Development

Town Holding Meeting to Discuss Ways to Preserve Neighborhoods

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Watertown residents are invited to attend “Preserving Our Neighborhoods: A Community Forum Tools Available to Preserve Neighborhood Character” on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at Watertown Middle School, 68 Waverley Ave. 

The forum will include a panel discussion, a slide presentation, Q&A time and next steps. The event is sponsored by the Town of Watertown and the Neighborhood Advocacy Group. The town sent out the following announcement:

Our Comprehensive Plan identified preservation of the architectural heritage, character and fabric our residential neighborhoods as an important focus for Watertown’s longterm vision. In this Forum we will talk about key issues facing our neighborhoods, elements that contribute to neighborhood character, and tools available to manage residential growth and change, including: residential design guidelines, architectural preservation districts, ordinances, and zoning.

Government

Council Grudgingly Supports School Project After Price Tag Soars

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The Town Council will consider adding millions to the price of the window replacement project at Watertown Middle School after the scope of the project was changed. 

The proposed project calls for replacing 207 plexiglass windows in the old section of the middle school. The estimate for the cost of replacing plexiglass windows at the middle school was $302,642 but after the owner’s project manager appointed by the state studied the project the cost of the project jumped to between $2.6 million and $2.9 million. The change in price was due to a change in the scope of the project, said Councilor Vincent Piccirilli, chair of the Budget and Fiscal Oversight subcommittee – the committee which voted to recommend the council endorse the project with the new budget. The project has been submitted to and accepted by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). This means the state will reimburse Watertown for 48.47 percent of the cost of the project, and that the town must follow the MSBA’s rules and even what will be included in the project. Council Vice President Steve Corbett said he was shocked to see such a miscalculation.

Elections

LETTER: Council Candidate Has Many Thank Yous to Send Out

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To the Editor,

Regarding the recent local election, I would like to thank:

Rosemary Caouette, my campaign treasurer and her husband Joe, past VFW Post #1105 Commander, for their outstanding support and confidence in me
Watertown Fire Department, for their holding campaign signs supporting me in Coolidge Square on many Saturday mornings and election day and their total support of me and my campaign
Veterans Carl Miller, Gordon Brown, Phil DeVincentis, Ralph Holmberg, and Bud Krapf for holding signs for me
Emilio and Maria Leone and Bill McMahon for holding signs for me
Shutt Marine Detachment, for their use of their facility for my kick-off event and post-election party
The 45 percent of District A voters who voted for me, who determined that there was not one “clear choice” in this election
Emilio’s Restaurant, Green Peapod, Whale Laundromat, Deluxe Town Diner and Andrea’s House
of Pizza – all Coolidge Square businesses, for allowing me to post campaign signs in their
windows
The 26 residents of District A who allowed me to post campaign signs on their lawns
The many residents who conversed with me as I visited hundreds of homes in the district
passing out flyers and listening to their issues. There were many issues in this election. Patryce Georgopoulos for allowing me to partner with her at the Shutt Marine Detachment for a post-election event

As I quickly found out, it takes financing to run a campaign. A big thank you to the Watertown Fire Union Local #1347, Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts and the many supporters who contributed to my campaign. It is important to encourage and support many candidates to run for office, so that voters have a choice among a variety of candidates.

Government

LETTER: Property Rights at Risk in Proposed Residential Design Guidelines

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To the Editor

There will be a very important meeting this Thursday Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Middle School on Waverley Ave., Watertown. It is important that people who own property in Watertown show up to protect their property rights. Some are seeking to encumber a homeowner’s rights by putting style restrictions on new construction, additions, or modifications to their homes. This goes beyond the reasonable setbacks and frontage requirements, but deals with style.

Election 2015

LETTER: Councilor At-Large Sends Out Thanks Regarding the Election

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Dear Editor:

Thank you to the voters for returning me to the Town Council for another two-year term. 

I look forward to working with the other councilors, new and returning, to implement the Comprehensive Plan, and manage (and reduce) the large number of cars that travel on our streets every day; a concern we all heard repeatedly while campaigning. The school committee and library trustee races enlivened this election season and the questionnaires and interviews and forums from the media and citizen groups showed that it takes more than candidates to make democracy work. Thanks to all who participated.  

Susan Falkoff
Councilor-at-Large

Environment

Residents Worry About Fate of Trees During Greenough Greenway Work

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A recent tour of the renovation of Greenough Boulevard brought up some concerns for advocates for trees and the environment. 

The Department of Conservation and Recreation teamed with the Solomon Foundation to install a new, wider bicycle and pedestrian path, and reduce the width of the roadway from Arsenal Street to Cambridge, near the Eliot Bridge and Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School (BB&N). The Solomon Foundation provided $500,000 to help make the Greenough Greednway improvements a reality along with $700,000 in public funds. Herb Nolan, deputy director of the Solomon Foundation, said the work is beginning to shape up well. “I am very excited about this,” Nolan said. “Looking at the scale of the space (of the path) compared to what was here before is a breath of fresh air.

Elections

LETTER: Town Councilor Thanks East Enders for Support During Election

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To the Editor,

It is a distinct honor and privilege to be entering my sixth consecutive term as your District A, East End, Town Councilor. I offer my gratitude to you, the voters of the East End, for acknowledging my efforts for neighborhood quality of life and service to our community. A special thank you to my Town-wide supporters who spoke of my endeavors to their East End friends. Transparency and accountability in Town government are our common goals. My heartfelt appreciation is also extended to Mark Sideris, John S. Airasian, Paul DerBoghosian, Anthony Donato, Joan Merritt Kraus, Harry Parsekian and Ruth Thomasian for taking the initiative to publicly offer your endorsement for my re-election.

Elections

LETTER: Council President Candidate Thanks People for Help and Support

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Dear Editor,

I am gracious for and wish to thank all who voted for me on Tuesday, Nov. 3. While we fell short of being elected, I met some absolutely fantastic old and new friends. It was a pleasure meeting everyone and discussing the community’s journey into the future. This is a great community; and by being a candidate for an elective office, it contributes to your lifelong learning. As I travelled around each day and met someone new or old, during conversations, I learned something new and a different perspective from my own point of view that I had not considered.