Development

Oakley Country Club Taking Town to Court Over ZBA’s Ruling on Wall

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Oakley Country Club is appealing the Zoning Board’s decision that ruled that the wall that went up near Oakley and Arden roads was built without proper permitting from the Town. The case was filed in the State Land Court. The case of the wall built by Oakley Country Club on the edge of their property will continue, after the club filed an appeal in state Land Court to try to overturn the Zoning Board of Appeals ruling that the wall was built without getting proper permits from the Town. The appeal was filed in Land Court on Sept. 25, and notice was sent to the Watertown Town Clerk’s office on Sept.

Board of Assessors

Watertown Property Values Reassessed by Board of Assessors, Will Result in Changes in Tax Bills

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Board of Assessors. Changes to tax rates will be shown on the third quarter tax bill, which comes out at the end of 2019:

PUBLIC NOTICETOWN OF WATERTOWNBOARD OF ASSESSORS

The Board of Assessors is required by Massachusetts General Law to reassess all properties and have those values certified by the Department of Revenue every five years. The Board of Assessors’ staff and Patriot Properties recently completed a town-wide reassessment and have submitted new property values for preliminary certification. New assessments must reflect “Full and Fair Cash Value” based on property sales in calendar year 2018. The valuation date for Fiscal Year 2020 is January 1, 2019.

Government

Watertown Looking into Creating Rental Assistance Program

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Watertown Town Hall

Watertown officials will be exploring how the Town may create a rental assistance fund to help people who need help with security deposits in order to afford an apartment or other rental housing. The proposal came from the the Council’s Human Services subcommittee, which met more than a dozen times over the past year to look for ways to increase the amount of affordable housing in Watertown. The Council approved the recommendation to ask the Planning Department to draft a proposal for tenant-based rental assistance program, or programs, including how it could be appropriately funded and staffed. Councilor Tony Palomba, who chaired the Human Services Committee, said that Waltham has a rental assistance program. “The program is very successful in Waltham, and I am sure it will be successful in Watertown.”

Government

Town to Pay Property Taxes of Parents of Those who Died Serving in the Military

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The Town of Watertown will pay the property taxes for parents or guardians of servicemen and women who died serving in the military, and also increased the amount of property taxes veterans can work off through a Town program. Tuesday night, the Town Council unanimously approved the two programs, which are part of the BRAVE Act which are optional for cities and towns to adopt. The act aims at improving services to veterans and was passed by the State Legislature and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in 2018. Town Councilor Ken Woodland said the passage of the provisions was another example of how Watertown supports veterans. “I am very proud of this Council and this community,” Woodland said.

Development

LETTER: Boylston Properties Responds to End of Agreement with Town Over Arsenal Park

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A view of the planned renovation of Arsenal Park. The following letter is in response to the Sept. 11, 2019 story “Partnership Between Town, Arsenal Yards to Renovate Town Park Over Before it Began”

Editor,

I want to clear up the facts of the state of our partnership with the Town on the Arsenal Park renovation, and to also put into context the recent exchange between the Town and Boylston Properties that you detailed in your piece. Mark Reich has been a great contributor to our early progress in this hoped for partnership, but his letter to the Town was a one-sided summary of that process. As you know, we firmly believe that Arsenal Yards will be of great benefit to Watertown.

Government

Town Rebidding 2019 Road Projects, Announces Roads Being Repaired in 2020

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A road being repaired in Watertown. A higher than expected bid delayed the road repairs in Watertown in 2019, but they Town will seek to do both those roads and another eight in 2020. Tuesday night, the Town Council approved funding for construction of the 2019 projects, and also heard the recommended roads to be reconstructed in 2020. When the Town went to bid on the 2019 roads repair projects in May, only one firm bid on the work and it came in $693,000 (33.1 percent) over the $2.5 million budget, said Department of Public Works Superintendent Gerry Mee. This time, the bids will go out in December, ahead of other municipal road projects, and the work will be split up.

Government

Watertown Firefighters Getting Second Set of Gear to Improve Safety, Ladder Truck Approved

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Watertown firefighters will get a second set of turnout gear to wear on shifts when they respond to a fire. The Fire Department will also be getting a new ladder truck. The Town Council approved a purchase that Watertown Fire Chief Bob Quinn hopes will keep members of the Fire Department healthy and safe. Tuesday night, the Council approved $176,000 to be spent on a second set of turnout gear for the Watertown Fire Department. “Cancer is a significant concern for firefighters, and by adding a second set of turnout gear it helps create a healthier, safer environment for members of the Watertown Fire Department,” Quinn said.

Around Town

Partnership Between Town, Arsenal Yards to Renovate Town Park Over Before it Began

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An overhead view of Arsenal Park. The long red building is the Arsenal Mall, and to the left is the Commander’s Mansion and the Arsenal on the Charles complex. A public-private partnership between the Town of Watertown and the developers of Arsenal Yards, which was to speed up renovation of part of Arsenal Park, has ended, Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced Tuesday night. A disagreement over a construction management fee that Boylston wanted to charge the Town to oversee the construction was the main sticking point, according to Driscoll, who read from a letter from the Town’s attorney Mark Reich of KP Law. “Of particular concern, and the primary impetus for this letter, is the insistence of Mr. (William) McQuillan that the Town pay Boylston Properties a 5 percent construction management fee as part of the proposed public-private partnership,” the letter reads.