Arsenal Mall

Owners of Arsenal Project Want to Modernize Mall, Embrace Surroundings

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The new Arsenal Mall will have smaller buildings, try to create inviting public spaces and celebrate the natural areas around it, including Arsenal Park. The owners of the Arsenal Mall – now the Arsenal Project – discussed some of their ideas for their grand renovation of the mall on the East End of Watertown in the first of a series of public meetings on Wednesday night. The mall and the Arsenal Park, right behind it, could use some upgrades, said Tom Wilder, principal of Wilder Cos., which operates the mall. “When we got the Arsenal property it was not functioning well. Folks hadn’t been here for a years,” Wilder said.

Government

Town Receives Large Number of Tax Abatement Requests for 2 Family Homes

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The tax rate for two-family homes jumped up this year, and that resulted in a larger than normal number of tax abatement requests to the Town Assessor’s office. 

When the tax rates were set in November 2015, the rates for single family homes dropped 4.85 percent, the rate for two- and three-family homes went up 8.43 percent. Councilor Angeline Kounelis had previously expressed her concern about the large increase in tax rates for two-families and requested information on the abatement requests. Town Assessor Francis Golden said his officer received 61 abatement requests for two-family homes and 56 were approved. The average abatement was $56,229 off the original assessed value, with a couple properties being abated over $100,000, according to Golden’s report. The town was re-evaluated in 2016, and a representative from the Department of Revenue joined Watertown representatives on a tour of the town to look at the neighborhood grades, conditions and boundaries, Golden explained in a letter to the Town Council.

Development

Councilors Interviewing Planning Board Nominee Same Night as Meeting on Arsenal Mall Project

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A Town Council subcommittee will interview a nominee for an opening on the Watertown Planning Board on the same evening that redevelopment of the Arsenal Mall will be discussed across town and the nominee is a familiar face around the mall. 

The Committee on Economic Development and Planning will interview Janet Buck for an opening on the Planning Board. The board will have the final approval of projects in the Regional Mixed Use District, of which the mall makes up a significant portion. Buck currently serves on the town’s Stormwater Advisory Committee. She is also volunteer coordinator for HATCH, the Watertown Free Public Library’s makerspace that uses space in the Arsenal Project (formerly the Arsenal Mall). The interview will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18 at 6 p.m. in the Town Council Office on the second floor of Town Hall.

Business

Watertown Savings Photo Contest Winners Include 3 WHS Students

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Three Watertown High School (WHS) students are among the 12 winners in Watertown Savings Bank’s (WSB) Annual High School Photo Contest. The winning photographs will comprise WSB’s 2017 calendar, available to bank customers each December. Honorable Mentions and $100 Amazon gift cards will be awarded to: Junior James DeRocher for his photo Randy’s Car Wash, which will appear with February; Freshman Catherine Holt for Garden Gates, appearing with September; and Senior Erika Libertini for her photo Team celebrates record-setting win, which will appear with March. Nearly 150 photographs were received from students who live or attend school in Arlington, Belmont, Lexington, Newton, Waltham, and Watertown. WSB employees selected the 12 finalists.

Real Estate

These 3 Watertown Homes Sold in This Week

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A two-family home and two townhouses sold this week in Watertown. $730,000 – 29-31 Ladd St. 2 unit, 10 total room, 8 total bedroom, 2 Family multi-family home

$800,000 – 9 Purvis St. Unit 9, 9 room, 4 bedroom, 2 full & 2 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

$717,000 – 47 Quincy St. Unit 47, 8 room, 4 bedroom, 2 full & 1 half bathroom, Townhouse condo/townhouse

Sponsored by:

Government

Residents Concerned About How Possible Zoning Changes Would Impact Their Homes

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More than 100 residents came out Thursday night to hear about the Residential Design Guidelines, which many said they had only recently heard about. Town Council President Mark Sideris said he would make sure people are aware of proposed changes when they come out. The meeting was held by a resident’s group, Concerned Watertown Homeowners, which formed in response to the guidelines working their way through the town government. (See the town’s Residential Design Guideline webpage here.)

The Residential Design Guidelines were first proposed by a group of residents concerned by smaller homes are being torn down and replaced with much larger homes, often two-family homes. They worried about changing the character of Watertown’s neighborhoods.

Real Estate

More Than 20 Open Houses This Weekend in Watertown

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Check out all the properties for sale around Watertown. These places are all having open houses. $850,000 – 144 Lovell Road, 10 room, 4 bed, 3 bath colonial, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

$464,500- 24 Franklin St. Unit 24, 4 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 11-1 Sunday 11:30-1:30

$499,000 – 388 School St. Unit 388, 7 room, 2 bed, 1 bath 2/3 family, Open Houses: Saturday 12-2 Sunday 12-2

$629,500 – 379 School St, 10 room, 5 bed, 3 bath colonial, Open Houses: Saturday 1:30-3:30 Sunday 2-4

$499,000 – 32 Falmouth Road, 6 room, 3 bed, 1.5 bath cape, Open Houses: Saturday 12-1:30 Sunday 12-1:30

$349,900 – 3 Repton Cir.