Around Town

Watertown Square Housing & Intersections Proposals Revealed

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A large crowd listened to the presentation at the Watertown Square Area Plan Meeting on April 4 at 66 Galen St. (Photo by Rachel Kay)

The proposed design of Watertown Square will look similar to the current intersection, with one leg removed and larger open space. Designers also revealed a new plan to meet the MBTA Communities Law on Thursday, showing a plan with areas for by-right housing around Watertown Square, and south of the Charles River. The design team and City officials have gathered input from the public at previous meetings, City Manager George Proakis said, and there were strong agreement on some areas, such as that the Watertown Square intersection needed improvement and the downtown area has some nice historic architecture, but much of the area lacks character and is not friendly to shoppers and pedestrians. Other matters were more mixed.

Schools

Two Years of Foreign Language Added to WHS Graduation Requirements

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The School Committee approved the addition of taking a world language to the graduation requirements for Watertown High School students. The world language requirement was added to the Watertown High School Program of Studies. Beginning with Class of 2028 (current eigth graders), students will have to pass two years of the same world language (also known as foreign language). WHS Principal Joel Giacobozzi said that the change brings Watertown in line with MassCore, the state’s recommended program of study intended to align high school coursework with college and workforce expectations. “There are reasons for this, the least of which is Massachusetts has set the floor for graduation.

Government

Council Increases Tax Exemption for Businesses, Waiting on Real Estate Transfer Tax

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Watertown City Hall

Watertown businesses will get some tax relief after the City Council approved increasing the exemption on business personal property taxes by $5,000. Councilors will not be deciding on whether to have a real estate transfer tax until a later date. On March 26, the Council voted to increase the exemption to from $5,000 to $10,000 on items including machinery, equipment and tools, inventory, furniture, and fixtures. The Council followed the recommendation of the Council’s Committee on Budget and Fiscal Oversight. The proposal received mixed reactions from business organizations.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Pair of Shoplifters Busted, Bike Take off Back of Car

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. March 22, 3 p.m.: A woman entered Target and took multiple items from the cosmetics section. In total, 18 beauty products worth $250 were taken. March 22, 10:30 a.m.: A bicycle was stolen off the back of a car parked on Bond Street in Arsenal Yards. The light blue Bianchi bike, valued at $2,000, was taken off a car bike rack.

Schools

Work Moving Ahead on New High School, Likely to Extend Into the Evening Some Days

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The steel frame of the gymnasium at the new Watertown School before the slab is placed on the area in early April. (Courtesy of Vertex)

The following announcement was provided by Watertown’s project management firm, Vertex:

The new WHS Project Site remains busy as the site preparation and steel detailing continues. Above is a current view of the steel erection progress (view of the new gymnasium space) ahead of our upcoming slab on deck placement in this area next week. We have several slab placements on the schedule for next week proposed for the following dates:

Monday April 1st : Gymnasium

Wednesday April 3rd

Thursday April 4th

These slab placements are beginning at 7 a.m. on each of the above dates. The duration required for the slabs to be finished is dependent on the outside air temperate and weather conditions on the day of placement.

Police/Fire

Fire Department Awards Medals to Two Men Who Helped Prevent a Serious Blaze

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Watertown Fire Chief Ryan Nicholson congratulates Omar Omolade, middle, and Amitabh Agrawal for receiving the Medal of Commendation for their quick actions that prevented a serious fire on Galen Street in January. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The quick action of a pair of men in a barbershop on Galen Street early on a January morning prevented serious damage in a building that is home to multiple businesses. This week, the Watertown Fire Department awarded them with a Fire Service Awards. On Jan. 18, 2024, at about 6:45 a.m., a fire alarm went off for a restaurant on Galen Street, and fire crews arrived to find the restaurant’s steel door had already been opened by Omar Omolade of 1st Yard Barbers, and customer Amitabh Agrawal.

Government

City Manager: Next Watertown Square Meeting a Key One, Discusses How MBTA Communities Zoning Works

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The Watertown Square Area Plan meeting on April 4 will not be the last meeting in the process, City Manager George Proakis told the City Council Tuesday, but it will be an important point in the redesign of the intersection and the City’s effort to meet the MBTA Law requirements. Proakis also explained what the zoning changes would and would not do. The next meeting in the Watertown Square Area Plan process will be held at 66 Galen Street on Thursday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. Proakis said this will be the sixth meeting held by the City in the process and it will be a key one. “This particular meeting is important for us. We will be presenting one idea for where to move forward on streetscape, one on where to move forward on zoning,” Proakis said.