Development

Town Council Splits on Zoning Change for Self Storage Facilities

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A change in the number of parking spots required for a self-storage facility in Watertown received the Town Council’s approval Tuesday night, but concerns over whether such a facility was wanted in town and where it should go led to some votes against the zoning change. The proposal called for changing the formula for determining the number of spots needed at a storage facility from one spot for every three storage units, to two spots per every 10,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area. Steve Magoon, Assistant Town Manager and Director of Community Development and Planning, said under old standard a 50,000 sq.

Donald Trump

Former Watertown Council President Wants Trump to Commit His Own Money to Building Border Wall

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Former Town Council President Clyde Younger wants to make sure that Watertown taxpayers, and all Americans, are not left on the hook for paying for a wall along the border with Mexico. He proposed a resolution requiring President Donald Trump to commit half a billion dollars of his own money toward getting the project started. Younger brought his resolution to the Town Council Tuesday night. He noted that the national debt is projected to grow by trillions of dollars over the next decade, and that there are less costly alternatives to protecting the United States’ southern border. While he proposes that the President use some of his own money, Younger’s resolution to the U.S. Congressional Budget Committee adds that the money would be matched by taxpayers money, with a condition.

Caroline Bays

LETTER: Open Letter from Town Councilor About Kneeling During Pledge of Allegiance

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Dear Watertown resident,

I wanted to say a few words to you before the town council meeting tonight. As many of you know I knelt during the Pledge of Allegiance at the inauguration. I did so because I can not say “with liberty and justice for all” while that is not true in our country. People of color throughout our nation do not experience the same rights and privileges as white Americans. From the disproportionate punishment young children experience in schools to the disproportionate arrests, convictions, and sentences adults receive in the criminal justice system, people of color live with discrimination and persecution that people who are white do not experience.

Government

Town Councilor Dattoli Holding Office Hours Tuesday Evening

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Town Councilor At-Large Michael Dattoli announced he will be holding office hours on Tuesday, January 9th. 

Office Hours begin at 5:00pm in the Trustees Room at the Watertown Free Public Library.  Councilor Dattoli can be contacted by phone at 617-999-5333 or email at michaeldattoli@gmail.com.

Coolidge Square

Discuss Plans to Redesign Mt. Auburn Street in East Watertown at DPW Open House

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Find out about plans to redesign Mt. Auburn Street through the business district of East Watertown and share your thoughts at a meeting hosted by the Watertown Department of Public Works on Jan. 30, 2018. The Watertown DPW sent out the following announcement:

COOLIDGE SQUARE OPEN HOUSE  for a Mount Auburn Street Project Update
Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2018  
Snow Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2018*
Time: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: The Apartments at Coolidge School – Auditorium 319 Arlington Street, Watertown
Visitor parking is available in the front of the building and additional spaces are behind the building along the fence. All other spots are for residents only.

Government

Town Council President Sees Development, Communication & Schools as Priorities for New Term

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As the new Town Council term begins, Watertown Council President Mark Sideris looked toward the next two years and said that some of the major focus will be on traffic, development and communication with the public, as well as the upcoming school building projects. Newly elected Town Councilors, School Committee members and Library Trustees were sworn in by Town Clerk John Flynn on Tuesday night at the Mosesian Center for the Arts. After his swearing in, Sideris addressed the audience in the theater at the Arts Center. Development has been a big issue for several years, and Sideris said he would like to take a new approach at looking at new projects in town, from those completed, to those under construction and projects just getting started. “I will be working with the Community Development and Planning Department to coordinate a field trip to visit the sites that have been developed,” Sideris said.

Government

Town Councilor Kneels in Prayer During Pledge of Allegiance at Watertown’s Inauguration

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At the Watertown Inauguration on Tuesday, one of the newly elected Town Councilors stood out by kneeling during the Pledge of Allegiance. Caroline Bays, who was elected to her first term as Councilor-At-Large in November, said she knelt in prayer during the Pledge. She then stood for the National Anthem. Bays said she was kneeling in support of those who have had their freedoms curtailed. “The Pledge of Allegiance states that we are a nation which stands for liberty and justice for all,” Bays said in a statement.

Government

CPA Tax Appearing on Tax Bills for First Time, Some Can Get Exemption

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Watertown homeowners noticed a new line on their property tax bills, the one for “CPA Tax.” The new tax is on all bills, but some residents can qualify for an exemption on the new tax. The tax is the surcharge for the Community Preservation Act, which was passed by voters in 2016. The money raised by the tax will go into a fund earmarked for projects related to affordable housing, open space/recreation and historic preservation. The CPA adds a 2 percent tax surcharge.