Photo by Leo Martin Walker Pond, on the Westside of Watertown, is one of the town’s hidden wetlands and a the Community Preservation Committee recommended funds be spent to do a study for improving the property.
The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Community Preservation Committee:
The Watertown Community Preservation Committee voted at its Feb. 15 meeting to recommend to the City Council that it fund Walker Pond planning studies and a public engagement process to develop a master plan for use of the site.
The 7 acre Walker Pond site was purchased by the city in December 2022. The City’s Department of Community Development and Planning (DCDP) requested use of Community Preservation Act (CPA) monies for this first phase of creating a new park. At the Committee’s request the preliminary studies will also include a baseline ecological assessment of features within the site with an overall goal of improving the quality and health of the pond’s water and shoreline while creating opportunities for conservation and recreation. When completed the site will be the largest park in West Watertown and the fifth largest park town-wide.
At the February meeting, the Committee recommended funding the City’s Walker Pond proposal in the amount of $145,000, the full amount requested by the City’s DCDP. In a second phase after the master plan is developed, bid documents would be prepared for whatever improvements are to be done at the site, followed by implementation of that work. While it is anticipated that the City will apply for CPA funds for phase 2, the current recommendation by the Committee does not commit CPA funds for that purpose.
A Google Maps view of Walkers Pond. The pond is the dark area surrounded by trees. The red line is the city line, with Watertown to the right, and Waltham to the left.
The Community Preservation Act is a state law that created a mechanism to fund local projects for open space and recreation, affordable housing and historic preservation. Communities like Watertown which accept the CPA receive state funds annually to supplement local funds raised by a 2 percent property tax surcharge. The Community Preservation Committee is charged with evaluating proposals submitted to it for use of CPA funds and recommending to the City Council which proposals merit funding. Final funding decisions are made by the Council, usually in the late spring.
Additional information about the CPA, the Committee and the city’s Community Preservation Act 5-Year Plan (2021–2025) is available at the city’s website, https://www.watertown-ma.gov/352/Community-Preservation-Committee.
I live at Bell Watertown (the abutting property) and that area is full of rats. My suggestion would be that their first order of business be to do what they can to place bait boxes ASAP!