Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/author/cbreitro/page/13/)
Watertown’s real estate market has more than a dozen properties to visit this weekend. 194 N. Beacon St., $950,000, 6 bedroom 3 bathroom 3,135 sq. ft. 2 Family, Open houses: Saturday, Aug. 16 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Sunday, Aug.
The City of Watertown will request permanent tax relief for residential property owners by sending a Home Rule Petition to the State Legislature for approval. The City currently has a three year tax relief which allows for the City to shift more of the burden of property taxes on to commercial, industrial and personal properties. For years, the City had been able to do a shift of 175 percent but due to a detail in the state law for tax shifts, it limited the amount that could be charged to residential properties. This combined with increasing values of commercial, industrial and personal properties means that Watertown has not been able to do the full 175 percent shift. City Manager George Proakis said that the City is limited by the state law that requires that the proportions of tax levy not exceed 38.76 percent for commercial, industrial and personal properties, which is the percentage when Watertown set the split tax rate.
A Watertown trash bin. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
The City of Watertown’s emergency drop-off site for trash and recycling will also now accept yard waste. The trash strike that started July 1 continues, and the City has set up a drop-off site at the former Sterritt Lumber site, 148 Waltham St., for residents to use. The temporary facility is open Monday-Friday, from 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. for Watertown residents. The City’s Trash Strike updates said: “Please limit your drop-off to 3 bags of household trash, the equivalent amount of recycling that would fit in your bins, and a maximum of three bags of yard waste.
Watertown City Councilor Emily Izzo has been appointed as an attorney with the City of Waltham. (Courtesy of Emily Izzo)
A Watertown City Councilor will get a look from the other side of municipal government when she takes a position as an attorney for the City of Waltham. District D Councilor Emily Izzo recently accepted a position as an Assistant City Solicitor in Waltham, reported the Waltham Times. She will begin on Sept. 2, 2025.
Four townhouses, two single families, a condo, and a two-family home were sold this week. 20 Hawthorne St., $1,730,000, 5 bedroom 3 bathroom 3,272 sq. ft. Single Family
17-19 Hearn St., $1,085,000, 5 bedroom 3 bathroom 2,797 sq. ft.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. July 25: A grey Porsche parked on the side of Belmont Street was struck by another vehicle. The driver left the scene of the collision. July 25: Someone entered the storage room of an apartment building on Mt. Auburn Street and rummaged through storage lockers.
Walker Pond can be seen through the trees from the path around the pond. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
On the morning of Aug. 7 a group walked around a small forested area around one of Watertown’s few wetland areas — Walker Pond. The City purchased the property on the border with Waltham in 2023 to develop the area into a public recreation facility. On Aug.
(CORRECTION: The story has been updated to include two areas where trees will be removed. The previous story only referenced Keith Street). A total of 17 shade trees off in East Watertown will be removed as part of the construction projects after City Manager George Proakis gave his approval. The trees to be removed include nine along Mt. Auburn Street as part of the reconstruction of the street and eight on Keith Street located on a property where a home is planned to be built.
The trees on Mt.