Government

What’s Next in the Watertown Square Plan? See When the Next Meeting Will Take Place

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The City of Watertown provided the following announcement:

The next steps of the Watertown Square Area Plan implementation will be to discuss and approve zoning amendments. A zoning amendment is a proposed change to the zoning requirements and map, without having to completely rewrite the zoning code. To approve new zoning, the City will hold a Joint Public Hearing with the City Council and Planning Board to discuss the proposed zoning, hear public comment, and approve new zoning amendments. The above map is the proposed zoning map from the final endorsed Watertown Square Area Plan. 

When does this next step begin? The first step will be to complete something called a “first reading.”

Around Town

See Photos from a Damp and Fun-Filled 2024 Faire on the Square

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Umbrellas and rain slickers were the fashion choices for the 2024 Faire on the Square. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The 2024 edition of Watertown’s Faire on the Square was a wet one, but those who braved the elements enjoyed plenty of activities, food, music, and booths featuring local businesses and organizations. Among the visitors to Saltonstall Park was Congresswoman Katherine Clark, who toured the Faire with Watertown elected officials and was interviewed by Watertown Cable Access Television. Watertown Cable Access spoke with Congresswoman Katherine Clark. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The entertainment stage featured Steve Tashjian Ensemble, School of Rock, Chris Cote and his band of These Guys, and demonstrations by Watertown Police Officer Andrew Civetti and K-9 Zane.

Government

City Manager: State of the City is Healthy & Strong, Concerns Remain About Tax Revenues

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The State of the City is “healthy and strong,” City Manager George Proakis stated Thursday evening. Watertown sits in a good position financially, Proakis said, the Council has done a good job improving and replacing facilities and parks, the City has been able to fill long-time openings, and there are some major efforts in the works, such as the new high school, the human services study, and Watertown Square. Proakis and City Council President Mark Sideris gave the second annual State of the City address on Thursday evening at the Watertown Library. The State of the City is a requirement added in the recent City Charter changes. While the City’s financial situation looks good, Proakis said there is still much work to be done.

Sports

Raiders Football Team Kicks Off First Home Game With New Coach, New Look

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The Watertown High School football team preps for its first home game of the 2024 season. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The 2024 Watertown Raiders football team will have a different look and the team hopes to have different results from last season. Watertown High School hosts its first home game under its new head coach at Victory Field Friday night at 7 p.m. against Ipswich. Last year, the team finished 3-8, and was shut out by Belmont on Thanksgiving. This year the team will play under a new head coach, Joey Carroll, who has brought in a new system.

Around Town

Life Science Building Could Potentially Go on Part of Home Depot Parking Lot

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A rendering of 300 Forge, a life science building that could go on part of the Home Depot Parking lot. (Courtesy of Boylston Properties)

A six-story life science building which would to be built on part of the parking lot behind the Home Depot in Watertown is in the planning stages. Boylston Properties, the developers of Arsenal Yards, submitted pre-application plans to the City of Watertown showing a six-story building with five levels of life science space and one story of parking. Plans were submitted to the Planning Department on Sept. 5.

Schools

Suggestions Wanted for Names of New High School Gym & Auditorium

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Ai3 ArchitectsA rendering of the designs for the new Watertown High School viewed from Columbia Street. The School Committee seeks recommendations from the public for what to name the gym and auditorium at the new Watertown High School. People can send in their ideas to School Committee Chair Kendra Foley, she said at Monday’s School Committee meeting. “I’d like to invite members of the community to make any suggestions for names of the new high school gym and auditorium. Those suggestions should be sent to me at kendra.foley@watertown.k12.ma.us,” Foley said.

Around Town

Agreement Reached to Allow Day Care to Stay in Boys & Girls Club Until New Home is Ready

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The Watertown Boys & Girls Club building also houses First Path Day Care Center. First Path Day Care Center and the Watertown Boys & Girls Club have negotiated an agreement which would allow First Path to remain in the Club’s building so that children can attend the day care while construction is finished on its new facility. The day care center has been located in the Boys & Girls Club building since 1998, but the Club has plans to expand its program so in 2021 it informed First Path that its lease would not be renewed. The lease was supposed to end on May 31, 2024, and the Club’s board gave an extension to June 30, but First Path wanted two more months to allow work on their new facility to be finished. First Path declared bankruptcy in an effort to prevent an eviction, and the Boys & Girls Club filed a motion in Federal Court to remove the eviction protection.

Around Town

Watertown Gifted BlueBike Station, Also Using Grant to Expand System

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Arsenal YardsThe BlueBike station outside Arsenal Yards. Watertown will have up to four new BlueBike stations after being gifted one bikeshare docking station and receiving a grant for up to three more. A 19-bike station was donated to the City of Watertown by BlueCross BlueShield and Lyft, City Manager George Proakis announced at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. “They ended up with a spare station, and communities could apply for it,” Proakis said. “We responded and this is a free station being granted to us as a gift.