Government

Watertown’s New Director of Public Health Has Private and Public Experience

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Watertown’s new director of Public Health comes to town with experience working in the public and private sectors. Deborah M. Rosati began her new post on Feb. 23 after working 11 years in quality assurance/food safety with Legal Sea Foods including as the quality assurance officer since November 2008. She also has plenty of experience working in municipal health departments. From 1989-2003 she worked as director of public health in Wayland, Everett, Lowell and Saugus.

Development

Resident Files Law Suit Against ZBA’s Decision to Approve CVS in East Watertown

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One of the most outspoken opponents to the CVS project approved to go in Coolidge Square has filed and appeal in Massachusetts Land Court against the Zoning Board of Appeal’s approval of the project. David Peckar lives on Wells Avenue, behind the recently approved CVS, and he believes the pharmacy will have a negative impact on his home and the neighborhood. The ZBA approved the project on January 28. In his suit, Peckar named as defendants the entire Zoning Board of Appeals – Chairwoman Melissa Santucci Rozzi, Kelly Donato, John Gannon, Christopher Heep and David Ferris – along with Director of Community Development and Planning Steve Magoon and developer and property owner Robert Korff. The appeal will delay the start of construction on the project, Magoon said, although he is not sure for how long.

Government

DA Asked to Help Get Answers about Fire Negotiations; Nurses Lend Support

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Former Town Councilor and current Governor’s Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney has appealed to the Middlesex District Attorney for answers about the cost of negotiations on the Watertown Firefighters’ contract. The Watertown Firefighters continue to push for approval of their contract after more than 5 1/2 years and following the Town Council’s rejection of a state arbitration agreement in December. The negotiation teams have met since the vote, but little ground has been made toward settling the contract according to those familiar with the negotiations. All but one Town Councilor voted to reject the agreement, stating that the agreement would be unfair to the town’s other unions because it included increases that they did not receive during difficult budget years. Petitto Devaney told the Town Council last week that she has written a letter to Middlesex DA Marian Ryan seeking help to get answers from town officials.

Development

Residents Invited to Hear About Complex Planned for Irving, Arsenal Streets

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See the design of the apartment complex at the corner of Irving and Arsenal streets known as Elan that will be submitted to the Planning Board by Greystar. The project that will go on the former Pirolli brick yard has been following the recommendations of the Watertown design standards and design guidelines, and will include around 270 apartments along with space for stores and a restaurant. The meeting will be held Monday, March 9 from 6-8 p.m. at the Apartments at Coolidge School, 319 Arlington St. in Watertown. Developers Greystar Real Estate Partners and Oaktree FX have periodically met with residents to show designs and get feedback.

Business

Governor Wants to Know if Businesses Had Losses Due to Bad Weather

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Gov. Charlie Baker will be applying for federal relief for businesses in Massachusetts that had losses due to the recent stretch of bad weather, and the Watertown Belmont Chamber of Commerce can help. 

Businesses are being asked to participate in a survey organized by chambers of commerce and business groups to gauge the impact of the winter weather. The survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5SNZLYS

The deadline for survey responses is  noon on Monday, March 2, 2015.

Development

Draft of Watertown’s New Design Standards Revealed, Planning Board to Review

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A set up new rules for how commercial and large residential projects can built in Watertown has been revealed, the Planning Board will soon review them at a public meeting. The design guidelines – recommendations for how projects will be built – and design standards – legally binding rules – have been months in the making. In August, when residents pushed for a moratorium on new developments after a number of unpopular projects were built on Pleasant Street and others proposed for Arsenal Street, The Town Council decided instead to to hire a consultant to create the new design guidelines and design standards. This week three documents were released on the the Town’s website, said Assistant Town Manager Steve Magoon: (Click on the titles to view the document)

DRAFT Design Standards – The recommended Design Standards Document is a companion to the Design Guidelines Book and identifies recommendations  to update the Zoning Ordinance.  The document has recommended amendment language by Zoning Article.

Government

Town Fines Property Owner for Creating Snow Dump

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The owner of the site where a hotel has been proposed has been fined by the Town of Watertown for setting up a snow storage yard on the property. Trucks have been seen delivering loads of snow to 80 Elm Street, said East End Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis. The snow has been piled so high, she said, that it now is taller than the Watertown Mall, which sits next door. “Doing this is disrespectful to the East End of Watertown,” Kounelis said. “The East End should not be perceived as a dumping ground.”

Government

Council Subcommittee Will Examine Impact of Olympics on Watertown

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A committee will be created to look at potential impacts of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games on Watertown if Boston is awarded the event. The ad hoc committee was first proposed by Councilor Tony Palomba in January and in February the Town Council voted to send the issue to the Human Services Committee to discuss creating the committee. Palomba is chair of that subcommittee. It will be some time until it is known whether Boston gets the Olympics and Paralympics. The bid will be developed by the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between September 2015 and January 2016, and Palomba wants to make sure Watertown is prepared.