The proposal to change the zoning for the area around the malls on Arsenal Street has sparked much concern and many questions, and both the town and citizen group Sustainable Watertown will host meetings to discuss the proposed Regional Mixed Use District (RMUD).
During Monday night’s Watertown Inauguration Ceremony, Town Council President Mark Sideris announced a pair of meetings about the RMUD hosted by the town and to be held at the Arsenal Project.
Both meetings will be held on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., the first will be on Jan. 9 and the second on Jan. 16.
Sideris said representatives from Boylston Properties, the owner of the former Arsenal Mall, will be on hand to discuss changes to the property.
At the same time, Sustainable Watertown will host a series of discussions about various aspects of the RMUD, including design and zoning, open space and green space, and traffic and transportation issues.
Here is the schedule of the Citizen-Initiated Conversations about the RMUD:
No. 1 – Thursday, Jan. 7, Watertown Free Public Library (WFPL), Time: 6:45-9 p.m.
TOPICS: Zoning Introduction to the Timeline for the Current Process, Approval Criteria, Comprehensive Plan.
TOPICS: Design Implications, Height and FAR, Massing and Sensitivity to Historical Buildings, Open Space, Public Space, Public Access. Gary Shaw, Presenter
No. 2 – Wednesday, Jan. 13, WFPL, Time: 6:45-9 p.m.
TOPICS: Open Space and Green Space, Definitions, Public Stewardship of the Riverway, Local and State Ordinances and Laws Protecting the River and Riverway, 100 Foot Buffer; Public Parks, Public Access. Nancy Hammett, Presenter
No. 3 – Tuesday, Jan. 19, WFPL, Time: 6:45-9 p.m.
TOPICS: Traffic, Transit (Including TMA -Traffic Management Association & TMD – Traffic Management District), plus a Street Network Vision within RMUD and connectivity to Watertown consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Watertown Public Transit Task Force (WPTTF). Joe Levendusky, Facilitator
TOPICS: Green, Sustainable Building, Zoning Language. Gary Shaw, Presenter
No. 4 – Monday, Jan. 25, LOCATION TO BE DETERMINED, Time: 6:45-9 p.m.
TOPICS: Open meeting for residents to talk about what we didn’t have time to cover, what we’ve learned, how the RMUD Zoning Amendments relate to the Comprehensive Plan, to develop concrete questions, and to recommend changes to the RMUD document.
Read more about the RMUD:
Subcommittee Recommends Building Heights up to 130 Feet in RMUD
Residents Say RMUD Moving Too Fast, Want More Details from Mall Owner
LETTER: 2 Residents Want to See Vision for Rezoning Malls Area