Around Town

New Signage for Paintings in City Hall Provides a Historical Perspective

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The historic paintings in Watertown City Hall now have signs with information about the town’s history. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The entry lobby in City Hall is beginning to look like a room at the Museum of Fine Arts, with the addition of signs to accompany the recently restored historical paintings of Watertown. The foyer of City Hall has long been home to a pair of paintings depicting Watertown, one showing the town in the 1630s when it was founded, and one in the 1930s, around the time when City Hall was built. The signs have been installed in front of the paintings that hang on either side of the entryway off of Main Street. The Historical Society received money from the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) to pay for the creation and manufacturing of the signs. The contents went through several iterations before reaching the final version, said Watertown Community Preservation Coordinator Lanae Handy.

Around Town

Community Preservation Funds Approved for 2 Affordable Housing Projects & Work at the Commander’s Mansion

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A rendering of the affordable Willow Park affordable housing complex. Funding for a home for adults with special needs, to help build a 138 unit affordable housing complex, and to replace the elevator at a historic home owned by the City of Watertown were approved by the City Council Tuesday night. The three projects came recommended from the Community Preservation Committee. The funds come from the Community Preservation Act (CPA) surcharge on Watertown properties, which are to be spent in three areas: affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space/outdoor recreation. For each area, 10 percent of the funds collected go into a reserve.

Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Hearing 2025 Project Applications

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Watertown’s Community Preservation Committee will see the presentations for an affordable housing redevelopment project at Willow Park, and rehabilitation of the Commander’s Mansion. See information from the City of Watertown, below. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is evaluating project applications and requests for Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding and applicants are presenting their projects to the Committee in the areas of historic preservation and community housing. 

View the Willow Park Redevelopment request for additional funds and the original application.  

View the Commander’s Mansion Building Envelope Rehabilitation and Elevation Modernization project application. 

Join the presentations on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, at 7 p.m. in person at City Hall, 149 Main St., in the Lower Hearing Room or via Zoom.

Government

Council to Weigh Changes to Rules for City Boards and Committees, City Departments

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Photo by Charlie BreitroseWatertown City Hall

The City Council will be weighing in on a 39-page document that sets the rules for how Watertown’s appointed committees and municipal departments operate. Some changes proposed include changing the length of terms for some committees, who appoints members of certain committees, and how to remove members of committees. The City has been working for many months with the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at UMass Boston to create an Administrative Code for the City of Watertown, said City Manager George Proakis at the Sept. 23 Council meeting. He provided the Council with a draft Administrative Code, which he said is designed to “serve as a single, consolidated ordinance that outlines the structure and organization of city government that essentially covers boards and commissions and covers city departments.”

Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Accepting Applications for 2026

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The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is accepting project applications for the FY 2026 funding round. Do you have an idea for an open space/outdoor recreation improvement, the preservation of a historic, or how to create affordable housing. Learn how to turn your good idea into a successful Community Preservation Act (CPA) project application. Key Dates

Community Preservation Act Clinic Hours: 

July 2025

9th – 10am, 10:30am, 11am and 11:30am

10th – 12:30pm, 1pm, 1:30pm, 3pm

14th – 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm

16th – 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am

21st – 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm

July 25, 2025 – Project Eligibility Forms Due

October 16, 2025 – CPA Funding Applications Due

Please visit the CPC webpage for more information, click How to Apply for links to application instructions and application documents. To schedule a CPA clinic appointment or if you have questions, please contact Lanae Handy, Community Preservation Coordinator at lhandy@watertown-ma.gov or 617-715-8620.

Letters

LETTER: Community Preservation Committee Should Prioritize Senior & Special Needs Housing

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Dear Editor,

The recording of the Annual Public CPC Meeting is not up. I had submitted an email since I could not attend. I thank those on the board who took the time to engage with it. I am part of Housing for All Watertown (HAW), and it is no secret that I am pro dentistry and diversity. However, the email (see below) was written from the lens of someone who deeply cares about persons with special needs and having family age in place with others. 

The call for CPC funds to be allocated to more housing is not new to the CPC board, and it predates the formation of HAW. There are 4 and half pages on housing needs per the board’s 2022 Annual Year-End Report.  https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/0e2ac721-212a-4561-b2a6-6abdd04c8ebc?cache=1800

As I noted in my email, the Affordable Housing Trust has made the call for more Senior and Special Needs housing. We live in a time when loneliness and lack of community is a scourge on society. Many senior citizens cannot afford to move into a communal residence, nor can their houses accommodate an extended family situation. Who is left to tend to these senior citizens?  Their neighbors, if available and willing. The disabilities community is in worse shape in terms of loneliness and housing. The Commonwealth has great services and people from all over the nation come here for those services. With The Perkins School and other facilities, Watertown, in particular, has been a community that supports persons with disabilities.

Government

Watertown Community Preservation Committee Holding Annual Public Meeting

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Join the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) for a Public Hearing — your chance to stay informed, get answers to your questions, and help shape the future of Watertown! When: Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 7 p.m.

Where: Watertown City Hall, Lower Hearing RoomOr join us via Zoom: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91525442843

What’s Happening:

Project Updates: Get the latest news about the Walker Pond and Saltonstall Park projects. Learn about newly approved Community Preservation Act (CPA) projects. Have a great idea? Find out how you can apply for CPA funds to make it happen! Questions?Reach out to Lanae Handy, Community Preservation Coordinator at lhandy@watertown-ma.gov or visit www.watertown-ma.gov/cpc for more details.

Government

Community Preservation Committee Hosting Annual Public Hearing in June

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The Community Preservation Committee will host its annual Public Hearing on June 26, 2025. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Don’t miss the CPA Annual Public Hearing hosted by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). You may also join the hearing and meeting remotely via Zoom: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91525442843. Save the Date: CPA Public Hearing, Thursday, June 26, 2025, 7 p.m..