Real Estate

A Small Selection of Open Houses This Week in Watertown

By |

Watertown has a handful of open houses this weekend. $677,000 – 29 Ladd St. Unit 2, 7 room, 4 bed, 3 bath townhouse, Open House: Sunday 1-2:30

$657,000 – 31 Ladd St. Unit 31, 7 room, 4 bed, 3 bath townhouse, Open House: Sunday 1-2:30

Sponsored by:

$589,000 – 87 Watertown St. Unit 87, 7 room, 3 bed, 3 bath 2/3 family, Open House: Sunday 11-12:30

$649,900 – 199 Coolidge Ave.

Development

Approval of Arsenal Mall Renovation Delayed, Planning Board Wants More Info on Traffic

By |

 

The redesign of the Arsenal Mall will have to wait until next month for approval after the Planning Board told developers they wanted results of the traffic study to be approved by the town’s consultants. Representatives for Boylston Properties and The Wilder Cos. appeared before the Planning Board for the second time Wednesday night, focusing on the traffic impact of the project. The proposal includes removing some portions of the current mall, leaving the historic buildings and adding new buildings. The project calls for 503 units of housing, some of which would be in a 12-story residential building.

Development

Town Council Increases Requirement for Affordable Housing in New Projects

By |

Developers will be required to provide more affordable housing in most residential projects built in Watertown after the Town Council’s vote on Tuesday night. The Council approved changes to the Town’s Inclusionary Zoning Requirements, but there were questions about who would qualify to live in the affordable units. Previously the requirement was 12.5 percent of the units for most areas of town, but that amount was increased for projects of 20 units or more. The requirement for projects with 6-19 unit projects will remain at 12.5 percent. Also, the income requirements change for the projects that would have to provide 15 percent affordable units. For projects of 20 or more units, 10 percent of units in a rental project (or 2/3 of the affordable units) will be for people who meet the 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) standard, and 5 percent of the units are for those meeting the 65 percent of the AMI threshold, which would be $63,800 for a family of four, according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Arsenal Street

Town Working With Developers to Fix Issues on Arsenal Street

By |

Travelers of Arsenal Street will have noticed the sticking point as you head west toward Watertown Square near the Lexus dealer. Town officials are working with the developers of a nearby apartment complex to fix the situation. The problem has been caused by the new raised bicycle path that runs in front of the block of businesses on that area of Arsenal Street and stretches a bit too far. The extra section causes a choke point when drivers try to turn left onto Louise Street because cars have no room to go around, said Town Engineer Matt Shuman. “The bump out was supposed to end west of Louise,” Shuman said.