Around Town

Deal to Sell Watertown Mall Closes, Purchased by Owners of Arsenal on the Charles

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The Watertown Mall — home to Target and Best Buy — has been sold for $130 million to the owner of other major properties in Town. The sale by Watertown Mall Associates Limited Partnership and New York-based Rosen Associates to Alexandria Real Estate Equities closed on Thursday, according to a story on Bisnow Boston which reported the closing of the deal. Alexandria has become a big player in biotech in Watertown. It also owns the Arsenal on the Charles and the former Mount Auburn Club. 

The future of the property is not clear, with Target having a lease through 2033, according to Bisnow.com. Other tenants of the Watertown Mall include the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Joyful Garden restaurant, Miss Maria’s School of Dance, Carter’s and Work N’ Gear.

Schools

School Building Committee Delays Submitting High School Project, Looking Closer at Where to Put Temporary Site

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of what a two-story modular building could look like on Moxley Field. It could be the temporary location for Watertown High School while a new school is constructed. The submission of the Watertown High School project to the State has been delayed in an effort to look at where the temporary location of the high school will be during construction. 

The School Building Committee had been scheduled to vote on submitting the plan for the WHS project, including the use of Moxley Field as a site for a temporary school site, on Wednesday. Instead, Town Council President Mark Sideris announced the delay of the submission of the project. 

“We have a number of things we have to work out. A lot of concerns have been raised, and we believe the prudent thing to do is to continue talking, continue investigating and continue to have conversations with people to figure out the best approach that will get us a good high school and a good plan to get to that,” Sideris said. 

The proposal called for building the new high school on the current WHS, and moving the students to a temporary school made up of two-story modular classrooms at Moxley Field.

Government

Town Charter Changes Proposed to Allow Council to Hire Staff, Hold a State of the Town Meeting Annually

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Watertown Town Hall

Allowing the Town Council to hire staff to help them with their work, adding language to spell out the Council’s power, and requiring annual State of the Town meetings are some of the changes being considered by the Watertown Charter Review Committee. The Committee began looking at ways to alter the current Town Charter Tuesday, at the first meeting following their vote to keep the current form of government with a Town Council and the Town Manager serving as the executive rather than changing to one with a mayor as the executive. Assistants for the Council

The Committee’s consultant, Michael Ward from UMass Boston’s Collins Center, brought up some possible changes to address concerns raised at previous meetings. One issue raised was the Council’s ability to do its work, and having enough capacity to handle the duties of the Council. One way Ward suggested to address that issue was adding a piece to the Legislative section of the charter which would allow the Town Council to hire staff to help them with areas such as research into municipal issues, financial analysis or other areas.

Arrests

Police Log: Man Who Drove Up on Sidewalk Faces OUI Charge, Shoplifter Hits Car in Lot While Fleeing

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

April 7, 4:31 p.m.: Police were called by someone who observed a woman sitting in a white car for an extended period and the caller said the woman was acting strangely. The vehicle was parked on Spruce Street and when officers spoke to the woman she said she was there because her boyfriend lived in the area. She was unable to tell police in which house he lived. When speaking with her, Police learned that there was a warrant for her arrest from the Brockton District Court for reckless endangerment of a child.

Government

Watertown’s Town Clerk Retires After 26 Years, Oversaw Challenging 2020 Elections

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John Flynn, right, retired after 26 years serving as Watertown’s Town Clerk. Here he swears in members of the Town Council at the Watertown Inauguration on Jan. 2, 2018. A fixture in Town Hall whose smiling face welcomed many to the Town Clerk’s office has retired after more than a quarter century serving the residents of Watertown. Watertown Town Clerk John Flynn stepped down after 26 years in the position that oversees elections and Town records among many duties.

Entertainment

Town Council Approves Creation of Watertown Public Arts and Culture Committee

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The Town Council approved the creation of the Public Arts and Culture Committee, which will make recommendations for public art similar to the mural painted at Uncommon Grounds, as well as cultural events. A Public Arts and Culture Committee will be appointed by the Town Council to make recommendations on public art and cultural programs in Watertown. The Town Council approved the committee’s creation on Tuesday night. It will have nine members and will make recommendations that must be approved by the Town Manager and Town Council. The Public Arts and Cultural Committee’s recommendations will fall into two areas, according to the Town Council’s resolution:

Art in Public Places: Permanent, semi-permanent, temporary, and ephemeral artworks and activations that create a vibrant, welcoming, inclusive, and connected public realm.

Development

Zoning for Central Business District Changed to Allow Labs, Light Industry in Historic Buildings

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The Town Council approved a change to Watertown’s Zoning Ordinance that would allow life science labs as well as light industrial uses in the downtown area near Watertown Square, but only in structures built 84 years ago or before. The amendment was proposed by Berkeley Investments, the new owners of the building now occupied by Sasaki at 64 Pleasant St., which plans to create life science lab space and preserve the historic mill building, said Assistant Town Manager Steve Magoon. The Zoning amendment changes allowable uses for structures built before the Zoning Ordinance was adopted in 1937, and would allow light industry, non-nuisance manufacturing, laboratory/research, and renewable research. It only applies to the Central Business (CB) zone, which is around Watertown Square. The uses would be allowed by right in the qualifying buildings under 4,000 sq.