Business

Boylston Properties Discusses Plans for Verizon Building

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Boylston Properties plans to turn the Verizon Building behind the Watertown Mall into office space. The owner of large parcels on the Eastside of Watertown said it plans to turn the building at 480C Boylston St. into a 160,000 square-foot office building, according to a story on Banker & Tradesman’s website. Boylston Properties President William McQuillan said he hopes to create space for biotech or technology companies. Read the whole story here: http://www.bankerandtradesman.com/news161379.html

Development

Watertown Could Get 15 More Liquor Licenses for Restaurants

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In hopes of attracting more restaurants and commercial or mixed-use developments, Town Councilors have been exploring how to add up up to 15 liquor licenses in town, but they still must figure out where to put them. Watertown has 32 liquor licenses given to the town by the state through a quota system based on the town’s population. Communities can ask for more through a special act of the State Legislature, which is what the Town Council plans to do. A joint group Council subcommittee – Rules & Ordinances, Economic Development & Planning, and Public Safety – met Tuesday to discuss the issue. The group looked at adding 15 to accommodate recently approved projects with restaurants, projects coming down the line with restaurants and some of additional projects.

Development

LETTER: Neighbors Have Requests for Proposed Athenahealth Project

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Re: AthenaHealth LLC and Arsenal on the Charles

We appreciate the Town Council’s delay on the vote for AthenaHealth’s proposal for changes to the AODD. We are assuming they have realized, like we have, that we need more details from them in order to make an informed decision. Any changes to the AODD should be considered with the future in mind: how will these changes affect Watertown’s ability to control what happens on that property while AthenaHealth owns it, as well as after they have gone. We hope AthenaHealth stays for the long term and works with the town in good faith, but businesses come and go, so we shouldn’t give away our rights to some determination on that property. To this end, we are asking the Town Council and relevant town departments to do the following:

1.

Development

Traffic a Concern for Some With Proposal to Renovate Grove Street Site

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Residents recently got their first look at local developers plans to redevelop the former GE Ionics building at 65 Grove St. Cresset Grove LLC. unveiled its proposed plans to redevelop the former GE building during a community meeting at the Coolidge School apartment complex on Monday Sept. 29. The proposed plans includes large glass windows that would make the building more transparent, a roof terrace, improved drainage system in the parking lot, and a four-story 350 car garage with a bamboo screen wall along the back.

Development

East Watertown CVS Project on Next Planning Board Agenda

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The CVS/Pharmacy proposed to go at the corner of Mt. Auburn and Arlington streets is on the agenda for the Oct. 8 Planning Board meeting. Developers, Coolidge Square II LLC,  held a community meeting in August where many residents worried about the amount of traffic coming in and out of the new store. Others did not like the reconfiguration of the parking lot that would serve not only the CVS but also other businesses on the block such as the Mt.

Development

Details of New Arsenal St. Development Revealed by Developer

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A new project proposed for the corner of Arsenal and Irving streets will serve as a guinea pig for the town’s new zoning rules and regulations. Developers Greystar Real Estate, which is working with local partners Oaktree FX, met with the general public for the first time on Monday at the Police Station and presented their current vision for the 5.79 acre project that will include 278 apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail space. Brandon Henry, who runs development for Greystar in the Northeast, thanked the town for inviting Greystar to be the “demonstration project” for the new zoning rules. “We want your feedback and ideas so we can incorporate it into the development. I have seen a lot of developments and in my opinion this site is the best one in Watertown,” Henry said.

Development

LETTER: Former ZBA Member Opposes Greystone Project

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Enough is enough! I oppose:

As a resident of Irving Street for over 58 years and property owner, I am convinced that this plan will exacerbate the Irving Street/Arsenal Street corridor. Irving Street provides important access for emergency vehicles so they can quickly get to emergency situations, as it did during the “Marathon Bombers” terrorist attacks in Watertown. In the first place, the location surrounding the proposed housing of 300 units, a market, a restaurant and retail shops is already an overly dense area, and not suitable for the Greystar development project. I am convinced that the project will definitely have an adverse affect on the neighborhood.

Development

Town Hiring Consultant to Create New Design Standards, Guidelines

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The Town Council agreed to hire local architect to put together a new set of design standards and guidelines in an effort to protect residential neighborhoods from new developments. 

The town will work with David Gamble of Gamble Associates to will put together the new set of rules, Director of Community Development and Planning Steve Magoon said. The work will be done in three phases, Magoon said. During the first phase Gamble will gather information and documents about design standards and guidelines on the local, regional and national levels. He will also meet with stakeholders and reach out to others to find out issues face Watertown. In the second phase, a draft of the design standards and guidelines will be created, and Gamble will look at what changes would result and what problems might arise.