Around Town

Schedule for Watertown Square Design Workshops Released

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The City of Watertown released details of the Watertown Square Area Design Charrette, and what times the public can come and participate over the three days. The City sent out the following information:

We are excited to share this invitation to attend one or more of the working group sessions at the Watertown Square Area Design Charrette on November 29 and 30, 2023. Each session will focus on a key issue in developing a Watertown Square Area Plan; these sessions are in addition to the drop-in opportunities and general meetings scheduled during the three-day charrette. All working group sessions will be held on the 2nd floor at 64 Pleasant Street. 

A charrette is a collaborative planning process during which an interdisciplinary team of planners, designers, transportation experts, city officials, residents, business owners, other interested people, and most importantly you, work together to create a shared design vision of a particular area. 

The charrette will start Tuesday evening, November 28, 2023 (6:30pm – 8:30pm), with an existing conditions analysis, feedback from the Kitchen Table Conversations (KTCs), and a summary of results from the Polis survey (you can participate in the Polis at https://pol.is/6vbuxzxrff through November 17, 2023).On November 29 and 30, 2023 (during the morning and afternoon), the project team and City staff will invite input from the community and interested groups through the working group meetings, as the team sketches options for Watertown Square’s challenges. On the second evening, there is an “interim progress drop-in session” for members of the public to see and informally discuss the day’s work. During the final evening (November 30), the consultant team will present scenarios that will inform the next phase of our project and vision of Watertown Square.

Government

Council Approves 2024 Tax Rates & Bills Will Go Down for Watertown Homeowners

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Charlie BreitroseA lot of money was raised and spent on the 2015 Watertown Election. Like Haley’s Comet or a cycle in baseball, a rarely seen event took place at the Watertown City Council meeting on Tuesday night: property taxes went down. Watertown homeowners will see a drop of around $1,000 in their annual taxes this year. The drop was primarily due to the Legislature passing special Home Rule legislation to allow Watertown to close a loophole in the law governing how much of the tax burden can be shifted from residential properties to commercial, industrial and personal (CIP) properties. The tax rate on residential properties dropped from $13.58 per $1,000 in assessed value in Fiscal Year 2023 to $11.70 in Fiscal Year 2024, said City Assessor Earl Smith.

Around Town

Watertown Social Services Resource Specialists Given Latino Excellence Awards at State House

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Wayside SSRS Clincians Maysa Ramos (second from left) and Sophia Suarez-Friedman (second from right) received Latino Excellence Awards from at the State House. Also pictured are State Rep. Steve Owens (right) Kimberley Hutter, Sen. Will Brownsberger’s District Director. (Courtesy of Wayside)

Watertown’s two Social Service Resource Specialists, Sophia Suarez-Friedman and Maysa Ramos, recently received the Latino Excellence Awards at the State House. Both work for the Wayside Youth & Family Support Network Multi Service Center, and their positions are funded by the City of Watertown. Every year, the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus hosts its Latino Excellence Awards to honor Latino leaders, agents of impact, and change makers who contribute to our communities.

Development

Planning Board Approves Master Plan for Watertown Mall Transformation

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The master plan for Alexandria Real Estate’s Watertown Mall Transformation was approved by the Planning Board. (Courtesy of Alexandria Real Estate)

The basic plan for remaking a large portion of Arsenal Street, including the Watertown Mall, has been approved by the Planning Board. Before the multiple lab buildings, residential units, retail, and garages can be built, however, developers will have to come back for approval of each building. Almost all of the project falls within Watertown’s Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD), which allows for additional height and density that most of the town but requires a master plan to be approved. On Nov.

Around Town

Watertown Veterans Honored at Ceremony, City Plans to Create Square for World War II Vet

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Watertown veterans gathered to celebrate Veterans Day at a breakfast at the Shutt Detachment. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown’s veterans organizations came together at the Shutt Detachment on Saturday to celebrate Veterans Day, and the City will likely soon be permanently honoring a Watertown man killed in World War II. The annual Veterans Day breakfast drew members of the veterans groups in town, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Marine Corps League, and the AmVets. Watertown Veterans Services Agent Patrick George noted that people from almost all the branches of the military were represented. “The only one we don’t have is Space Force and I think they are all still in bootcamp, so we are not going to have any Space Force veterans just yet,” George said.

Entertainment

“Dreams Do Come True” — Watertown Musician Nominated for Grammy

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Watertown’s Noah Kahan has been nominated for a Grammy Award. (Photo courtesy of NoahKahan.com)

A whirlwind year for Watertown singer/songwriter Noah Kahan continues as he was recently nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy Award. “Dreams do come true,” Kahan posted on social media after the announcement. Kahan became well known for his song “Stick Season,” inspired by growing up in Vermont. He also recorded Dial Drunk with Post Malone.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Offensive Symbols Found on Road, Man Busted for OUI & Leaving Scene of an Accident

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Nov. 1, 9:45 a.m.: Police were called to Derby Road after a resident observed two swastikas drawn in the middle of the roadway with chalk. One was drawn in green chalk and was about four-feet-by-four-feet, a second was one-foot-by-one-foot. Some Jewish residents live on the street an were very upset by the symbols.

Schools

Ground Breaking for New High School, Demolition Will Have Impacts on Local Roads

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Watertown High School

Say good bye to the old, and welcome the new …. Watertown High School. This week the demolition of the old school at 50 Columbia St. will really get rolling, and on Thursday there will be a groundbreaking ceremony with local and state officials taking part. Groundbreaking

Work has already started around Watertown High School, but the official ceremony celebrating the start of the construction of the new school will take place on Thursday, Nov.