Elections

LETTER: Watertown Republicans Urge People to Vote in the State Primary, Share Endorsements

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Open Letter from the Watertown to Republican Town Committee Chairman:

On behalf of the Watertown Republican Town Committee (WRTC), I want to remind all voters to get out on and vote on Tuesday September 4th in the upcoming State Primary. Primary Day is both the first day of school and the day after Labor Day, therefore many might not be aware or even thinking in terms of voting yet. Nevertheless it is important that Watertown makes her voice heard. So no matter what your political leanings are, or what Primary you are inclined to vote in, please don’t forget to take a few minutes to study the candidates and vote on September 4th. To my fellow Republicans and those unenrolled voters who will be pulling a Republican Ballot, I would like to take a moment to remind you that the WRTC has endorsed the following candidates.

Elections

LETTER: Resident Defends Marilyn Pettito Devaney, Supports Her Reelection to Governor’s Council

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Editor:

I just received a flyer in the mail today from candidate Nick Carter. I would like to respond to the false accusations he writes about Councillor Marilyn Petitto Devaney. He doesn’t tell you the facts as to why the Council/ Councillor Devaney voted no. Look at the facts and research her voting record. I did my research and this is what I found:

FALSE — Just as one example. He states Councillor Devaney voted NO on a qualified nominee – Jennifer Roberts.

Business

LETTER: Watertown Needs Committee to Oversee Biotech Labs in Town

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Dear Friends & Neighbors,

I delivered the following comments to our Town Council on August 14, 2018.:

I am here to talk about Biotech in Watertown. Last week, August 8th, I attended a Planning Board hearing regarding Arsenal Yards. At the hearing, the developer requested approval for façade modifications, changes to the ‘river green’ layout, and a change of use to Building A’s second floor from a commercial office/retail use to a combination of office and R&D use
(https://www.ci.watertown.ma.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4027). Since I could find no staff report, I checked a promo piece for Arsenal Yards, and found that, without receiving approval from the Planning Board, they are already promoting 100,000 square feet of creative office and “lab space” (www.arsenalyards.com/office/). During the meeting, the Planning Board was focused on proposed changes to the windows, entrances, the roof, and the ventilation system.

Around Town

LETTER: Resident Opposes Alcohol Sales at the Faire on the Square

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I am writing to express my concern about the recent proposal regarding sale of beer and wine at Watertown’s Faire on the Square. I don’t know if a decision on this proposal has already been approved by the Licensing Board. But whether or not that has happened, I am strongly opposed to this. Faire on the Square has always been a very special time for families. Children of all ages gather to have loads of fun, and young and old alike enjoy strolling past the many tables and booths, playing games, and learning about the richness of all that Watertown has to offer.

Government

OP-ED: State Senator’s Long Effort to Pass Non-Compete Agreement Reform Comes to Fruition

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The following piece was provided by State. Sen. Will Brownsberger, D — Belmont, who represents Watertown:

Ten years ago, a friend in Belmont told me how her career had been derailed by an unfair contract.  She asked for a legislative remedy — not for herself, but to protect others. I agreed to work with her. The project became a central focus for me across five sessions of the legislature. Finally, last week, the Governor signed legislation limiting the use of “non-competition agreements.” The legislation is not the complete remedy she sought 10 years ago, but it is a big step forward.

Elections

LETTER: Resident Supporting Diehl in Massachusetts Senate Race

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To the Editor,

Last March the Watertown Republican Town Committee endorsed Geoff Diehl for United States Senate. So I was thrilled to read that our Republican State Committeeman Steve Aylward, is personally endorsing Geoff Diehl. Steve is a longtime respected Watertown resident, who has served community for decades in many capacities. His opinion on these matters should weigh heavy on us as we select our nominee to run against Elizabeth Warren. Geoff has done more for Massachusetts than Senator Warren has done in her time in the Senate.

Arsenal Yards

LETTER: Arsenal Yards Developer’s Amendment for More Height Not Opportunistic

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Editor:

I am writing in response to Mr. Bockian’s open letter regarding the proposed zoning amendment at Arsenal Yards. I agree with Mr. Bockian that maintaining the integrity of Watertown’s Planning Board is extremely important. However, I don’t believe that BP’s [Boylston Properties] proposed zoning amendment constitutes a threat to local governance, and nor do I believe that the proposed increase in height constitutes a threat to the Watertown community. 

Mr. Bockian writes that the zoning debate has been “reopened quickly and opportunistically.” In fact, the RMUD zoning has been in place for over two years, and when it was initially approved BP stated publicly that they had accepted the zoning as a compromise and planned to reconsider it further along the line. Legislators across our nation use this tactic to make timely progress on issues while looking ahead to future achievements. For instance, Massachusetts legalized “civil union” partnerships as a compromise before finally legalizing gay marriage a few years later.

Development

LETTER: Resident Writes in Favor of Taller Building at Arsenal Yards

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Editor:
We read Jon Bockian’s letter in the Watertown News and want to take exception to several of his comments as he doesn’t speak for ALL Watertown residents. First and foremost, the proposed changes Boylston Properties is making to the Building G plan are very beneficial to the overall development, increasing open space and providing better access to the Park.  
Mr. Bockian further states that one option Boylston has is to reduce the footprint and keep the height at 130 feet. He knows that this is impossible as Boylston was very clear that reducing the footprint in exchange for height needs to be done for economic reasons, they need to build 188,000 SF. Mr. Bockian also avoids speaking in terms of affordable housing, which would be severely impacted by the overall reduction in SF and thus unit count. Losing affordable units should not be an option.