Government

Proposed Marijuana Dispensary Holding Community Meeting

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The group proposing to open a recreational marijuana dispensary in Watertown will be hosting a meeting to hear from the public. NS AJO Holdings, Inc., d/b/a Natural Selections will be hosting a required Community Outreach Meeting on the proposed Adult Use/Recreational Marijuana Facility at 23 Elm St. 

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21, in the third floor conference room in the Watertown Town Hall, 149 Main St., Watertown. The meeting will be held in accordance with the guidelines as set forth by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. https://www.watertownmanews.com/2019/07/17/marijuana-facility-approved-for-medical-sales-wants-to-sell-for-recreational-use-too/

Natural Selections has already received approval to open a medical marijuana facility in the same location.

101-103 Morse Street

Planning Board Supports 37 Unit Residential Conversion on Southside

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A rendering of the proposed 37-unit residential property at 101-103 Morse St. The proposed conversion of a historic building into a 37-unit apartment complex took a step toward final approval Wednesday night by gaining the support of the Planning Board. The property at 101-103 Morse Street used to be the Cortiva Massage School, but has not been used in several years. A previous owner tried twice unsuccessfully to get approval for a residential conversion — first with 46 units and then with 36. Mouhab Rizkallah of Lacourt Affordable Trust LLC presented the new plan, which he said has some significant differences from the previous ones.

Government

Sen. Brownsberger Seeks Nominees for Citizen’s Legislative Seminar

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Massachusetts State House. The following information was provided by State Sen. Brownsberger’s Office:

Senator Will Brownsberger announced that he is seeking nominees to participate in the 83rd Citizens’ Legislative Seminar (CLS) on Tuesday, Oct. 22 and Wednesday, Oct. 23 at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. CLS is a semi-annual educational seminar geared towards adults of all ages interested in learning more about state government and the legislative process.

Government

Council Rejects Developer’s Request for Relief on Liquor License Fees

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The Town Council rejected a request from the developers of Arsenal Yards to give discounted liquor licenses for establishments that have a liquor license, but will not open until the next year. The proposal called for reducing the annual fee for the liquor licenses from $8,100 to $2,700 for businesses that need to get a license but are not ready to open because their space is still under construction. The Council received the request at the same time that Boylston Properties sought to have the town add more liquor licenses to accommodate the new tenants at the former Arsenal Mall. The Council has requested 15 more special licenses from the Legislature. The rule would only apply to special liquor licenses approved by the State Legislature to encourage economic development in Watertown.

Around Town

See the Recommendations of the Watertown Parking Plan

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A parking consultant recommends replacing Watertown’s current parking meters with “smart” meters that offer a range of payment options. This is one of many recommendations in the Watertown Parking Management Plan. Town officials recently released the final version of the Watertown Parking Management Plan, which included 10 recommendations, including adding high tech meters, adding meters in some places, removing them in others, and having different priced depending on the demand. The recommendations were developed by Stantec, the consultant hired by the town to look at parking in Watertown’s major commercial districts: Watertown Square and Coolidge Square. They also held public meetings to hear from residents and workers.

Government

See the Detours Coming Up for the Common St. Project

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Detours will be set up around the repaving project on Common Street. The work area (in yellow) also includes Katherine Road. The close roads are in red. The detours are shown in purple and the streets open only to local traffic are in lime green. Detours will be set up for a week in Watertown around the repaving area on Common Street.

Around Town

Deadline for Choosing Electricity Plan Approaching for Watertown Residents

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Town residents have received information about Watertown Electricity Choice in the mail, online and other modes, but many people have questions about the new electricity program. Monday, Aug. 12 is the deadline for Watertown residents to choose one of the new electricity plans being offered by the town as part of the Electricity Choice program. However, Watertown Energy Manager Ed Lewis stressed that residents can change their plans anytime, with no fee for changing. Lewis has been fielding calls, and doing informational sessions to answer resident’s questions about the Watertown’s electricity plan.

Elections

Crowded Field of Candidates for Town Council At-Large Seats

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Watertown voters will have one big race to follow in this fall’s Town Election, Meanwhile, the other elected posts have uncontested races, but there will be some new faces. Seven candidates are running for the four Councilor at-large seats on the Town Council. There will not be need for a preliminary election in September. Three incumbents will be running in the Councilor at-large race: Tony Palomba, Caroline Bays and Anthony Donato. The fourth seat was vacated by Michael Dattoli when he moved out of town, and his term was filled by former-Councilor Susan Falkoff.