Commonwealth Compact

Lt. Governor Signs Agreement Which Will Help Watertown Build ‘Complete Streets’

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Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito came to town last week to welcome the Town of Watertown as the latest community to sign a Commonwealth Compact with the Baker-Polito Administration. 

Watertown is the 261st community to sign a Commonwealth Compact and the compact focuses on Complete Streets, which seeks to make streets accessible not only to motor vehicles but mass transit, bicycles and pedestrians. By signing the compact, Watertown promises to use “best-practices” when implementing complete streets, and in return they have have a leg up on getting access to state assistance, including grants for design and construction of street projects. “It is the second year of funding, and this year we have $2 million in the Commonwealth Compact Best Practices Fund,” Polito said. The town can hire a consultant to figure out the best practices, and if the town cannot find one the state will hire a third party to work with the town. “Once the town achieves best practices, it will be eligible to apply for Complete Street construction funds,” Polito added.

Government

Watertown Democrats to Elect Delegates for State Convention

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Registered Democrats in Watertown will be holding a caucus at the Watertown Savings Bank Room of the Watertown Free Public Library on Sunday, March 5 at 1:30 p.m to elect 24 delegates and four alternates to the 2017 Massachusetts Democratic Convention, where Democrats from across Massachusetts will gather to adopt a new Party Platform. The Convention will be held on Saturday, June 3rd at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell. 

“People are excited about politics and want to make a difference. Our caucuses are a great opportunity for those who are interested to get involved,” said Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Gus Bickford. “Delegates will be voting on our Party Platform in Lowell, and we want to make sure that every Democrat has a voice. This is a time to come together and speak to our shared Democratic values.”

Government

Author Will Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy Under President Trump

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Author and journalist Stephen Kinzer will speak about what kind of U.S. foreign policy we can expect under President Trump at an event at the Watertown Free Public Library. Event: U.S. Foreign Policy: Intervention or Restraint?: What can we expect from President Trump? Stephen Kinzer, author and journalist, will answer these questions when he discusses his new book The True Flag. The talk will be on Tuesday, February 21 at 7 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St., Watertown. Stephen Kinzer is an award-winning foreign correspondent whose articles and books have led the Washington Post to place him “among the best in popular foreign policy storytelling.” He has written books about Central America, Rwanda, Turkey and Iran.

330-350 Pleasant Street

Mixed Retail/Residential Project on Pleasant Street Near River Approved

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{NOTE: A correction was made at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 14 about when the Planning Board can debate the design of the project.}

After much debate, the Planning Board approved a mixed-use project on Pleasant Street that will include retail stores, a restaurant near the Charles River and apartments. Last week, developers of 330, 350 Pleasant Street – called Water Mills at Bridge Point – appeared before the Planning Board for the second time. The team representing developer Mark Coppola of World Realty and Development Ltd. had made some minor changes to the planned 18,445 sq. ft.

Environment

State Sen. Brownsberger Hosting Discussion on Energy, Climate Legislation

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State Senator Will Brownsberger announced he will host a community discussion on energy and climate legislation filed in the 2017-2018 legislative session. The discussion will be from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 18 in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room at the Watertown Public Library, located at 123 Main Street. This event is free and open to the public.

Government

Medical Marijuana Dispensary Moves a Step Closer to Approval

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A proposed medical marijuana dispensary in the East End of Watertown cleared one hurdle Tuesday night and now moves on to the Town Council for consideration. The dispensary proposed by NS AJO Inc., also called Natural Selections, would be at 23 Elm Street in a building behind A-Affordable Auto Insurance. On Tuesday, the Council’s Economic Development and Planning subcommittee voted to send the application to the full Town Council to be considered for a letter of support or non-opposition. The application would still need the approval of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. The applicant agreed to a host agreement with the Town to pay $200,000 or 6 percent of their gross revenue, whichever is higher, annually.

Cambridge

Q&A: Town Councilor Talks About Removal of Trees in Town by Cambridge

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Residents have reacted strongly to the news that 25 trees behind Town Hall and along the Community Path will be removed. Confusing the matter more is the fact that the trees sit on land that is owned by the City of Cambridge, despite being within the limits of Watertown and in some cases what appears to be people’s back yards. According to a letter sent by Cambridge’s Water Department to a Watertown resident questioning the removal of the trees, the depth of the pipe below the surface is three feet but can be as little as one foot. In their surveying of the pipe, Cambridge officials found a piece of pipe blocked by roots near Arsenal Street. Town Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli, who represents District C – where the trees are located – responded to questions from Watertown News about the tree removal.

Capital Improvement Plan

Town Capital Plan Calls for Park Improvements, School Renovations and Many Vehicles

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Town officials have a list of major projects and purchases for the next five years, including funds for improvement to parks, to purchase more than a dozen vehicles, and plans for school renovations but no funding sources for the school projects, yet. The proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2018-22 includes $368.3 million, with $20 million planned for FY 2018 (the fiscal year that runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018). In addition, $24 million has been proposed in projects from the Water and Sewer Enterprise Funds. See the entire CIP proposal here. The CIP includes $204 million for renovation and/or reconstruction of schools.