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OP-ED: Housing for All Group Seeks More Affordable Housing in Watertown Square Area Plan

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Photo by Mark Pickering

By Mark Pickering

At a recent meeting of the Housing for All Watertown group, speakers touted the group’s success in its effort to deliver “the most ambitious MBTA Communities Act plan in the state.” Now the group is shifting gears to focus on getting more affordable housing as part of the plan. In Watertown, the YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) movement is alive and kicking. Members of the grassroots group say that the next step is to bring a greater number of affordable units into Watertown Square. Communities served by the T are required to submit rezoning plans (under the 2021 MBTA law) that would allow for building multifamily housing. 

To that goal, the Watertown group has come up with an “affordable housing bonus plan.” The idea is to increase the incentives for developers to build up if their plans meet certain affordable housing guidelines. As it now stands, the Watertown Square rezoning lacks robust incentives for including affordable housing in new buildings.

Around Town

Hear About Funded Projects & How to Apply at Community Preservation Act Public Hearing

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

SAVE THE DATE for the Community Preservation Act (CPA) Annual Public Hearing, hosted by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). Watertown City Hall in the Lower Hearing Room, Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 7 p.m.

Or join remotely via Zoom: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91525442843. Don’t miss this event for your chance to:

Hear more about the recently funded CPA Projects. Find out about the next steps for the Old Burying Ground and Common Street Cemeteries and the Commander’s Mansion Cultural Landscape projects. Tell us about your open space, outdoor recreation, community housing, and historic preservation priorities.

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LETTER: Watertown Housing Group Supports Proposed Watertown Square Area Plan

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As advocates for housing availability and affordability in Watertown, we have closely followed the Watertown Square Area Plan process since its kickoff last Fall. Throughout the kitchen table conversations, online surveys, and countless community meetings that we’ve participated in, we’ve watched a plan emerge that manages to balance a wide range of perspectives. As a result, the core elements of the plan garner support from two-thirds of recent survey respondents. Supporting the Plan

While we believe that significantly more work needs to be done to address the housing crisis, this plan represents an important step toward allowing more housing in our city. We strongly urge all who support more housing, a more walkable and bikeable community, and a more vibrant downtown to attend this Thursday’s meeting at the Middle School and speak in support of it.

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LETTER: A Resident’s Comments on Proposed Rezoning of Watertown Square

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To the Editor:

I’ve been impressed by Manager George Proakis’ initiative, effort and community involvement process for the Watertown Square Area Redesign. In terms of the streetscape, it’s terrific that the manager is trying to create a plan that insists that our Square is first and foremost the center of our community, not just an intersection to drive through as quickly as possible. It is in terms of zoning that the draft plans have led to more disagreement. Unlike some municipalities, we are choosing to obey the new MBTA Communities law and join in the region-wide attempt to increase the supply of housing by changing the zoning in the Square. The need for more housing units at lower rents and/or purchase prices is clear.

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OP-ED: Watertown Square Zoning Needs to Do More for Affordability

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Just about everyone agrees on the need for more affordable housing in Watertown. It’s one of the biggest challenges faced by our neighbors today. Families can’t find space to grow, older residents can’t downsize, working- and middle-class families are being forced out. There isn’t enough housing overall — but, in particular, there isn’t nearly enough affordable housing. The Watertown Square redesign process offers an incredible opportunity to encourage more dedicated affordable homes in our city.

Around Town

LETTER: Affordable Housing Critical to Watertown’s Fabric

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I am writing as a local clergy person concerned with the fraying of the social fabric of the local communities. Over the past 6 years I have served as the pastor of the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church. During this time and over the past 29 years in pastoral ministry I have experienced the vital importance churches serve as community organizations. Churches have long been a place of worship for members and friends and free and affordable space for community life. In Watertown the former St.

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Watertown Housing Authority Teams with Non-Profit to Revitalize the Willow Park Property

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The Watertown Housing Authority will team with Preservation of Affordable Housing to renovate the Willow Park property. (Courtesy of the WHA)

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown. Housing Authority:

The Watertown Housing Authority (WHA) announced that it will be partnering with the Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) to redevelop the Willow Park State Public Housing property located in East Watertown. The POAH team was selected earlier this month by the WHA’s Board of Commissioners and Selection Committee after reviewing the proposals. “I want to thank everyone on the pre-development team for their hard work.

Around Town

OP-ED: When Bad Ideas Happen to Good Neighbors – The False Promise of Trickle-Down Rent Reduction

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

STOP! If you think that those living in Watertown who are low or middle class are just a drag on our community, this is not the letter for you. But if you are committed to a diverse and thriving Watertown community, complete with small businesses and diversity of age, income, race, religion, language, etc., please read on. First, I’d like to take us to California, where this madness seems to have begun in this country, with a serious housing crunch. Then came the “solution,” building as many “market rate” (aka very expensive) apartments as possible.