Around Town

Watertown Conducting Survey as Part of Creating Parking Management Plan

By |

Town officials want to know what people living, working and visiting Watertown think about parking in two major commercial areas in town. The Town is creating a Parking Management Plan for Watertown’s two major business districts, Watertown Square and Coolidge Square. To collect information, town officials have created an online survey. The Plan will take a fresh look at the existing parking supply, demand for parking, and look for creative ways to satisfy parking needs, according to the Town’s website. Some of the areas that the Parking Management Plan will cover are:

Improved meter technologyConsistent and easy to understand regulationsOptions for enforcementChanges that could better manage parking and meet ongoing demandOpportunities for shared parkingOther ways to support healthy and successful commercial centers

To take the Watertown Parking Survey go to: www.watertownparkingsurvey.com

Town officials will also be holding two open houses about parking.

Coolidge Square

LETTER: Councilor Concerned About Impact of Mt. Auburn St. Project on Coolidge Square

By |

(The following is an open letter sent by Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis to the team designing the Mt. Auburn Street Renovation)

Dear Mt. Auburn St. Team, et al,

Many thanks for your response that has been 3.5 months in the making. I echo the sentiments of local residents, who at my suggestion, have written to the Team, only to receive a response focused solely on the scripted design plan. 

Please do not insult me in a condescending manner by stating: “we would encourage you to view this video about implementing Road Diets in New Jersey.”

Government

Changes to Coolidge Square Get Recommendation of Council Subcommittee

By |

A Town Council subcommittee recommended some significant changes to Mt. Auburn Street, including a redesign of one of the main intersections in Coolidge Square. 

Tuesday night, the Public Works Committee discussed the proposed changes to Mt. Auburn Street, east of School Street. The most significant change is the realignment of the intersection of Bigelow Avenue with Mt. Auburn Street, which also turns Kimball Road into a one-way street away from Mt.

Government

Public Sees Visions for Renovation Coolidge Square, Weighs In on Project

By |

Town officials invited the public to come give its ideas for how to redesign and improve Mt. Auburn Street in the area of Coolidge Avenue, while making the area more efficient for motor vehicles, buses, bicycles and pedestrians. Currently, the street has two lanes of traffic in each direction and parking on both sides of the street, but no dedicated bike lanes. Some ideas for changing the street include cutting the number of lanes of traffic to one each way with left turn lanes at intersections, adding bike lanes and making sidewalks wider in some places to allow easier crossings for pedestrians. Planning for all modes of transportation is known as Complete Streets.

Coolidge Square

UPDATED: See the Concept for Redesigning Mt. Auburn St. in Coolidge Square, Give Input Tuesday

By |

{Updated Jan. 29, 2018 at 10:45 a.m. The plans previously posted are out of date, and maps will be available to review at the meeting on Jan. 30.} 

The Department of Public Works will host an open house on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 to discuss the plans to change the layout of Mt. Auburn Street in Coolidge Square. 

The project is part of the greater effort to redesign Mt.

Coolidge Square

Discuss Plans to Redesign Mt. Auburn Street in East Watertown at DPW Open House

By |

Find out about plans to redesign Mt. Auburn Street through the business district of East Watertown and share your thoughts at a meeting hosted by the Watertown Department of Public Works on Jan. 30, 2018. The Watertown DPW sent out the following announcement:

COOLIDGE SQUARE OPEN HOUSE  for a Mount Auburn Street Project Update
Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2018  
Snow Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2018*
Time: 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: The Apartments at Coolidge School – Auditorium 319 Arlington Street, Watertown
Visitor parking is available in the front of the building and additional spaces are behind the building along the fence. All other spots are for residents only.

Around Town

Take a Culinary, Historical and Shopping Tour of East Watertown

By |

Explore the rich history, culture and cuisine of Watertown’s Coolidge Square in a special tour presented by Live Well Watertown and the Watertown Recreation Department.  

The tour of the East End/Coolidge Square Shopping Area will be on Thursday, Aug. 18, from 6-7:30 p.m.

Leading the tours will be an expert on Watertown history and someone who has taught classes in healthy cooking. Audrey Jones Childs is Vice President of the Historical Society of Watertown, a third generation East End resident, and a History of Watertown Lecturer. Ilana Hardesty has taught healthy cooking programs in Greater Boston for many years and is now enrolled as a student in the Gastronomy program at Boston University.

Business

Artemis Yoga Studio Brings New Life to Building in East Watertown

By |

The storefront on Mt. Auburn Street in Coolidge Square next to Dunkin Donuts sat quietly for a few years, but now it has been refreshed and has a new life as a yoga studio. 

Owner Liz Padula opened Artemis Yoga in mid-December after completely renovating the former oriental rug shop. The studio offers two spaces for yoga, one on the ground floor and one in the basement. Artemis offers a variety of classes for people with a range of experience. “I hear that all the time – I am not flexible, I have no experience,” Padula said.