Development

Residents Question $25 Million in Improvements Proposed by Athenahealth, Town

By |

Watertown could get $25 million in improvements to roads, parks and paths without putting up a dime, but attendees of a meeting last Thursday were not leaping to seal the deal. 

The proposed work would be part of the I-Cubed program, in which a developer – in this case Athenahealth – bonds money from the state to pay for the infrastructure and teams with public entities – the Town of Watertown and the Department of Conservation and Recreation – to do the improvements. The bonds will be paid by the increased tax revenue going to the state from Athenahealth’s campus expansion and the additional jobs it will create. None of the money can be spent on Athenahealth’s property. Thursday night, Athenahealth officials presented the list of projects it would do with the money. They include:
$7.5 million – Arsenal Street: roadway and sidewalk improvements, upgraded traffic lights and timing
$900,000 – Sewer improvements on North Beacon Street and Greenough Boulevard
$6.3 million – Roadway improvements to North Beacon, a cycling and pedestrian path, signal upgrades
$1.7 million – Watertown Square repaving, sidewalk improvements, upgrades to traffic, pedestrian signals and timing, and realigning Charles River Road
$700,000 – Completing the improvements of the Watertown Riverfront Park on the north bank of the Charles River
$1.7 million – Greenough Boulevard: bicycle and pedestrian path upgrades, improvements to the roadway and signal upgrades (including a traffic light at Greenough and North Beacon)
$2.7 million – Squibnocket Park: adding a canoe/kayak launch, a boardwalk and river overlook, and landscaping
$400,000 – School Street/Dexter Avenue/Walnut Street: sight-line improvements and curb realignments
$400,000 – Arsenal Park: extension of the Community Path through the park
$2.7 million – Drainage and parking improvement on Talcott Avenue near the Commander’s Mansion, cosmetic improvements to the Mansion and grounds and realignment of Talcott Avenue, and possibly linking it to either North Beacon or Greenough
The I-Cubed program would be a “win-win” for Athenahealth and the town, said  Mark Blair, the company’s Manager of Environment and Construction.

Government

Small Road on the Southside Has More Than Its Share of Issues

By |

Each year, to celebrate the end of school, the residents of Theurer Park in Watertown shut down their street and have a block party. Kids can run around in the street and ride their bikes without fear for their safety, but the rest of the year their parents make sure they stick to the sidewalks. 

The street is a short, block-long road on the Southside of Watertown, but it has more than its share of problems, residents say. Speeding cars, pot holes, mud-filled planting strips and lack of crosswalks – problems facing many streets in town, but few suffer from all of them. Filled with two-family homes, Theurer Park also has 18 children and 15 dogs residing there. With all the problems, residents point to one.

Environment

New Tree Planted in Watertown Square to Honor Watertown’s Tree Warden

By |

A tree grows in Watertown Square – and it’s no ordinary tree. This tree honors Watertown’s own Tree Warden, Chris Hayward, for being named Massachusetts Tree Warden of the Year. 

Hayward received the Tree Warden of the Year award from the Massachusetts Tree Wardens and Foresters Association earlier this year, and as part of the award he got to have a tree planted in his town in his honor. On Wednesday morning, a white fir was planted on the Watertown Square Delta, just a stone’s throw from the bus stop. A couple dozen people came to congratulate him, including co-workers, elected officials, residents and his wife, mother and mother- and father-in-laws. The evergreen is about 10 feet tall, but it could grow to several times that height in about 80 years time.

Development

Neighbors Fed Up With Impact of Atheahealth Construction Project

By |

Residents living near the east end of North Beacon Street in Watertown reached the end of their patience this week and let officials at Athenahealth know about how upset they are with the impact the company’s construction project is having on their neighborhood. Athenahealth has started construction on a new parking garage on the westside of its campus at the Arsenal on the Charles – which is the beginning of a multiphase project to expand the campus. Neighbors say cars have spilled out of the campus and are parking on North Beacon Street and side streets. Then this week construction trucks began coming up Charles River Road – normally a no-truck route – and are using a driveway that they were told would only be used by emergency vehicles. “Monday, trucks starting coming out of the curb cut and one gets stuck and State Police had to come and close North Beacon Street for 15 minutes,” said North Beacon Street resident Kathy Santoian.

Government

Find Out About Major Utility Project on North Beacon, Arsenal and Louise Streets

By |

A major utility project that will impact all of Louise Street and parts of North Beacon and Arsenal streets will be discussed during a community meeting on May 17 hosted by Eversource and National Grid. The project includes work by both utilities on Louise Street, National Grid gas main replacement on North Beacon Street and Eversource electrical work on Arsenal Street. Planning for the work began five or six years ago when Eversource began planning to build a new substation in Brighton, said Assistant Town Manager Steve Magoon. “It is important for Watertown to be connected into that to bring service into Watertown,” Magoon told the Town Council in April. Eversource will install four manholes and more than 2,800 feet of electrical conduit.

Development

First Phase of Mall Renovation Approved, Questions on Meeting Green Goal Remain

By |

The Watertown Planning Board voted Tuesday night to approve the first phase of the renovation of the former Arsenal Mall, which includes the two historic buildings, but developers said they may not be able to meet the energy efficiency goals without impacting the historic look. This part of the Arsenal Yards project focuses on Building A (where Marshall’s and the food court are located) and Building E (Old Navy and Golfsmith). Meanwhile, the addition made in the 1980s which connects the two large historic building will be demolished, said Project Manager Jeff Heidelberg of Boylston Properties. Building A will have two stories, and include a new glassed main entrance near Chipotle. Another entrance will be created on the east end of the building, which will open into what developers have dubbed the River Green.

Development

Developers of Arsenal Yards Want Deal With Town to Cap Property Taxes

By |

The developers behind the renovation of the Arsenal Mall have asked Town officials for something that has never been given in Watertown – a cap on the amount of property taxes. Bill McQuillan, principal of Boylston Properties, sent Town Council President Mark Sideris a letter last week requesting a “tax certainty” deal with the town. On Tuesday night, the Town Council referred the request to two subcommittees – Budget and Fiscal Oversight and Economic Development and Planning. Representatives from Boyslton and The Wilder Cos. said they need the certainty to get the funding required to pay for the $400 million project.

Government

Upcoming Meeting Will Cover Redesign of Mt. Auburn St., Work on Belmont St.

By |

Plans to redesign the Mt. Auburn Street Corridor will be discussed at a meeting in Cambridge on Monday, May 8. The City of Cambridge’s Department of Traffic, Parking and Transportation will host a neighborhood meeting on Monday, May 8 between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.at the Russell Youth Center at 680 Huron Ave. in Cambridge. The meeting will focus on the design plans of the Mt.