Government

UPDATED: Watertown Dog Park Opening Soon!

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UPDATED May 25: The dog park is now open. Watertown Recreation Director Peter Centola announced that the new dog park at How Park had a soft opening on Saturday, May 24. Original Story:

The long awaited dog park will soon be open in Watertown, town officials said Monday night. The enclosed area is being built at How Park on Pleasant Street in Watertown. The 200-foot by 100-foot fenced in enclosure should be done soon, Recreation Director Peter Centola told the Town Council during his budget hearing Monday night.

Government

Shootout with Bombing Suspects has Negative Impact on Watertown’s Kids

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{NOTE: The story was been updated on June 10, 2014 with more current information on the special education costs the district has spent this year.}

Some children living in the area where Watertown Police faced the Boston Marathon Bombing suspects have had long-term negative effects, which can be seen in the special education budget in town schools, officials said Thursday. Watertown schools have had a spike in the number of students with mental health problems, which is mostly seen in students who live close to the area of the shoot out – Dexter Avenue and Laurel Street in the East End. “We have seen high anxiety, older kids not wanting to be home alone and a feeling of hopelessness,” said Arlene Shainker, interim special education director. When it gets out of hand and affects their school life students are evaluated and sometimes sent to off-campus programs, including even hospitalization, Shainker said. The Impact

This school year Watertown has had 22 students placed in new out of district programs to meet their special needs, Shainker said, while last school year they had two.

Development

Council Shooting to Approve Comprehensive Plan by Fall

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The Comprehensive Plan – the major planning document that will shape Watertown’s future – will likely be approved this fall. 

The Town C0uncil’s Economic Development and Planning Committee discussed how they want to unveil the latest draft and collect input from town officials, town residents and others this week. The whole process will likely stretch into the fall. The Comprehensive Plan not only covers zoning rules and development, it also has recommendations for public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian issues, parks, and open space. Councilor Susan Falkoff did not like the idea of having the draft go to town department heads before the general public got to see it. The subcommittee agreed that the document should be published online so all can take a look.

Government

Watertown School Officials Detail Use of $1 Million Boost

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The Watertown Public Schools will receive a $1 million budget boost in the current school year, and they will spend most of it on special education, but will also use some on technology, materials and preparations for the new PARCC standardized test. Tuesday night, the Town Council approved taking  the money out of the Free Cash Fund and use it for the school’s Fiscal 2014 budget (which ends in June 30). The majority, $790,000, will be spend to create a Special Education Stabilization Fund. Unexpected special education costs when students move into town with severe needs can cost nearly $250,000 per student in some cases. The Watertown Public Schools cover the cost even when students go to out of town programs.

The stabilization fund was created to prevent the general education budget from being eaten away by the unexpected, un-budgeted costs, said Councilor Vincent Piccirilli.

Around Town

Dedicated Watertown Resident Retires After 35 Years

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For 35 years E. Joyce Munger has served on the Watertown Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners, and this week she said farewell at the apartment complex bearing her name. While Munger dedicated her time to the Housing Authority, she could be seen at many events through the years, said Town Manager Michael Driscoll at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting. He first met her when she got him to be a judge at the 1978 Fourth of July Miss Watertown Pageant. She has also been a volunteer election poll worker, she served on the town’s 350th and 375th Anniversary Committees, ran the Wedding Faire and Fashion Shows at the Commander’s Mansion and helped organize Watertown’s 9/11 Remembrance ceremonies. At the ceremony, held at the E. Joyce Munger Apartments on Warren Street, Munger said her goodbyes.

Government

Legislators will Discuss Services for the Disabled and their Families

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Watertown will be the location for a Legislative breakfast focusing on services for people with special needs and their families. On Friday, May 16, the 11th annual Metro Suburban Advocacy Initiative Legislative Breakfast will be held at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25 Bigelow Ave. in Watertown from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Local legislators, including Watertown’s State Reps. John Lawn and Jonathan Hecht, and State Sen. Will Brownsberger, will talk about their legislative priorities.

Development

Changes Pleasant Street Area Zoning Moving Along

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Efforts to prevent more large housing project coming into the Pleasant Street areas moved a step closer Monday night. The Economic Development and Planning subcommittee voted to have the proposed changes go to the Town Council during the May 27 meeting, which would essentially put the new zoning into effect at that point. The Town Council seeks to draw development that includes retail, office and some light industrial in the West End of town. Three types of zoning will be created in the Pleasant Street Corridor – one where at least 25 percent of projects is commercial; a second where no retail is allowed – only retail, commercial and light industrial; and one where anything fitting the Pleasant Street Corridor rules can be built.

Councilors also want to prevent “canyon-ization” when multi-story building are built close to the street. To prevent this, buildings will have to be “stepped back” –  so floors above the second must be pushed 15 feet back from the front facade, and floors above the sixth must be pushed back 25 feet from the front facade.

Government

See if Your Road be Repaired This Summer

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(NOTE: The list of roads to be repaired in the summer of 2014 has been changed. See the new list by clicking here.)

The Town Council has plans to repair a number of roads over the summer, see if your street made the list. The Fiscal 2015 budget, which will be approved on June 10, includes a capital improvement plan that calls for the repair of 12 streets, and money for smaller repairs around town. The streets due to be repaired are:

Fifield Street from Irving Street to Perkins School
Avon Road from the Belmont line to the dead end
Alden Road from the Belmont line to the dead end
Salisbury Road from Maplewood Street to Edgecliffe Road
Priest Road from Charles River Road to Riverside Street
Loomis Avenue from Orchard Street to Downey Street
Duff Street from Madison Avenue to Belmont Street
Barnard Avenue from Columbia Street to Bellevue Road
Lincoln Street from Mount Auburn Street to Spruce Street and the section extending to Walnut Street
Dexter Avenue from Willow Park to Mount Auburn Street
Katherine Road from Common Street to Church Street
Cushman Street from Oak Place to Fayette Street

Work on Salisbury, Loomis, Duff and Barnard from Columbia Street to Orchard Street will be repaired using the mill and overlay method, which scrapes down the top layer or layers of asphalt and then lays down a new layer. The other work will involve full reclamation of the road – in which the roadway is totally replaced.