On Tuesday, the Town Council will hear about proposed designs for Waverley Avenue and will consider a resolution on declaring a climate emergency. Also during the week of March 8-12, the Planning Board will hear three cases, including a move by the Town’s first marijuana dispensary and changes to the Arsenal on the Charles.
Town Council
On the Town Council agenda is a vote on a resolution “Endorsing the Declaration of a Climate Emergency.” See the resolution here.
The Council will also hear a report about designs for a section of “upper” Waverley Avenue, near Orchard Street, including an option to create a bicycle lane on the uphill section of the street to prevent bicyclists from slowing motor traffic in the area. This would result in the loss of 22 on-street parking spaces. It would also allow for creating planting strips on the west side of the street.
Other committee reports that will be heard, include:
- The Committee on Media and Community Outreach’s report on updating the Town of Watertown’s website.
- The Committee on Parks & Recreation’s report on upgrades to Howe Park Dog Park.
- The Committee on Human Service’s recommendation to reappoint Allan Gallagher to the Watertown Housing Authority.
The meeting will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. Click here to see the agenda and for info how to participate.
Planning Board
This week’s Planning Board agenda includes two amendments to the Watertown Zoning Ordinance and three cases.
The cases include a proposal for the Natural Selections marijuana dispensary to move to a space on 580 Arsenal St., the former Monro Muffler building. The dispensary currently operates at 23 Elm St. and sells both medical and adult use marijuana.
The owners of the Arsenal on the Charles propose adding a two-story connector building and a loading dock to the building at 100 Talcott St. See more info here.
Work proposed for the building at 580 Pleasant St., behind Russo’s market, will also be heard by the Planning Board. Changes include work on the parking lot, additional mechanical work and a penthouse on the roof of the existing building, stormwater improvements and landscaping. See details here.
The proposed amendments to the Watertown Zoning Ordinance include allowing “Light Industry, Non-nuisance Manufacturing, Laboratories/Research, and Renewable Research” in the central business (CB) zone, which is located in the Watertown Square area.
The second amendment would add language to the Zoning Ordinance’s Table of Use Regulations saying: ”(17) To further the preservation, continuing the adaptive reuse, and modernization of existing, meaningful older buildings in Watertown Square, conversion greater of 4,000 s.f. of building area is permitted subjected to Site Plan Review as provided in §9.03, if a structure existed before the adoption of the Zoning Ordinance on March 29, 1937.”
See the Planning Board agenda, and information for how to tune in and participate by clicking here.
This Week’s Meetings
Monday
The Charter Review Committee’s Preamble Subcommittee continues its discussion about the proposed opening statement for the Watertown Town Charter. The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Find out more here.
The Town Council’s Committee of the Budget & Fiscal Oversight will discuss and make recommendations about the Town’s Fiscal Year 2022-26 Capital Improvement Plan. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. and the agenda and info about how to participate can be seen here.
Wednesday
The Council on Aging Board will meet at 4 p.m. See more information here.
Thursday
The School Committee’s Budget and Finance Committee will continue discussing the Superintendent’s proposed budget, and will focus on the elementary schools and district student services. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. See more info here.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities will host a community forum at 6:30 p.m. to discuss plans for the Arsenal on the Charles complex. See how to tune in and participate by clicking here.
The Historical Commission will meet at 7 p.m. and will hear several applications. See how to participate and join here.
I suppose if the Council wants to send a “virtue signal” on global warming, “Endorsing the Declaration of a Climate Emergency” could do no harm. But what does it mean that “the Town of Watertown endorses a town-wide emergency mobilization effort to combat global warming, which, with appropriate financial and regulatory assistance from State and Federal authorities, would further the goal of ending town-wide greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible”; indeed a ” regional climate emergency mobilization effort focused on transforming our region and rapidly catalyzing a mobilization at all levels of government”?
Financial and regulatory assistance? Transforming our region? Rapidly catalyzing a mobilization at all levels of government? I’m not sure what any of that means, but I bet the authors of the Declaration of a Climate Emergency are. And I don’t want anything to do with it or them. Vote no, Councilors.