Around Town

UPDATED: OP-ED: Resident Calls for Celebrating Watertown’s History, Avoid Becoming “Anywhere, USA”

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(The author has responded to some of the comments from the original Op-Ed posted on Feb. 8, 2023, see them after the letter:)

First, I want to thank the watertownmanews and the Historical Society of Watertown and Joyce Kelly, in particular, for this Saturday’s trip into Watertown’s past. It seems sometimes that the City of Watertown is engaged in such a head spinning rush to blandness and “anytown-ness” that in the words of Joni Mitchell, “We won’t know what we’ve got till it’s gone.”

In June 2022, Clyde Younger and I presented a proposal that would require a study of old buildings on Main Street, and one in particular (104-106 Main), to see if a local historic district was appropriate. The City Council, without much discussion, unanimously voted down our proposal for a study, one councillor even remarking that there are no old buildings on Main Street. Having been turned down for a historic study of one of the oldest and most historic cities and on one of the oldest and most historic streets in North America, I decided that I would do a study myself.

104 Main Street

City Council Votes Down Consideration of Creating Historic District on Main Street

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Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

An effort to create a historic district in the area of Main Street near City Hall and the Library ended Tuesday night when the City Council voted down the proposal in the citizen-submitted petition. The effort was started as a way to prevent a proposed project in the area. The Council was not convinced that the area, which also includes a block of commercial buildings across the street, has historic significance. The decision was unanimous. Had the vote been favorable, the City would have started the process to create a historic district, which could have taken up to two years, and would require a study by the Historic District Commission as well as hearings by the Planning Board and City Council.

104 Main Street

LETTER: Time to Draw Line on Big Developments, Create a Historic District on Main Street

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Local Communities in Square Miles

Boston 89.63Newton 18.16Waltham 13.76Cambridge 7.1Belmont 4.7Watertown 4.12

Watertown. It’s small. It requires thought. In a small area like ours, every decision that’s made makes a profound difference. Many of us have raised concerns about losing the essence of our community, what made us unique and desirable … small but big; bustling and densely populated and diverse, but with a real home town, neighborly feel.

104 Main Street

Developer Discusses Vision for Major Project on Main Street

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Icon ArchitectureA view of the proposed project at 104-126 Main St. from Main Street. The developers of the project proposed on Main Street in Watertown want to create a place where residents can live steps away from restaurants, stores, and public transportation available in Watertown Square. John O’Connor, senior vice president for acquisitions and development for O’Connor Capital Partners recently spoke with Watertown News about the proposal for the 104-126 Main St. The development would have 146 residential units in four stories above 5,450 sq.

104 Main Street

Possible Main St. Project Has Restaurant Owners Worried About Future

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Crown CafeDiners enjoy a meal at Crown Cafe on Main Street. The future of the restaurant is uncertain because a development has been proposed that includes the restaurant’s property. The new owners of the Crown Cafe invested tens-of-thousands of dollars into the space on Main Street and the restaurant began serving food in January. Just a few months later they worry whether their investment will be for nothing, and the space where their business sits may be demolished to make way for a proposed five-story mixed use development near Watertown Square. One hope for the owners may be a grassroots effort started to try to stop the development by making the area a historic district.