Around Town

LETTER: A Look at Recommended Amendments to Watertown Square Area Plan

By |

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

As I was perusing my e-mail on Friday, late afternoon, I saw this:

Subject Line: Watertown Square: Continued Joint Hearing on 7/16 at 6 PM & Kids Space! Oh, I thought. That’s the announcement of this Tuesday’s meeting at the Middle School to have more resident input on the “Watertown Square Area Plan.” I didn’t think much of it, until a (really) alert resident actually opened this up to find pages of additions and corrections to the Square Area Plan document! Yes, I opened this message and saw a link entitled: “Recommended Amendments to the Plan”Click here to see the amendements to the plan. As I opened this link up, my first thought was, “This is a whole lot to dump on the Council, Planning Board and the public just a few days away from this very important meeting!”

I also thought, “What a confusing presentation!

Around Town

Artists and Scientists Wanted to be Part of Edible Watertown Project

By |

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 City of Watertown provided the following announcement:

The Public Arts & Culture Committee is pleased to launch its next public art initiative, part of the Edible Watertown project, titled Expert Pairings. Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Full details linked below:

Call for Artists and Scientists: Expert Pairings – Application open until September 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.! Expert Pairings invites artists and scientists to explore the ecology of Watertown and collaborate on temporary public artwork. Artists and scientists can submit qualifications individually or as a pair.

Around Town

Chat with Tyler, Watertown’s Community Engagement Specialist

By |

The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

Join Tyler for the next installment of Watertown Chats! He will be near the spray pad at Filippello Park between Grove Street and Arlington Street on July 17, 2024 at 3:30-5 p.m. All are welcome to join and ask questions, raise concerns, and discuss all things Watertown – no appointments needed. Tyler hopes to see you there! Learn more and stay up to date on future Chats.

Around Town

LETTER: Watertown Square Plan Decision Should be Made by More than Just Council & Planning Board

By |

Dear Editor,

It appears Watertown has had Comprehensive Planning Study after Comprehensive PlanningStudies. I served this fair city in a few elected positions for a number of years and am dumbfounded by what I see today. I have considered or prided myself in being a positive person or at least I strived to be. I know many people associate me with flipping burgers; however, before I was a Burger King Franchisee, I spent twenty-five years with the United States Public Health Service (PHS), principally working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). My first assignment out of College was in Los Angeles, then Albuquerque, New Mexico then Boston.

Around Town

OP-ED: Fixing Deteriorating T Service Should Play Role in Watertown Square Redesign

By |

Cars driving through Watertown Square. (Photo by Mark Pickering)

By Mark Pickering

The former Watertown Square rotary was one of my big obstacles while I learned to drive a small delivery truck. Once through that wild intersection, I had to make my way past the trolley tracks still-embedded in Galen Street during the late ’70s. That’s why I enjoyed Councilor John Gannon’s remarks at the July special meeting on the Watertown Square Area Plan. I, too, remember learning how to drive through that rotary.

Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Holding Annual Public Hearing, Application Deadline Announced

By |

The City of Watertown announced the annual Community Preservation Act public hearing, and the deadline to apply for Community Preservation Act funds, which can be used on projects involving historic preservation, open space, and affordable housing. Community Preservation Act Annual Public Hearing

CPA Annual Public Hearing will continue in City Hall, in the City Council Chamber on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 7 p.m.

Don’t miss the CPA Annual Public Hearing hosted by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). You may also join the hearing and meeting remotely via Zoom: https://watertown-ma.zoom.us/j/91525442843. This event is a great opportunity to: 

Tell us your open space, outdoor recreation, community housing, and historic preservation priorities;

Hear more about CPA projects;

Learn how and when to apply for CPA funding; and

Get answers to your questions about CPA in Watertown. You may send questions or comments, in advance, to Lanae Handy, Community Preservation Coordinator, at lhandy@watertown-ma.gov .

Around Town

MBTA’s Red Line to be Replaced by Shuttles During Extended Repair Project

By |

The following announcement was provided by the MBTA:

The MBTA is reminding riders of the upcoming multi-day Red Line service suspension and providing an update on weekend service outages on July 13 – 14 and July 27 – 28.  

Red Line service will be replaced with shuttle bus service between Alewife and Kendall/MIT beginning at approximately 8:15 PM through the end of service on Friday, July 12. Free and accessible shuttle buses will make stops at all stations. Planned Red Line service change during the weekends of July 13 – 14 and July 27 – 28 have been extended with service suspended from Alewife to JFK/UMass. This decision comes after a thorough review of the work required and logistical challenges following recent overnight work to prepare for the work taking place during the service outage. With the goal of significantly improving service reliability and reducing travel times for thousands of daily riders, the extended outage during these weekends allows for the installation of over three and a half miles (19,200 feet) of new rail that will allow the MBTA to lift seven speed restrictions along this heavily traveled corridor. 

“Our priority is to provide safe, reliable service while addressing long-standing infrastructure needs. The scope of this project is unprecedented, involving the replacement of over three and a half miles of running rail,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng.