LETTER: Green Infrastructure Must be Part of the Watertown Square Area Plan

The following letter was submitted to be read at the June 13, 2024 Watertown Square Area Plan meeting:

Dear Vincent, Watertown Planning Board, and Watertown City Council:

I am sorry I cannot attend in person this evening, so I hope that this can go on the Public record as my comment:

—–

First, I just want to say that I have been excited to hear about the plans for Watertown Square to develop the area — much-needed improvements in public transportation, walkability, bike-ability, drive-ability, housing, local businesses, and our community as a whole, and I can say that the people of Watertown have very much appreciated your including the residents in the planning process. We have had the chance to voice our concerns, and we are grateful for that. 

Thank you to all of those who are working to make this the best plan for Watertown.

I realize there is momentum to give the plan a GREEN light. However, please hear me out when I say tonight that I think that as good as this plan is, there is still a huge, critical piece that is missing and a means to make this plan much better for the future of Watertown.

I hope that with my speaking up tonight, members of the Planning Board and City Council, and hopefully also any residents of Watertown who are listening, will consider taking the necessary steps to further optimize the plan to encompass that which is missing: 

Urban Ecological Planning and Living Green Infrastructure.

And it’s not just about planting a few trees here and there in Watertown Square. 

Trees are indispensable, living green infrastructure that not only provide protective cooling shade, but also absorb THOUSANDS of gallons of stormwater each year. Trees contribute to the natural world that coexists with us and sustains us too. Trees can be used to line streets, slow speeders and form a ‘green wall’ between the cars and the sidewalk & bike lane …. When you think of a bustling main street in a more pedestrian downtown (like what we are hoping to achieve with this plan), we think about a cute city square for shopping at local places, dining outside at restaurants, etc. — And in that vision, the streets are tree-lined.

It is critical that we incorporate LIVING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE into EVERY ASPECT of the plan — the street layout, the sidewalks, the bike paths, parking, bus stops, storefronts, housing — ALL OF IT. 

Working at multiple scales, ecological infrastructure incorporates stormwater treatment, capture, and reuse; street design for conviviality and multi-modal movement; low-impact transportation networks and facilities; habitat networks; and park, urban food, and greenway systems (College of Built Environments, University of Washington.) This is urban ecological planning!

Some more ideas for Watertown’s plan include: planting an abundance of trees and native plants, incorporating wide continuous tree pits and planting strips into the design of Watertown Square, using permeable pavement instead of concrete and asphalt, including tree trenches into the design and planting trees that will shade our bus stops and sidewalks, to name a few. 

So far, there has not been much of a mention of Urban Ecological Planning or Living Green Infrastructure in this plan, and that’s my concern. It seems obvious that in 2024, Living Green Infrastructure should be weighted the same, if not more, as ‘traffic’ and ‘housing’ — but it has been forgotten.

To abide by the Watertown Comprehensive Plan and to take strides to combat the heat island effect, global warming, and flooding as we develop Watertown, and, as we plan for our future and the future of our children, there needs to be an increased, serious focus on sustainable solutions and Green Infrastructure. The time to bring in experienced urban ecological planners to optimize the plan for the Watertown Square area is NOW. 

Thank you for listening,

Regards,
Jessica Grimsby
Prospect St.