Business

VW Used Car Center Project Stalls at Zoning Board

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The proposal to create a Volkswagen used car center on North Beacon Street hit a road bump Wednesday night when the Zoning Board could not get enough support to take a vote on the project. Boston Volkswagen seeks to build a new used car center at 21 North Beacon St., which as been Sullivan Tire & Auto Service. The project includes renovating the exterior of the building, adding landscaping, reducing the number of service bays and parking at the building, according to Carla Moynihan, an attorney with Robinson & Cole representing Boston Volkswagen.

They also seek to add a new curb cut to create a second driveway into the property, which sits just off of Watertown Square

The Zoning Board members had some problems with the project. Board member John Gannon said the second curb cut is not allowed in the zoning rules, and he would not support a proposal with that feature. He also wondered if a used car dealership was the best use of the property.

Environment

Comprehensive Plan Looks at How to Make Use of Charles River

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The Charles River provides a place to stroll, see nature and even commute, and town officials looking at the Comprehensive Plan draft discussed whether it could also be a place to dine or have more active recreation. A joint meeting of the Planning Board and the Town Council’s Economic Development and Planning subcommittee was held last week to continue reviewing the Comprehensive Plan – a major planning document that will help shape what Watertown will be like in the future. The river could be a place for more town residents to enjoy and even draw people from outside of town. Town Councilor Vincent Piccirilli said that will not happen on its own. “It is not good enough to just be next to a body or water,” Piccirlli said. “You have to give people things to do.”

Some have talked about finding a place along the river to put a restaurants.

Around Town

Town Lays Out Plans for Phase 2 of Victory Field Renovations

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The Recreation Department has a wide range of upgrades and a few additions planned for the track and court areas of Victory Field. Plans include replacing the track, installing artificial turf inside the track, and improving the tennis and adding a multi-purpose court where basketball and street hockey can be played, said Recreation Director Peter Centola. The project is in the town’s Capital Improvement Plan, and has a budget of $2.5 million. The money would be borrowed by the town through bonds, Centola said. The Victory Field complex, which also includes the field where artificial turf was recently installed, serves not only as main recreation area for the town, it also serves as the home to many Watertown High School athletics teams and is used for physical education classes, Centola said.

Around Town

Middlesex County Resident First to Get West Nile Virus

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The state’s first human case of West Nile Virus in 2014 has been reported in Middlesex County, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The patient is a man in his 60s from Middlesex County, according to a report in the Boston Globe. This is the first reported case this year, but in 2013 Massachusetts had human eight cases. This is the peak season for West Nile Virus infections, and the Department of Public Health has a number of tips for avoiding West Nile Virus – the primary one being avoiding mosquito bites. Be aware that mosquitoes are active in damp shady areas, during cloudy humid days, at dusk,  dawn and during the night.

Business

Officials Debate Best Way to Encourage Businesses Using Comprehensive Plan

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The town’s Comprehensive Plan should work to attract businesses in industries like biotech, high tech and design, as well as look at ways to attract and keep small businesses, Watertown officials reviewing the document said. Members of the Planning Board and the Town Council’s Economic Development and Planning subcommittee waded through the Economic Development section of the Comprehensive Plan this week. One of the goals looks at attracting the booming businesses seen around Kendall Square in Cambridge and around the Boston area.  This includes industries such as biotech, life sciences, information and media, and design and engineering. One way the town could attract biotech firms is by gaining a “platinum” rating from the Mass.

Development

Residents Ask Town Council to Protect Their Homes from Nearby Developments

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A room full of people gathered to talk about ways to make sure that the development boom in Watertown does not overwhelm nearby residential neighborhoods. The focus of the talk was creating transition zones between new developments and residential areas. Many neighborhoods sit right up against properties zoned as industrial. Some long-time disused or underused properties in these areas are being redeveloped and bigger and busier projects have been constructed. Town C0uncilor Aaron Dushku asked to have transition zones created where neighborhoods border industrial zones.

Elections

LETTER: Watertown Resident Supports Warren Tolman for AG

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To the Editor:
I support Watertown resident Warren Tolman for Attorney General in the Democratic Primary on September 9.  Warren brings practical experience as an independent advocate for policies to protect citizens, a commitment to enforce the law with professionalism, and the ability to work in the community to address the underlying conditions contributing to many law enforcement problems. 
As Attorney General, Warren will protect civil rights so that all have the ability to participate fully in the economic and civic life of the state.  For example, Warren will work to ensure that no one’s access to education is compromised by bullying or sexual assault.
A sponsor of the original Buffer Zone law, Warren will vigorously enforce the state’s new law protecting the rights of women seeking care at reproductive health clinics. Warren believes that while people should be held accountable for their crimes, the problems of drug abuse and mental illness need to be addressed by educating the public, increasing the capacity of treatment facilities so that services are available for all who need them, and making the legal requirement of parity for mental health care services a reality. Warren’s proposal to require manufacturers to make guns less dangerous recognizes that while law enforcement must work to get existing weapons off the streets, long term solutions require harnessing technology to free communities of gun violence. Warren’s record of public service demonstrates that he will fulfill his commitment to using the law along with other necessary tools to protect rights and solve problems.  He deserves your vote. Sincerely,
Renée M. Landers
 

Development

Consultant Will Help Draft Changes to Watertown’s Zoning

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The Town Council agreed to hire a consultant to figure out how Watertown’s zoning should change to encourage development in town while preserving its neighborhoods. A set of design standards and design guidelines will be drafted with the help of the consultant. The Council decided to go this route, rather than having a building moratorium on the Arsenal Street Corridor, as a group had petitioned to do. Putting together the design standards and guidelines will take 3 to 4 months, said Community Development and Planning Director Steve Magoon. The design standards lay out the rules that developers and property owners must follow when building in town, Magoon said, and design guidelines provide examples of how the standards would be applied.