Government

City Council & Planning Board Weigh In on Watertown Square Area Plan

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Traffic flows and affordable housing remained front and center issues for city officials who gathered on June 27th to discuss — for the second time this year — the comprehensive redevelopment plan for Watertown Square. The discussion among the City Councilors and Planning Board members circled around what the sticking points of the Watertown Square Area Plan were and how, exactly, they should move forward. “Watertown Square is a failed concept. It’s been failing for 30 years. We need housing.

Government

State Rep. Lawn Honored by Health Care for All Massachusetts

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State Rep. John Lawn received an award from Health Care For All Massachusetts. Pictured, from left, Chairwoman Cindy Friedman (D-Fourth Middlesex, Senate Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing), Chairman John J. Lawn, Jr. (D-Watertown, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing), and Amy Rosenthal (Executive Director of Health Care For All Massachusetts)

The following announcement was provided by State Rep. John Lawn’s office:

State Representative John J. Lawn, Jr. (D-Watertown) received the Health Care for All (HCFA) Rob Restuccia Leadership Award at the HCFA’s annual For the People reception. The award, presented annually, highlight’s individuals and organizations whose leadership and dedication to and for their communities embody the spirit of Rob Restuccia, the former executive director of HCFA. The event serves as their biggest event of the year, gathering hundreds of key stakeholders including health care leaders, policy makers, and key advocates together in support of the HCFA mission: to advocate for health justice in Massachusetts to promote health equity and ensure coverage and access for all. “Chairman Lawn has consistently championed Health Care For All in the Legislature,” said Amy Rosenthal, Executive Director of non-profit organization Health Care For All Massachusetts.

Around Town

Latest Draft of Watertown Square Area Plan Has Some Changes, More Detail

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Public Weighed-in on Proposal at Thursday’s Meeting, No Vote Taken

City Manager George Proakis presents the Watertown Square Area Plan draft to the Planning Board and City Council on Thursday night at Watertown Middle School. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

City officials presented the latest draft of the Watertown Square Area Plan to the public on Thursday night, but the City Council and Planning Board did not take a vote on the proposal. They will reconvene in two weeks to continue discussing the report. At the meeting held at Watertown Middle School, City Manager George Proakis said even when the draft is approved, it will not be the end of the process. Rather, he paraphrased a Winston Churchill quote from World War II,

“I actually think we are at the end of the beginning of this process by handing you over a plan,” Proakis said.

Business

Housing Secretary Tells Chamber Crowd That MBTA Communities Act is Key to a Strong Economy

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Ed Augustus, Massachusetts Secretary of Housing & Livable Communities, spoke at the Charles River Regional Chamber’s Spring Business Breakfast. (Courtesy of Charles River Chamber)

NEEDHAM — Building more housing is key to maintaining the local economy and preventing people from leaving the state, the Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities told the audience at last week’s Charles River Regional Chamber’s Spring Business Breakfast. Secretary Ed Augustus urged people at the event held at the Needham Sheraton to support the MBTA Communities Law in their communities, as well as pushing the Legislature to support the Governor’s Affordable Homes Act. He cited the example of a 24-year-old woman who moved home with her parents to save money while getting her graduate degree, and still has not been able to move out — despite having a degree and a good job — because she can’t find a place that she can afford. “Now this woman’s story might be simply unfortunate, if it was unique, but it’s not.

Government

Watertown Square Meeting Thursday Night, Kids Activities Available

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The City of Watertown provided the following information:

The Watertown Square Area Plan will be discussed at the upcoming Joint City Council and Planning Board Hearing on June 13 at 6 PM in the Watertown Middle School Auditorium. The Hearing will include a presentation from the Project Team, followed by an opportunity for public comment. You can access the full agenda for the Joint Hearing here. 

You can access the plan document on the project’s website or in the above agenda packet to learn about the Draft Plan. This Hearing is a hybrid meeting and you can give public comment either in-person or virtually. To join virtually, you can access the Hearing on June 13 by using this Zoom link, which can also be found on the project’s website and in the agenda above. The City of Watertown’s Recreation Department will also be hosting a “kids-space” during the Hearing for kids ages 5-12 in the Middle School Cafeteria to accommodate those attending! 

Printed copies of the Plan Document can be found at the Watertown Library and Senior Center. You can learn more about the project at the Watertown Square Area Plan website, where you can also reach out with any questions about the Joint Hearing.

Government

City Manager’s Zoning Presentation TONIGHT! See How to Tune-in and Participate

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Ahead of the June 13 Watertown Square Area Plan meeting, City Manager George Proakis will be speaking about what zoning can and cannot do in Massachusetts during a live broadcast with a Q&A time on Monday at 6 p.m.

The City provided the following information about the event:

Watch City Manager George Proakis present about zoning live at 6 p.m. on June 3, 2024, on Watertown Cable Access! City Manager Proakis will present about how zoning works, how it can benefit and shape the community, its limitations, and much more! Following the presentation, he will sit down to answer questions with the WCATV team before answering questions submitted directly by the Watertown residents! You can watch the presentation live online. You can submit any questions you have about zoning.

Government

Watertown Square Plan Documents Released Along with Agenda for Public Meeting

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The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

The Joint Hearing of the City Council and Planning Board to be held on June 13, 2024 at 6:00 PM at Watertown Middle School Auditorium, 68 Waverley Avenue. The Watertown Square Area Plan Document has been posted and you can access the document here (PDF). You can also access an appendix document of the updated MBTA Communities Zoning Summary (PDF). The Plan Document will be discussed at the City Council and Planning Board Joint Hearing on June 13, 2024, at 6:00 PM in the Watertown Middle School Auditorium at 68 Waverley Avenue in Watertown. Printed copies of the Plan Document will be made available at the Watertown Free Public Library and at the Watertown Senior Center starting next week.

Government

Edible Watertown Program Receives National Endowment for the Arts Grant

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The artwork from Edible Plants 2022, Clockwise from top left: Daylily by Patti Murphy, Bee Balm by Niloufar Keyhani, Elderberry by Marija Draskic
Brancazio, Wintergreen by Kate Martens, Mayapple by Carol Leonesio, Mountain Mint by Cat Bennett, Huckleberry
by Donna Calleja, Red Bud by Debajyoti Biswas, Bearberry by Connie Henry, and Garlic Chives by Jaclyn Kain. The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Public Arts & Culture Committee is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $20,000. This grant will support the Edible Watertown: Expert Pairings project. In total, the NEA will award 1,135 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling more than $37 million as part of its second round of fiscal year 2024 grants. “Projects like Edible Watertown exemplify the creativity and care with which communities are telling their stories, creating connection, and responding to challenges and opportunities in their communities—all through the arts,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD.