Editor,
The developers of the Athena Health property on Arsenal Street propose to eliminate the patio in front of the west entrance to La Casa de Pedro Restaurant. This very popular patio fronts a broad vista of sunlit green lawn with a fountain, the Arsenal Center for the Arts, and shade trees on the opposite side.
The developers’ plan proposes removing this patio and installing a new patio on the north side of the building, next to heavily trafficked Arsenal Street. What a loss that would be for Watertown!
The patio in its current location provides exceptional beauty, comfort and utility, IMO the best outside restaurant seating in the whole of Watertown.
- There’s a delightful view over the wide green lawn from every patio table.
- Tree canopy provides beautiful living shade, and along with the building itself, screens the patio from much of the noise, pollution and rush of traffic on Arsenal Street.
- Disabled people can disembark from a vehicle safely right at the entrance to the patio.
- The wide vista from the patio means parents can watch their kids play on the grass while they relax and continue their meal.
- Afternoon sunshine lights up the tall, broad west facade of the historic building fronted by the patio. This gorgeous brick wall reflects the changing light as the sun sinks deeper in the West.
- Evening diners can enjoy the lovely view across the park, and watch the tall windows of the handsome historic Arsenal Center for the Arts brighten as shadows lengthen and showtime approaches
Moving the restaurant patio to the shadowed, busy Arsenal Street side of the building would deprive Watertown of a really exceptional community resource.
If you’d like to see this patio preserved, please come to the public meeting and hearing on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at 7 p.m. in the Town Council Chamber, Administration Building, 149 Main Street to show your support.
Heres a link to the Planning Board 2016 0608 agenda.
http://www.watertown-ma.gov/
Best regards,
Libby Shaw
Templeton Parkway