Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/page/17/)
Snow banks left from plowing and shoveling after the blizzard of Feb. 22 and 23. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)
The City of Watertown will give residents a break from the sidewalk snow shoveling rules after the blizzard of Jan. 22 and 23 dumped around 15 inches of snow on top of snow remaining from the storm in January. But the overnight parking ban — scheduled to end on Feb. 28 — will be in place until further notice. This winter’s storms have already sapped Watertown’s snow and ice fund for the winter, so the Council approved additional dollars to be spent on snow removal.
Charlie Breitrose
Watertown Firefighters battled a blaze on Flint Road on Tuesday, and efforts were slowed because some hydrants in the area were not shoveled out after Monday’s storm.
A rendering of the latest proposal for Walker Pond, presented at a Community Meeting on Feb. 5, 2026. (Courtesy of City of Watertown)
Landscape architects presented a vision for Walker Pond, Watertown’s newest outdoor space, where visitors would have different experiences in various parts of the park on the westside of town.
Watertown seniors Jimmy Shrestha, left, and Fahad Khan both finished fourth in their divisions at the MIAA Div. 3 State Wrestling Championships. (Courtesy of Watertown Athletics)
Watertown’s Jimmy Shrestha and Fahad Khan will compete with the top wrestlers from across Massachusetts after both placed fourth at the MIAA Div. 3 State Meet in Gloucester on Saturday.
The Watertown Public Schools may ask the City to tap the Special Education Stabilization Fund created several years ago for a rainy day. The 2026-27 School Budget may be stormy, as the district faces a shortfall of $2.5 million as of Monday’s School Committee meeting. Other ways to make up shortfalls may include reinstating athletics and extracurricular fees.
The following announcement was provided by the Charles River Watershed Association:
Join CRWA staff and City of Watertown officials for an in-depth conversation about stormwater — what it is, how stormwater pollution impacts the Charles River, and the major challenges municipalities face in managing it.
By Linda ScottWatertown Resident
Looking at Trends
Looking back on the past few years, I see a trend:
1 – The Watertown Square Planning process was a plan to rezone our city core. The MBTA state Law that mandated zoning for 1701 new housing units was a major part of this process, and yet a plan for 1,701 didn’t even reach our councilors’ desks, not to mention the community. After community input for 1,701 units, the City came back with a plan for 6,320 units and effectively defined Watertown Square as an area that extended west on Main to Lexington Street and up Galen, almost to the Mass Pike. The City ultimately “settled” for a number just over 3,000 (3,133) units. The response from our City government when this bait and switch was pointed out?
Nearly 20 properties are hosting open houses in Watertown this week.
By Linda ScottWatertown Resident
Part One: Preserving Our Neighborhoods
“Preserving neighborhood character involves balancing tradition with growth through strategieslike historic designation, context-sensitive zoning (scale and setbacks), protecting green spaces, community engagement, and rehabilitation of existing buildings, all while fostering a sense of place, often focusing on a neighborhood’s unique look, feel, and activities, rather than just enforcing uniformity, to maintain stability and appeal.”
Watertown City Hall
Watertown residents were not overcharged on the CPA surcharge on their tax bills, City officials said, but bills in fiscal year 2025 looked different from other years, leading to the appearance that they were calculated differently.
Watertown students attending college at Saint Anselm, James Madison, the University of Wisconsin, Northern Essex Community College, Hofstra, Assumption, SNHU, and Lasell made the dean’s list during the fall of 2025, and a student at Emmanuel College presented his research project.
To the Editor:
Dozens of Home Depot Stores in Texas are sharing parking lot surveillance camera license-plate scans — through the Flock network — with the Johnson County, Texas, Sheriff’s office. This is according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation and 404 Media.