Government

Council Notebook: New Council Clerk, Resident Petition & Committee Assignments

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The Town Council approved a hiring a new Council Clerk, but they also decided to change the way the person is hired next time around. 

Town Council President Mark Sideris announced his pick for the position of Council Clerk – Marilyn Pronovost. She comes to the job with experience working in local government as well as working for a technology company. She has a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State and a law degree from Suffolk University. Some councilors wondered if she was, essentially, overqualified for the position. Pronovost was asked about that by town Personnel Director Gayle Shattuck and Town Auditor Tom Tracy when they interviewed her, Sideris said, and they were satisfied with her answer.

Development

Citizens Group Trying to Make Sense of RMUD, Propose Recommendations

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If you don’t know what the RMUD is and what it means for Watertown, yet, you should find out. That is exactly the task members of the citizen-run Sustainable Watertown has undertaken. The group has organized four meetings to wade through the complexities of the proposed Regional Mixed Use District that encompasses the two malls in town and other nearby properties on Arsenal Street, Elm Street and Coolidge Avenue. The zoning would change the area from an industrial one to one where a mix of things would be allowed, including retail, office and residential. As proposed now it would allow taller buildings, and could get close to natural resources such as the Charles River and Arsenal Park.

Double Poles

Town Council Getting Serious About Removing Double Utility Poles

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Members of the Town Council are sick and tired about the double utility poles that are a common sight around Watertown, and threatened to deny new utility and cable permits if they are not removed. On Tuesday, the Council heard four requests for petitions from utilities looking install new lines or new poles around town. Two of them were for the new CVS under construction in Coolidge Square, and both were on double poles. The double poles go up when one pole is old or damaged, and the wires have not been transferred to the new pole. This has long been an issue for the Council.

Development

Find Out About the RMUD Proposal at Upcoming Citizen Led Meetings

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Sustainable Watertown hosted a meeting last week to help people wade through the complexities of the process for rezoning the area near the Arsenal Project and Watertown Mall, and the group has more meetings planned. 

The informal meetings are a time to learn about what the RMUD (Regional Mixed Use District) in the East End could mean for Watertown, how the process works and even what some of the jargon actually means. The second meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 13 from 6:45-9 p.m. at the Watertown Free Public Library

TOPICS: Open Space and Green Space, Definitions, Public Stewardship of the Riverway, Local and State Ordinances and Laws Protecting the River and Riverway, 100 Foot Buffer; Public Parks, Public Access. Nancy Hammett, Presenter

Meeting No. 3 – Tuesday, Jan. 19, WFPL, Time: 6:45-9 p.m.

TOPICS: Traffic, Transit (Including TMA -Traffic Management Association & TMD – Traffic Management District), plus a Street Network Vision within RMUD and connectivity to Watertown consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

Government

Watertown DPW Gets Grant for New Ways to Handle Stormwater, Protect River

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Watertown’s Department of Public Works received funds from the state to put in new, greener measures to deal with stormwater runoff and protect the Charles River. 

The DPW sent out the following announcement:

The Town of Watertown has been awarded a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to fund various planning activities that support identification and implementation of green infrastructure and other techniques to reduce non-point source pollution and improve water quality in impaired waters. The term non-point source pollution refers to contaminants that are carried to a waterway as a result of precipitation and stormwater runoff from the land or infiltration into the soil. Common types of non-point source pollution include phosphorus and nitrogen from lawn and garden fertilizers, bacteria from pet waste and waterfowl, oil and grease from parking lots and roadways and sediment from construction activities and soil erosion. Stormwater from the Town’s drainage system flows directly to the Charles River without treatment and is one of many contributors to pollution in the river. Green infrastructure is an approach to managing stormwater. Instead of flowing through downspouts, pipes, and other engineered systems directly to water bodies, green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and other natural elements to reduce the amount of stormwater and stormwater pollutants.

Arsenal Project

Arsenal Mall Owners Reveal Some Visions for Revamping Their Property

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Residents got a clearer picture of what to expect if the owners of the former Arsenal Mall get the OK to redevelop their property at a meeting Saturday where there were also some mending of fences that were damaged during previous meetings. A complex of smaller buildings with shops and residences would replace the open parking lot currently in front of the Arsenal Project. In addition the newer section of the mall linking the two long historic buildings would be taken down and the historic buildings would be made more inviting. The development could be made if and when the Regional Mixed Use District zoning is approved, which includes not on the Arsenal Project, but the Watertown Mall, other properties east of the mall on Arsenal Street and sections of Elm Street and Coolidge Avenue. The RMUD is currently being considered for approval by the Town Council.

Elections

LETTER: Councilor Endorses Steve Owens for Democratic State Committee

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On Tuesday, March 1, Primary Election Day in Massachusetts, Democrats from across the state will vote for candidates running for the Democratic State Committee. Our senatorial district, which is represented by State Senator Will Brownsberger and includes Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston, has the opportunity to elect a new member to an open seat. We need a candidate who embodies progressive democratic values, who can motivate Democratic activists, and who can build the Democratic Party in Massachusetts. I believe the candidate who can do this is Steve Owens, the chair of the Watertown Democratic Town Committee for the last eight years. Since 2006, when he ran the highly successful Watertown for Deval effort, I have watched Steve educate and inspire hundreds of volunteers to speak with confidence about Democratic candidates.

Development

Opposition to Changing Watertown’s Residential Zoning Comes Together

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A group of Watertown residents worried that changing the town’s residential zoning rules could hurt property rights is gaining strength after holding a kick-off meeting Thursday night. The Concerned Watertown Homeowners Association’s meeting at the Apartments at Coolidge School attracted about 50 people. The group seeks to spread the word about the Residential Design Guidelines and Standards being proposed in town. The group worries that Watertown homeowners would lose property rights, and that the restrictions could even mean a loss of property value if it is harder to make additions, or residential property cannot be easily redeveloped. “Seniors in Watertown who own their home plan on retiring on that aren’t going to be able to sell their property for as much,” said resident Steve Messina.