164-166 Main St.

Five Story Apartment Building Approved on Main Street in Watertown

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A view of 164-166 Main Street, a five story apartment building with a commercial space on the ground floor. A new building will be added to Watertown’s skyline near Watertown Square after the Zoning Board of Appeals approved a five story apartment building on Main Street. The approval of the project at 164-166 Main Street was made Wednesday night. The site used to be occupied by a convenience store (Store 24 then Tedeschi’s and briefly 7-Eleven) and sits across from Town Hall. The building will have four stories with 34 apartments, on top of a garage and commercial or office space.

Development

Oakley Country Club Taking Town to Court Over ZBA’s Ruling on Wall

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Oakley Country Club is appealing the Zoning Board’s decision that ruled that the wall that went up near Oakley and Arden roads was built without proper permitting from the Town. The case was filed in the State Land Court. The case of the wall built by Oakley Country Club on the edge of their property will continue, after the club filed an appeal in state Land Court to try to overturn the Zoning Board of Appeals ruling that the wall was built without getting proper permits from the Town. The appeal was filed in Land Court on Sept. 25, and notice was sent to the Watertown Town Clerk’s office on Sept.

Development

Zoning Board Rejects Oakley Country Club’s Appeal on Wall

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The Zoning Board of Appeals recently made its ruling on this wall that was constructed on the Oakley Country Club property near Oakley and Arden roads. The Watertown Zoning Board of Appeals rejected Oakley Country Club’s appeal to reverse a decision by the Zoning Enforcement Officer that a wall built by the club near a residential area violates the Town’s zoning rules. The 10 foot high wall stretches 175 feet along an area of the perimeter of the golf course, and stands over homes on Arden and Oakley roads. The Zoning Board heard not only from representatives of the Country Club, but also from neighbors who have complaints about the wall including that it has cause flooding in the area. In April, the Town’s Department of Community Development and Planning issued a stop work order for the project because it did not have a building permit.

Development

Mixed Use Condo and Retail Project on Mt. Auburn Street Gets Approved

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A project that will build three stories of condos on top of a level of commercial or retail space got the approval of the Watertown Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday. 

The building at 33 Mt. Auburn Street will have 15 condos and 1,924 sq. ft. of commercial or retail space. It will go on the property near Watertown Square (across Taylor Street from the New Yorker Diner) that has been vacant for several years and was once the home of Port Oil.

101-103 Morse Street

Zoning Board Asks Developer of Morse Street Project for More Details

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The Zoning Board of Appeals told developers looking to change a former massage school into an apartment complex that their plan needs more work before it can get approval. The complex at 101-103 Morse Street, south of the Charles River in Watertown, most recently was occupied by the Cortiva Institute, but when the massage school left property owner Kamran Shahbazi decided to change it into a residential building. The current plan calls for 44 apartments – 3 studios, 32 one-bedrooms, nine two-bedrooms and one three-bedroom – to be constructed. This is down from 49. One of the main complaints the ZBA had about the plan was a lack of information and clarity in the plans submitted by the developers, including images of what it would look like, more detailed architectural plans and descriptions of the project.

Development

Elm Street Hotel Developers Drop Appeal of Zoning Board’s Decision

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The appeal of the Zoning Board’s rejection of a proposed hotel on Elm Street was dropped by the developers. 

The appeal, filed in state Land Court in October, claimed the ZBA wrongfully denied the special permit for the 104 room hotel at 80 Elm Street when it voted it down on Sept. 30. The suit sought to annul the ZBA’s decision and claimed the ZBA exceeded its authority. ZBA members pointed to the to building being too close to neighboring properties when voting against the proposal. Earlier this month, Assistant Town Manager Steve Magoon received word that the appeal had been withdrawn.

Development

Developer Taking Town to Court Over ZBA’s Denial of Hotel Project

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The developer of the hotel project rejected by the Watertown Zoning Board of Appeals has taken the town to state Land Court to appeal the decision. Cherag Patel, the head of Elm Hospitality LLC, filed the appeal in Land Court on Oct. 28, and named as defendants the members of the ZBA: Melissa SantucciRozzi, Christopher Heep, David Ferris, Neeraj Chander and Kelly Donato. Patel is being represented by attorney Curtis Dooling of Pierce & Mandell of Boston. The appeal claims the ZBA wrongfully denied the special permit for the 104 room hotel project at 80 Elm Street when it made its ruling on Sept.

Development

Watertown Zoning Board Rejects Hotel Proposed for Elm Street

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The Zoning Board of Appeals rejected a five-story hotel proposed to go on a small street off of Arsenal Street in the East End of Watertown. 

The proposal had met strong opposition from residents of Elm Street, and had already failed to get the recommendation from the Planning Board. However, other projects with similar opposition had received the OK from the ZBA. On Wednesday night, ZBA members said they liked the look of the hotel, which had changed since originally being proposed. However, they said project barely fit on the parcel of land, and towered over nearby businesses and homes. Steve Winnick, attorney for the developers – Elm Hospitality LLC – said that he believes the project is in line with the redevelopment of former industrial sites in Watertown as seen in other areas of town.