The City of Watertown provided the following information:
Save the Date: The Joint Hearing to discuss the Watertown Square Area Plan will continue on June 27, 2024 at 6pm in the Watertown Middle School Auditorium at 68 Waverley Avenue in Watertown. This is a continuation of the Joint Hearing held on June 13 in the same location.
We encourage everyone to visit the project website to learn more, and to access the plan document (PDF).
This Hearing will be a hybrid meeting, meaning you have the opportunity to join virtually on Zoom or in-person. You will also be able to watch the Hearing live online on WCA-TV.
Printed copies of the Plan Document can be found at the Watertown Library and Senior Center. You can learn more about the project at the Watertown Square Area Plan website, where you can also reach out with any questions about the Joint Hearing.
We look forward to seeing you on June 27!
Apparently it has not come to the notice of the City Council, the city manager, and the Planning Board that the next Watertown Square Plan hearing conflicts with the nationally televised presidential debate scheduled for the 27th. Clearly the continued hearing should be rescheduled to allow voters to hear the views of the two candidates vying to be the leader of the free world.
Recently I posted this comment on the FB site “You Know You Want to Talk About Watertown Politics”: “Our community is facing several momentous decisions that will affect us for decades to come: 1. How to comply with the MBTA by-right housing mandate of 1701 units, 2. The reconfiguration of Watertown Square’s traffic/pedestrian/bicycle flow, and 3. The possibility of a Redevelopment Authority to address city-owned parking lots behind the Watertown Free Public Library and the CVS.
Is your voice regarding these issues being heard?”
A resident responded: “Not sure how many residents know about this. I think a lot of folks attending and speaking the meetings are advocates for housing. There has to be a way to reach and get input from ALL Watertown residents. Also the town needs to disseminate the info in an easier way to understand. It’s a very complicated plan. I don’t understand a lot of the info in the plan. The map alone is complicated!”
My reply: “Many people share your concerns and have difficulties understanding the plan, the map, and the ramifications for our town Sue. And yes, community-wide outreach has been poor and oriented to those who constantly use online social media.
There will be another meeting on Thursday, June 27, at 6 PM at the Middle School. More questions and answers to come. I am over on Marion Road. Happy to speak with you if that would be of help to you. Just send me a message or give me a call 617-926-3952.”
Please read the blog post Elaine Mello posted on said site.
This post refers to the same blog post that was for some reason removed by Facebook: https://thebattleforwatertown.blogspot.com/?
My question to the city administration: How do you intend to improve community outreach regarding these momentous, critical initiatives? A community-wide mailing? Example: Postcards were sent regarding the upcoming inspections of recycling bins. Robocalls to residents and businesses? Example: Robocalls went out to inform the community that 911 was down for a period of time. Sandwich board signage throughout the community? Example: one poorly designed sandwich board on the Delta combined with a defective electronic sign is not community outreach. A sign-in sheet at the door with an opportunity for residents to present written questions to be answered. Will copies of the plan be available at the next meeting? Trying to get a hard copy of the plan has been a crazy treasure hunt across town. Could the senior/school buses be used to transport folks to the meeting from key locations around town?
Despite my feedback on many of these outreach concerns the response from the city continues to be less than stellar. The Watertown community deserves better!
Simply put, I view this as a dereliction of duty on the part of our city management and our city council.
I echo the concern of Carolyn that having this City meeting on the 27th, the date of the first Presidential Debate, is not serving our residents well. With our divided country people should be afforded the opportunity to get answers on critical issues facing us now and in the future and not have to choose whether to watch the debate or attend our City meeting.
We know we can’t trust the media to provide unbiased reports. At least with the two candidates having to actually answer, hopefully, policy questions and express their plans to people all over the country in a media event that can’t be changed, people would feel they are getting better information.
I wrote an email to our City Council President, our Manager and our Councilors to request the date of our meeting be changed and was told that the debate starts at 9 p.m. At the last meeting on June 13, the City meeting went past 9 p.m., and there is coverage of the debate starting at 8 p.m.
I know many people can record the debate and view it later, but some people don’t have that option and isn’t it best to see it as it is actually happening?
As to Elodia’s comments, she is correct. There are still many people who don’t really know what’s going on regarding all three of the issues she outlines, especially the newest one regarding a Redevelopment Authority. And now with having a second meeting, many people again are not aware of this meeting.
If people weren’t at the June 13 meeting or watching it, they have no idea there is a second meeting. As of yesterday there were no signs on the electronic boards or on sandwich boards anywhere to be seen. If you aren’t stopped at a light and in close proximity to the signs, they are unreadable.
For such serious decisions to be made regarding Watertown Square housing and traffic and possibly ceding our controls to an independent body, all people need to have the opportunity to be at the next meeting. If we delay it, Elodia’s suggestions to better inform the public could be implemented. Let’s not rush this process. We will be living with the decisions for a long time.
And let’s be sure there is a LASER POINTER available at the beginning of the meeting. The maps are hard enough to read on the screen if you have prior knowledge of them and if you are fortunate enough to have a hard copy of the design plans in advance. For those people just starting the process or trying to keep up with it, having a pointer and possibly street names on the maps to help identify the locations would be helpful.
Let’s do this right; it’s too important to do this in a haphazard manner.