Around Town

Citizens Group Looking at Banning Plastic Shopping Bags in Watertown

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With neighboring communities moving toward banning plastic shopping bags, members of a citizens group said this may be the time to do so in Watertown, too. 

ReThink Plastic held a community meeting on Tuesday night, and presented their findings about bag bans in communities around Massachusetts and in other states. The first town to put in a ban was Brookline, which required all businesses 2,500 sq. ft. in size or larger, including restaurants where take out is more than half the income. Also retailers with three or more locations in town or pharmacies with at least two locations in town.

Environment

Long Awaited Charles River Improvements Will Have Something for Everyone

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Efforts to upgrade the path and park along the Charles River, east of Watertown Square, started more than seven years ago, and Monday morning workers officially broke ground on a project that will improve the path, the park and add a special feature for the visually impaired. 

The park sits just blocks from Perkins School for the Blind, and a chorus from the school kicked off the ceremony by singing the National Anthem. The school is just one of several groups who helped make the project a reality, said Jack Murray, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The $1.4 million project is a partnership between the state, the town, private organizations, foundations and more. The Lawrence and Lillian Solomon Foundation donated $175,000, the Town of Watertown added $100,000, the Bilezikian Foundation added $50,000, Perkins School for the Blind gave $25,000, the Watertown Commission on Disabilities put in $15,000 and the Watertown Community Foundation added $5,000. Improvements

One of the new features of the park will be a Sensory Garden and Braille Trail, which will allow the blind and visually impaired to learn about nature.

Environment

See How Many People Signed up for the Solarize Watertown Program

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Enough Watertown residents took part in the Solarize Massachusetts program to reach the second highest level, which will result in savings for those taking part. 

The program was open to Watertown residents and businesses, and 28 photovoltaic solar systems will be installed around Watertown through the program, Solarize Watertown announced. Combined, the systems will provide 136 kilowatts of solar energy. Watertown Solar Coach Matt Riegert said residents who act quickly can still take part in the program. “Although the program officially ended on June 30th, the Solarize Watertown designated installer, Next Step Living, is honoring the Tier 4 pricing through the month of July,” Riegert said. The program is jointly run by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

Development

Town Seeks Comments on Draft of Watertown Comprehensive Plan

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A draft of the master planning document that will influence the way Watertown will be built up (or not) has been created and town officials seek input from residents. The document is a long one, with 220 pages and hundreds of recommendations. The plan has sections on land use, transportation/circulation/parking, housing, economic development, open space/recreation, natural resources, historical/cultural resources, public services/facilities, energy and implementation of the plan. Work started more than a year ago on the document, and the consultants – Vanasse Hangen Brustlin – held public forums to get input on what kind of Watertown people want to see in the future. The Town Council’s Economic Development and Planning Subcommittee recently discussed how to get input and a schedule for approving the plan.