Government

DCR Holding Walk Through of Proposed Re-striping of Charles River Road

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The following information was provided by State Sen. Will Brownsberger’s Office:

Senator Will Brownsberger and Representative Jon Hecht have arranged a walkthrough of Charles River Road with DCR to review the agency’s proposed plans for re-striping the newly paved road. DCR’s Deputy Chief Engineer, Jeff Parenti, will be on-site to answer questions and take input. The event is open to the public. WHEN: Wednesday, June 27 at 8:30 a.m.

WHERE: Meet at Charles River Road opposite of Irving Street (red star on map above)

Please don’t hesitate to follow-up directly, at 617-722-1280, with any questions or concerns you may have. Hope to see you there!

Around Town

Watertown-Cambridge Greenway Construction Schedule Announced

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The last section of the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway, a bike and pedestrian path, will begin construction in late summer or early fall. 

A letter sent out by Leo Roy, commissioner of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), announced that the project will begin soon, and will create 1.25 miles of path along the former Boston & Maine Railroad tracks between Arlington Street/Nichols Avenue/Crawford Street intersection in Watertown and the entrance to the Cambridge Water Department at Fresh Pond. It will connect to the section already completed from Arlington Street to School Street in Watertown which is also referred to as the Community Path. “The trail will offer additional opportunities for transportation and passive and active recreation and physical activity, while promoting community and economic growth through increased connectivity,” Roy wrote. “The multi-use Greenway will provide an important regional connection linking the Charles River Path system, the Minuteman Bikeway, the Alewife Greenway and the Mystic River Reservation into an interconnected off-road pathway network.” The new section of the path will be 12 foot wide paved trail with two foot wide grass strips along both sides, according to the letter.

Around Town

Installation of Replacement Pedestrian Bridge Across Charles River Begins

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Sections of the new Joseph Thompson Pedestrian Bridge arrived Wednesday and will be lifted into place on Thursday morning, however it will still be a few weeks before people can meander across the new span. The bridge has been a topic of discussion and contention for many Watertown residents, especially those living close to the section of the river just west of Watertown Square. Originally planned to be in place by the end of 2017, the new bridge arrived Wednesday. Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Leo Roy visited the construction site Wednesday afternoon as workers prepared the bridge to be lifted into place on Thursday morning. The project is part of the effort by the Baker-Polito Administration to allow more people to access parks and recreational areas around Massachusetts, Roy said.

Charles River Road

Charles River Road Being Closed Temporarily, See When

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The Department of Conservation and Recreation announced Charles River Road will be closed overnight for two evenings.DCR officials sent out the following release:
DCR Traffic Advisory: Charles River Road in Watertown
WHAT: Tonight, May 2, 2018, and tomorrow, May 3, 2018, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will implement a roadway closure along Charles River Road in the Town of Watertown between North Beacon Street and Watertown Square from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. to accommodate milling operations work. Abutters will be allowed access to their property. Additionally, traffic patterns will be clearly marked and a police detail will be on site. WHERE: Charles River Road in the Town of Watertown between North Beacon Street and Watertown Square
WHEN: Wednesday, May 2, 2018, and Thursday, May 3, 2018, 8:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m.

Around Town

See When the Pedestrian Bridge Over Charles River is Now Expected to be Installed

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For some people, the pedestrian bridge over the Charles River was a nice option to avoid crossing over one of the other bridges that often clog with traffic, but others rely on it. 

Watertown resident David Caine told the Town Council at a recent meeting that his trip to the grocery story takes double the amount of time without the span. “Up until February when I got my groceries I could cross the footbridge,” Caine said. “Now it is gone. I was told the new bridge was expected to be installed in November. Since then I was told it was delayed.

Arsenal Street

Council Backs $25 Million in Improvements, Some Question Openness of Process

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After a marathon session, the Town Council unanimously approved a partnership with Athenahealth and the DCR that will bring $25 million in public infrastructure projects to the area in East Watertown around the company’s campus. The funds to pay for 10 proposed projects come from the state via the I-Cubed program, which creates partnerships between public entities (the Town and the Department of Conservation and Recreation) and a private one (Athenahealth). The money comes from additional taxes created by Athena adding more jobs through its campus expansion, and will be used to pay for bonds issued by the state. The projects must be completed within 3 years of the issuance of the bonds. While many residents and some on the Council said the Town would be crazy to pass up $25 million in free projects (or at least that won’t use Watertown residents’s tax dollars) others complained that the list of projects came forward with little public discussion about what made the list.

Development

Residents Question $25 Million in Improvements Proposed by Athenahealth, Town

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Watertown could get $25 million in improvements to roads, parks and paths without putting up a dime, but attendees of a meeting last Thursday were not leaping to seal the deal. 

The proposed work would be part of the I-Cubed program, in which a developer – in this case Athenahealth – bonds money from the state to pay for the infrastructure and teams with public entities – the Town of Watertown and the Department of Conservation and Recreation – to do the improvements. The bonds will be paid by the increased tax revenue going to the state from Athenahealth’s campus expansion and the additional jobs it will create. None of the money can be spent on Athenahealth’s property. Thursday night, Athenahealth officials presented the list of projects it would do with the money. They include:
$7.5 million – Arsenal Street: roadway and sidewalk improvements, upgraded traffic lights and timing
$900,000 – Sewer improvements on North Beacon Street and Greenough Boulevard
$6.3 million – Roadway improvements to North Beacon, a cycling and pedestrian path, signal upgrades
$1.7 million – Watertown Square repaving, sidewalk improvements, upgrades to traffic, pedestrian signals and timing, and realigning Charles River Road
$700,000 – Completing the improvements of the Watertown Riverfront Park on the north bank of the Charles River
$1.7 million – Greenough Boulevard: bicycle and pedestrian path upgrades, improvements to the roadway and signal upgrades (including a traffic light at Greenough and North Beacon)
$2.7 million – Squibnocket Park: adding a canoe/kayak launch, a boardwalk and river overlook, and landscaping
$400,000 – School Street/Dexter Avenue/Walnut Street: sight-line improvements and curb realignments
$400,000 – Arsenal Park: extension of the Community Path through the park
$2.7 million – Drainage and parking improvement on Talcott Avenue near the Commander’s Mansion, cosmetic improvements to the Mansion and grounds and realignment of Talcott Avenue, and possibly linking it to either North Beacon or Greenough
The I-Cubed program would be a “win-win” for Athenahealth and the town, said  Mark Blair, the company’s Manager of Environment and Construction.

Letters

LETTER: I-Cubed Program Would Bring $25 Million in State Funds to Town

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Through a state financing tool called the Infrastructure Investment Incentive Program, or “I-Cubed,” Watertown could see a total of $25 million of funding for improvements to public property surrounding the Arsenal on the Charles campus. Representatives from Watertown, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and athenahealth are excited about their participation in the I-Cubed Program and the public-private partnership the Program creates between the Commonwealth, Watertown, DCR, and athenahealth. Here is how the Program works: The I-Cubed Program earmarks general state funds for local public infrastructure improvements surrounding an applicant’s site. Before state approval is final, an applicant must demonstrate that those public infrastructure improvements ultimately support the company’s job growth at the site, which in turn pays off those improvements. More than two years ago, the Patrick Administration granted preliminary approval for $25 million in state funding based on collaboration between representatives of Watertown, DCR, and athenahealth.