Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/more/page/62/)
A townhouse and two single-family homes were sold this week. 39 Upland Road, $1,800,000, 3 bedroom 3 bathroom 2,934 sq. ft. Single Family
112 Forest St. APT 1, $1,225,000, 3 bedroom 4 bathroom 2,227 sq.
The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:
The City of Watertown has declared a Snow Emergency starting at 8:00 PM on Saturday, February 8, 2025. The Snow Emergency will remain in effect until further notice. On-street parking is banned, and vehicles left on the street can be towed. Please assist by clearing snow from fire hydrants and catch basins. Remember that you are required to shovel the sidewalk abutting your property within 24 hours after snow ends.
Watertown residents should prepare for a classic February weather pattern with plenty of ups and downs. After a quiet end to the week, all eyes are on a winter storm set to arrive late Saturday night, bringing a good chance for plowable snowfall across the area. While trends are favoring mostly snow, there’s still a small chance for some sleet or freezing rain to mix in. Once that system moves out, we’ll dry out to start the new workweek before another potential winter storm moves in by midweek. This second system is still uncertain in its track, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
See the open houses in town this week. 3 Avon Road, $1,299,900, 5 bedroom 2 bathroom 3,098 sq. ft. 2 Family, Open houses: Saturday, Feb. 8 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Sunday, Feb.
The City of Watertown sent out the following information:
Due to the expected snow and icy conditions, the following Watertown facilities and activities will be closed on February 6, 2025. • Public Schools• The Library• The Senior Center• All Recreation Programs
City Hall and Parker Annex will remain open. There is no emergency parking ban, but we strongly encourage residents to park in their driveways if possible. For your safety, please minimize travel during the storm and use caution due to anticipated icy conditions. We also ask that you pre-treat sidewalks with ice melt and check on your neighbors, especially those who may need assistance.
A screenshot of the City of Watertown’s website. The City of Watertown received a Municipal Website Award at the recent Massachusetts Municipal Association conference. “It’s a great honor for the City to receive this award!” said Jeanne Ostroff, Watertown’s Digital Media Manager. Watertown’s website, watertown-ma.gov, won in the largest category.
By Tony PalombaCouncilor at Large
The Citizen Petition to Help Our Neighbors
On Tuesday, January 21 the City Council held a public hearing about a Citizen Petition (CP) that would amend the Watertown Winter Parking Ban (Ban) so that it is put into effect only when a significant snow or ice storm is forecasted or when there is a significant accumulation of snow or ice. The CP was initiated by Watertown Citizens for Better Parking and was submitted to the City Clerk with over 800 signatures. (Our Charter only requires 150 signatures of registered voters.) I played a role in helping to move this effort forward and below you can see the statement I read, in part, on Tuesday night when the members of the Council were allowed to address the CP.
I want to begin by thanking the 250-300 residents who showed up in person for the hearing or attended on-line. I think it is fair to say that this is one of the largest turnouts I have seen since my 8 terms on the Council. The vast majority of those attending and of those who spoke supported the CP.
A recent article in Watertown News clearly described the public hearing, though it emphasized the statements of the members of the administration and the councilors. I want to emphasize the many thoughtful presentations made by the residents who spoke at the hearing. Staying within the two-minute allowed time, resident after resident shared stories about how the Ban negatively impacts their quality of life in Watertown. Council President Sideris did not limit how many folks could speak and allowed over two hours of public testimony. I urge you to visit WCATV and listen to those who move their cars off the street by 1:00 AM and retrieve them by 7:00 AM in the winter months even when there is no snow or ice forecasted. You can hear the mother with three small children, the third shift worker, and the soon to be pregnant resident question the benefit of the Ban. http://vodwcatv.org/CablecastPublicSite/show/3632?site=3
I want to repeat something I said during the meeting and expand upon it a bit. After listening to the Administration I was left feeling that the arguments against instituting the CP as presented to the City Council had very little to do with providing some relief to a significant portion of our neighbors. There may have been some reference to the difficulties facing our neighbors, but the majority of what was said focused on how complex the issue is and the potential of the CP having a negative impact on existing and ongoing City plans like the success of our Watertown Square Area Plan, the implementation of our Comprehensive Plan, and the future of affordable housing in Watertown. We heard that there may need to be a price for the use of curb space as well as reasons why nothing can be done to address the issue as presented in the CP. I believe that this is not a complex issue rather it is a simple issue.
Here’s the updated daily weather forecast from Wednesday, February 5 to Friday, February 7 by Meteorologist Matthew Moll of New England Weather Consulting:
Wednesday, February 5:
High pressure builds in from the Great Lakes, bringing mostly sunny skies but cold temperatures. Highs will only reach between 25°F and 30°F, though with much less wind than the previous day. The night will remain dry as high pressure shifts eastward, but increasing mid-to-high-level clouds will move in from the west late at night ahead of an approaching system. Overnight lows will dip well into the teens, with some single-digit temperatures possible in typically colder low-lying areas. Thursday, February 6:
A fast-moving storm system will bring wintry precipitation beginning between 7:00 AM and 11:00 AM.