Zoning Board OKs Landscaping Business on Mt. Auburn St.

A drawing of the plans for the property at 735 Mt. Auburn St., which is becoming a landscaping company office with space for three pickup trucks. The eight spots on the bottom left of the drawing will be four extra long spaces. A landscaping business got approval from the Zoning Board Wednesday night to alter a former auto repair garage on Mt. Auburn Street and use the property as an office with a small garage on the property.

Town Looking for Ways to Allow More Outdoor Seating at Restaurants During COVID-19

Watertown Town Hall

Restaurants could soon be reopening for in-house dining, but they will have limited capacity due to the state’s COVID-19 protocols. Watertown officials have started looking for ways to allow for restaurants to have outside seating, and how they can streamline the application process. Under the four phase plan outlined by Gov. Charlie Baker last week, restaurants would be allowed to reopen in phase 2, but would have to allow for social distancing inside the restaurant which would reduce capacity. This phase would start, at the earliest, three weeks after the start of the reopening plan, which began on May 18. Allowing outdoor seating at restaurants that do not have it currently, or expanding it at those that do, requires approval for both zoning and licensing changes.

Several Watertown Homes Were Sold This Week

Two condominiums in Watertown were sold this week. $610,000 – 23 Clyde Road Unit 23, Condo – 2/3 Family, 1,357 Living Area Sq. Ft., 7 Room, 3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bathroom

$740,000 – 36 Knowles Road Unit 36, Condo – Townhouse, 2,369 Living Area Sq. Ft. (Includes Finished Basement), 6 Room, 3 Bedroom, 2 Full & 1 Half Bathroom

$585,000 – 26 Royal St.

A Trio of Open Houses to Visit in Watertown This Week

Two single family homes and a condo will host open houses this weekend. $1,060,000 – 52 Green St., Single Family – Detached Colonial, 2,066 Living Area Sq. Ft., 11 Room, 4 Bedroom, 3 Full & 1 Half Bathroom, Open Houses: Saturday 2-4 Sunday 2-4

$799,000 – 50-52 Beechwood Ave. Unit 2, Condo – Detached, 1,752 Living Area Sq. Ft., 8 Room, 3 Bedroom, 2 Full Bathroom, Open House: Saturday 1:30-2

$875,000 – 316 Common St., Single Family – Detached Colonial, 2,000 Living Area Sq.

Watertown Will Begin Issuing Building Permits This Week

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Building Inspector:

Governor Baker has allowed construction to re-open in Phase I of the four-phase Re-opening Plan, provided that all safety guidelines are followed and each contractor signs an agreement to follow these guidelines. Watertown Town Hall continues to be closed however, building permits will begin to be issued during the week of May 19, 2020. If the work is small in nature, an email will be sent out with directions on how the permit can be printed. If the permit has multiple pages of architectural drawings, the town is developing a pickup procedure to begin during the week of May 19, 2020. Please keep in mind, you will be notified when your permit is issued and is ready to be picked up.

Gov. Baker Outlines When Different Industries Will Reopen; Changes to Stay-at-Home Order

Construction, manufacturing, and places of worship will be allowed to open this week, Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday, and more industries will follow in the next couple weeks, including offices and hair salons. Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito gave details of Massachusetts’ COVID-19 reopening plan Monday. More industries and activities will open in the next three phase. The phases will be at least three weeks apart, depending on the COVID-19 statistics and how well people are following the social distancing guidelines. The decision on when future phases of the reopening will be based on “six key public health metrics,” Baker said.

See the Sectors Included in Phase 1 of the Mass. COVID-19 Reopening

The areas opening in the first phase of the governor’s COVID-19 reopening plan are construction, manufacturing and houses of worship. East End Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis shared the information about Monday’s announcement which she received from the Mass. Municipal Association. Along with the sectors reopening, Gov. Charlie Baker will also unveil specific safety protocols which these workplaces and places of worship must follow. These go along with the safety standards for workplaces that were announced last week, which include social distancing, hygiene protocols, staffing and operations, and cleaning and disinfecting.