Government

Watertown May Get Smart Parking Meters to Manage Lots, Spaces Around Town

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As the town looks at replacing parking meters, the Town Council’s Public Works Committee will consider installing smart parking meters that take multiple forms of payment and could even let them know when spaces are free, coins are jammed and allow fees to be adjusted on the fly. More and more communities in the Boston area use these high tech meters, and Mark Berling of IPS Group said the meters can slip right on top of the current meters. The new meter system can be a big money maker, too. “A well run smart parking system can be the third largest revenue generator of funds municipalities,” Berling said. “This includes revenue from meters and the tickets.”

Letters

LETTER: Resident Condemns Trump’s Call for Russians to Release Emails

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Dear Editor:

As an “American Patriot,” I am appalled that Donald Trump would suggest that Putin’s Russia hack and intervene in the American Electoral Process. More appalling to me is the lack of outrage by fellow American Patriots of whatever political persuasion; Republican or Democrat, conservative, liberal or progressive. As far as I am concerned, Trump has abridged the highest level of trust one can confer on a candidate for an office at any level of government whether local, state or national. I was taught as a child to walk a mile in the other person’s shoes before criticizing, but in this case I have to look at the obvious!!!! Can one imagine where or what would have happened to Donald Trump if he had been in Russia during Putin’s last election and he asked the United States Government to hack Vladimir Putin’s emails.

Arsenal on the Charles

Master Plan for Renovating the Arsenal on the Charles Approved

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A plan put forward by the owners of the Arsenal on the Charles complex to add several buildings and increase the number of employees was approved by the Planning Board Monday night. 

The board unanimously supported the plan, but before any building can be built, the owners – athenahealth – must come back for approval of that each of the plan. Additions include several office buildings, new retail space, a restaurant, more open space including a pocket park and a new glass roof over the spaces between the long “finger buildings” east of the Arsenal Center for the Arts building. (Read more about the plan here). The company purchased the complex, between Arsenal and North Beacon streets, from Harvard University in 2013. Soon after planning started to renovate the complex to make expand the headquarters of the company.

Elections

20 Voters to Review Marijuana Ballot Question in Effort Sponsored by Rep. Hecht

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A group of Massachusetts residents will review the marijuana ballot question and come up with a statement on the pros and cons of the measure ahead of the November election. The Citizens’ Initiative Review pilot was sponsored by Watertown State Rep. Jonathan Hecht. On July 12, a bipartisan advisory board, which includes former Democratic Governor Michael Dukakis and two high-ranking Republican legislators, unanimously selected the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act as the question to be considered by 20 Bay State voters during deliberations in August. “We are grateful to our advisory board for their time and insights while selecting the ballot question that will be the focus of the Citizens’ Initiative Review process,” said Hecht. “I look forward to reading the results of the citizen panelists’ deliberations in August and hope that this effort will provide voters across the Commonwealth with insightful, nonpartisan information to aid in their consideration of an important issue.”

The voters will meet at the Atrium School in Watertown from August 25 to 28 and hear from advocates on both sides of the ballot question under review, as well as neutral experts.

Development

Town Houses Proposed to Go on Watertown Masonic Temple Site

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A community meeting will be held to discuss plans to redevelop the Masonic Temple on Church Street and put townhouses on the site. Petitioner PNG, LLC will host the meeting on Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room in the Watertown Police Station, 552 Main St. Before the project is built a special permit must be approved. The plan calls for building five townhouses in two buildings on the Masonic Center at 32 Church St. (across from First Parish Church) which sits on a 17,685 square foot lot.

Development

Athenahealth’s Proposal for Arsenal Complex Gets Good Reviews

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After years of hashing out the details of the massive overhaul of the Arsenal on the Charles complex, Athenahealth officials presented their master plan to the Planning Board Wednesday night and overall received a positive response but there were still some concerns. 

Some big changes would be made to the former U.S. Army facility on Arsenal Street, including several new buildings, some retail space, parks, bicycle and pedestrian paths and a large new parking garage on the far west end of the site. The garage, which will fit 1,623 vehicles, will stand 58.5 feet tall at the highest spot but 54 feet on the side closest to homes. It would have eight floors of parking, with two underground. The garage had been one of the major points of contention for residents living near the complex. Steps have been taken to reduce the size of the garage and lessen the impact.

Government

Grants Could Pay for Half the Cost of Filipello Park Project, Including Dog Park

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Grants could go a long way toward completing the final piece of Filippello Park, a project that stretches back to the 1980s. The Town Council heard a presentation from project consultant Glenn Howard of CDM Smith for renovating the Grove Street entrance of Filipello Park, which will include a large dog park. The current project first started in 2012, Howard said, and has gone through a handful of versions before reaching the one presented Tuesday night, which has a 27,000 square foot dog park, 16,000 square feet of open space and a basketball and a futsal soccer court. Town Councilors said they liked what they saw in the plan, adding that they appreciate designers and the Recreation Department taking into account the wishes of many groups in town. “This shows every time the Recreation Department and other departments met with the public they were listening,” said Councilor Ken Woodland.

Government

New Director of Senior Center Has Lots of Experience Working with Seniors

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The new director of the Watertown Senior Center comes to town with plenty of experience working with seniors in communities around the Boston area. 

Tuesday night, Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced the appointment of Anne-Marie Gagnon as the new Director of Senior Services. She comes to Watertown after working as the Director of Planning and Community Development for HESCO (Health & Social Services Consortium Inc.) the Aging Services Access Point (ASAP) and Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for 12 communities in south Norfolk County, Driscoll said. Gagnon’s responsibilities included support of AAA programs and services, oversight of sub-grantees that focused on transportation, legal services and evidence-based health programs. She also providing support for community outreach, volunteer recruitment, fund development, wrote grant proposals, maintained the HESCO website, did public relations and worked closely with community partners and the 12 Councils on Aging in the HESCO area, Driscoll said. Previously, she worked as Healthy Living Program Manager for BayPath Elder Services, where she educated Council on Aging directors in the MetroWest about evidence-based health promotion programs and helped them organize and publicize their programs for seniors. Gagnon earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a professional certificate in gerontology from Duquesne University and a master’s degree in social work with a community organization focus from the University of Pittsburgh.