The City of Watertown provided the following information:
City Walk with Erin Rathe, Senior Planner, Thursday, Sept. 5, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Meetup at Saltonstall Park’s red brick plaza, next to City Hall, 149 Main Street.
Join Erin Rathe, Senior Planner for Economic Development, for a walk around Watertown Square! Starting from City Hall, we’ll stop at several places along the way to look around and imagine what changes the newly-adopted Watertown Square Plan could bring.
The goal is to collect feedback about what you think would make the Square a friendlier, safer, more welcoming place to shop and linger. Bring your thinking caps and your imagination!
Ms. Rathe might want to consult the 1989 Watertown Square Design Handbook available at the Watertown Free Public Library and the 2023 citizen-authored Watertown Comprehensive Plan. Both documents prioritize residents’ desire for neighborhood-oriented retail and dining and advocate providing government aid to restore and upgrade existing storefronts. Unfortunately, it is too late for the 117-year-old storefronts at 104 and 106 Main Street by Watertown master builder William H. Iliffe. They were deemed not worthy of preferential preservation or even preserving the facades by vote of the Historic Commission under strong lobbying pressure from O’Connor Capital Partners and the silent acquiescence of the Department of Community Development and Planning and elected officials. It is difficult to see how residents’ goal of promoting vital and diverse neighborhood retail and dining can be achieved if the historic character of Main Street disappears along with its affordable storefronts.
The commenter has a very strong point. Watertown has a poor record regarding preservation. You can argue individual cases, and there are always excusatory rationales, but the the fact is that we have lost most of our architectural heritage.
It remains to be seen whether Ms. Rathe values preservation, not only of buildings, but of the character of the community physically, economically and socially.
An array of assets that has set Watertown apart from other communities is our roster of locally owned, unique small businesses. We must not only preserve existing businesses, but also make sure that we maintain an environment where small business can survive and thrive.
You can go to a national chain anywhere, but people come specifically to Watertown to patronize businesses that are unique to our city.
I don’t want to see a Watertown that looks and feels like every place else. There has to be a there here. 😉
What business’s in Watertown are people traveling a far to go to ? I keep hearing about all of these small business’s in Watertown but I have yet to experience one that is at or above average.
What are the names of these consumer local business’s that need so much protecting ?
For starters: Town Diner, Uncommon Grounds, Sevan, Arax, Massis, Cha Yen, Red Lentil, Roxanna, Jana, Eastern Clothing, Donahue’s, Connolly’s. Though it is on the Belmont side of the street, Cafe Vanak was listed on Bon Appetit’s Top 50.
Need more? I could go on.
Just because they don’t meet your high standards, doesn’t mean others don’t enjoy them. I have friends who travel from other towns to patronize these establishments. When I am a guest in someone’s home, treats from Watertown food establishments are always welcomed. Some folks have moved here for the food options in particular.
Only 1 of those business is in Watertown Square. Jana doesn’t need protection from development it needs protection from drunk drivers.
So yes, please go on and actually name a small business that would be under threat from improving the square and adding downtown housing.
I agree, Joe. We have a lot of “local gems.” I got a call from someone in New Hampshire who was hoping that I could pick up some lamejun in Watertown and give them to a mutual friend who’d be visiting to bring back to her. It was her husband’s birthday, and when he works down here, he always gets them at his favorite spot!
Sometimes when we live in a community, we take small businesses for granted. I know that when I meet new people from surrounding communities and mention that I’m from Watertown, they often get a big smile on their faces and mention their favorite place to go when in Watertown. I know that I have nothing to do with the success of that business, but it kind of gives me a sense of community pride…nice feeling!
Eric, you are missing the context of my post.
We need to bring attractive small business to Watertown Square that are consistent with the fabric of the town in general. We have lost businesses like Stellina’s and The Talk which were destinations for many years. Molana is one of several excellent Persian outposts in town.
Tresca’s is a homey comfort food destination. Demo’s, which I believe you patronize, is another. There are also at least another half dozen restaurants in the area which are locally owned and unique.
Most Watertowners, in my view, would agree that we need to restock the Square with locally owned businesses.
If development makes it so that only national chains can afford to do business in Watertown that would be a failure. Communities where unique businesses thrive are becoming rarer. But such businesses often play a leading role in revitalizing downtowns. Take any number of the resurgent Hudson River communities for example. It is small, unique businesse that have made their downtowns attractive destinations.
If we are to make Watertown Square a place for people to come and spend time it can’t be the same as every place else. There would be no reason to come. If national chains float your boat, then go to the Arsenal. But Watertown Square should be more unique. It should have character, rather than being an ersatz downtown.
Many of the following small businesses would be surprised not to be counted as businesses within the Square. Even the ones furthest from dead center Watertown Square are a short walk or a very short bike ride. These are all small businesses that contribute needed goods and services to our city and are valued and patronized by locals as well as out of towners. They are too many to name all of them but here’s a large sample: Not Your Average Joe’s, Sullivan Tire, Halfway Cafe, Chulo, Mimi’s Roast Beef, Diner at North Beacon, Kimura Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Pleasant Car Care, Banh Mi Cafe, O’Some Cafe, West End Laundromat, Watertown Animal Hospital, Comic Book Stop, Tru-Foods, Guanaquita Market, New Ginza, Interiology Design, Number 1 Taste, Super Fusion, Demos, Home Taste, Tabrizi Bakery, Behind the Hair, Spot Cafe, Riverside Management, Ginger Exchange, Dyer Liquors, Meat Spot, Super Cuts, Molana Rumi, India Kitchen, Jiffy Lube, bFit-Z’s, Direct Tire, Tresca’s, Wild Willy’s Burgers, Verizon store, Metro Minimart, Enterprise RentaCar, La Fauci Tile, Town Fair Tires, Ixtapa Cantina, Sichuan Cuisine, the computer repair place, Thomson Safaris, Watertown Center for Healing Arts, Halva Kebab, Dunkin Donuts, and many more including a number of therapists, yoga and wellness practitioners, dentists, an imported furniture store, hair salons, shoe repair, attorneys, insurance agencies, nail salons, etc. These are all within Watertown Square as newly defined with zoning changes.
One might also count the Koltun Ballet Studio. I am sure that if parents have time to kill while their kids are in class, they patronize other businesses.
There are many small businesses. The point is that they should not be shoved out in favor of cookie cutter national chains.
What is the time scheduled for the WORKING resident taxpayers walk??
It will be interesting to hear what Erin Rathe, Senior Planner has to say.
Watertown Sq. is the ever classic challenge of which formula is best, form over function or function over form.
I have noticed that for the first time in all the many years I have lived here, since the days of the old rotary, getting through the Sq. by car starting from Church St., has at times been so difficult I had to quit trying and instead go the long way around to use bridge St. to get to the other side of the river. I fear it’s only going to get worse. We now have more people living here than the roads can handle and the plans for more people will not make it easier. This is a problem not just for cars but public transportation and bikes as well.
I also see that in the future more people will be using scooters and similar single person transportation devices. These should be given more defined travel lanes.
As far as life experience, eating venues, nature environment, in the Sq. goes If you make getting through the Sq. more difficult it will diminish everyone’s experience so function should be over form would be the better choice IMHO.