Watertown City Council President Mark Sideris recently wrote a letter to the Boston Globe asking for recognition of the City’s effort to allow housing, going above and beyond the state’s requirements.
The letter was published by the Globe on Dec. 14. He wrote it in response to an article the paper ran about how Lexington met the requirements of the MBTA Communities Law and has about 1,000 units in the pipeline to be constructed. Sideris noted that he had not seen similar coverage of the zoning changes in Watertown.
“We recently went through a planning process with many public meetings and discussions about reimagining what Watertown Square could be,” he wrote. “Then we rezoned the area not only to comply with this law but to make it so that we can redevelop the square into a vibrant destination, with many places to visit and in which to live and recreate. We are serving residents and visitors alike, with accessibility by public transportation, walking and biking, or personal vehicle.”
Sideris added that Watertown was required to allow 1,700 housing units to be built by right, but the final plan allows for more than 4,000.
“This was a long and difficult process, but we have gone so far above what is required that I would challenge you to find a community that has done what we did,” his letter reads.
See the letter by clicking here.
This story motivated me to express my appreciation for our city manager, Mr. Sedaris. As a longtime Watertown resident (who doesn’t know Mr. Sedaris or is particularly close to city affairs) I’ve been impressed by his leadership of the new Watertown Square plan. That was a significant achievement, which promises a great improvement in the life and amenities around that area. More to the point though, I really like how Mr. Sedaris stands up for our city in relation to stakeholders at the state level and speaks up to make sure that all of the good work that our city is doing is appropriately acknowledged at the Boston metro and state levels. Thanks mr. Sedaris for fighting the good fight in the interest of us Watertown residents.
Thank you, Mr. Sideris, for writing that letter to the Globe. I saw it when it appeared and very much appreciated your initiative. I am so proud of Watertown, we’re leading the way to the FUTURE!