Government

Council Rejects 2 Resident Petitions, Ideas Remain Alive in Zoning Discussions

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Watertown City Hall

The City Council did not pass two citizen petitions seeking to change Watertown’s zoning rules, but Councilors said they heard the frustration expressed by the supporters and signers and said they support many of the ideas contained in the petitions. The first petition called for reducing the floor area ratio (FAR) allowed for new buildings in the Watertown Square area, while the second called for more protections for residential neighborhoods located next to areas where large commercial or residential projects could be built.

While the Council rejected the petitions — the first not going to a vote after receiving no second, and the second unanimously voted against — City Council President Mark Sideris said he has heard the signers of the petitions concerns. “I want to take a moment to thank the 600 people who signed the petitions because I think there is some frustration — and we noticed that this evening — with the process. I think we can always do a better job with process, and I think the Manager’s FY24 budget had proposed additional ways that we can communicate with the citizens and we approved that, ” Sideris said. “There is clearly a sense of frustration and I am not sure that any actions that we are going to take are going to satisfy those frustrations until, as somebody pointed out, that we come together and talk about things comprehensively.” 

Petition 1: Watertown Square Building Size

The Council heard from people supporting and opposing the petitions.

Police/Fire

Two Cars Stolen, Several Broken Into One Night in Watertown

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Police seek suspects connected to a string of car break-ins in a Watertown neighborhood that resulted in two vehicles being stolen. Overnight from July 7 to July 8, several residents of Standish Road, Lovell Road, Poplar Street Walcott Road and Merrill Road reported that their vehicles had been broken into, and two said their vehicles were missing. Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor said that a Nissan SUV was taken from Lovell Road, and later turned up on Merrill Road. And, a resident of Merrill Road reported that his Audi Q7 had been taken out of his driveway. The first report of a break-in came on July 8 at 2:37 a.m. Police responded to a Standish Road home, where a homeowner got an alert from her doorbell cam that there had been some movement in front of her home at 1:30 a.m. The video shows a suspect fleeing, and the resident discovered that her car’s center console and glove box had been rummaged through, but nothing was missing.

Around Town

Summer of Upgrades at Multiple Watertown Fields & Parks

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The artificial turf has been removed from Victory Field, and will be replaced over the summer. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

This summer some of Watertown’s fields and recreation facilities have been filled with construction crews and equipment, instead of residents and athletic equipment. The football and baseball fields at Victory Field, the courts at Moxley Field, and the spray pad at Filippello Park all have ongoing construction projects. Recreation Director Peter Centola thanked City Manager George Proakis for placing a priority on completing some delayed park and field projects. “One thing I am very appreciative of Mr. Proakis and leadership and the City Council is for really just understanding that you can’t continue to have projects on the backlog and not do it,” Centola said.

Police/Fire

Police Log: Pair Break Into Apartment & Take $11K Valuables, Skimming Device Found in Bank ATM

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The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department. Arrests

July 1, 12:07 a.m.: An officer spotted a vehicle stopped facing the wrong way on Baptist Walk. The Jeep Grand Cherokee had its engine running and was facing toward Mt. Auburn Street, on the road which is one way the other direction. The driver appeared to be sleeping behind the wheel, and the officer had to knock several times to wake him.

Around Town

2023 Mugar Golf Tournament Registration is OPEN! Benefits Watertown Boys & Girls Club

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The following announcement was provided by the Watertown Boys & Girls Club:

The Stephen P. Mugar Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit Watertown Boys & Girls Club! Since its inaugural playing in 1978, the Watertown Boys & Girls Club annual golf tournament has been the cornerstone of the Club’s fundraising calendar. Hosted at beautiful Oakley Country Club in Watertown, MA this showcase event is recognized as one of the best of its kind in the Greater Boston area. As one of the original founding members of WBGC, Stephen P. Mugar was an avid supporter and keen participant during the tournament’s early years. After his passing in 1982, the event was re-named in recognition of Mr. Mugar’s years of dedication and service to the Watertown Boys & Girls Club.

Around Town

City Receives More Than 30 Applications for ARPA Funds

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The City of Watertown has $10.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that can be spent on a variety of areas as part of Pandemic recovery. The City Council requested proposals for use of the money and received 32 applications from City departments, community organizations, individuals, or a combination of those. The requests total nearly $24 million in funds, and include areas such as affordable housing, food pantries, and social workers. The City has several applications, including multiple for water infrastructure projects. The Watertown Library seeks to build another study/work room.

Schools

LETTER: Candidate Joins the Race for Watertown School Committee

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Jen Nicholson

Jennifer Nicholson for School Committee: 2023 Campaign Announcement

I am delighted to share that I will be running for one of the three School Committee seats up for election in November. I am a K-12 graduate of Watertown Public Schools and a strong proponent of public education. I’ve had the pleasure of working in a few different roles within our district, including last year as a Math Interventionist at Cunniff, where my own two children are rising third and fifth graders. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Human Resources from Boston College and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Regis College, along with nine years of teaching experience. 

My candidacy is an extension of my ongoing civic engagement. Since the 2021 election, I maintained my leadership position with the Cunniff PTO and also joined a number of boards and committees, including Watertown SEPAC, Watertown Cable Access Corporation, Watertown Boys and Girls Club, and the WPS District Improvement 2.0 Team. Additionally, I collaborated with district leadership on a school lunch allergy initiative, which provides a meal option that is free of the top 9 major allergens and available daily at all three elementary schools.  

During my campaign, I look forward to sharing community building initiatives as well as outlining specific and actionable ways that I can help improve our district. As a School Committee member, I will also work to find new approaches to meaningfully engage the entire community and actively promote public dialogue. I plan to advocate that our School Committee members hold regular meetings (open forums) with the public, similar to what the charter requires of our City Councilors.  Personally, I commit to monthly opportunities to be available to listen to all stakeholders in this capacity, while also ensuring the public is well informed. I’m running for Watertown School Committee because I am a lifelong learner who is committed to giving back to our community. I value two-way communication so I will always prioritize community outreach and continuously work to find ways to increase public participation in decision-making. I look forward to many opportunities to engage with community members as well as continuing to collaborate to provide all of our children with the most meaningful and successful educational experiences possible. 

Jen Nicholsonnicholsonforwatertown@gmail.com

Government

Reorganization of City Government Includes Changes to Planning, DPW and Other Departments

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When the City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, they also approved a reorganization of Watertown’s municipal government. Some changes impact who directly reports to the City Manager or the Deputy Manager. Other positions have been moved into new departments, and some departments have been split into divisions. One department with new divisions is Community Development and Planning, which will have Planning and Building Divisions and a third for community events and the Commander’s Mansion. The Planning Division includes a Current Planning Group and a Planning Director to oversee long-range planning.