Around Town

Councilors Talk About Lowering Capital Budget to Help Fund Schools

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With a large budget request by the Watertown Public Schools, some Town Councilors asked if some of the increase for the schools could be found by cutting capital spending. Councilor Tony Palomba brought up the subject during Tuesday’s Council meeting when the Fiscal 2015 capital budget came up. He suggested cutting down the amount of money borrowed by the town for building projects and capital purchases – such as vehicles. “I have been told there is no relationship between the operational and capital budgets. That may be true, but I know when I borrow money I have to pay it back to the bank, and with interest,” Palomba said.

Business

Plans for New Hotel in Watertown Coming into Focus

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Details about the proposal to build a hotel on the former Charles River Saab site are emerging and residents will have the chance to sound off on the project. The new owners of the Arsenal Mall (now known as the Arsenal Project), Boyslton Properties, also purchased the former car dealership, across Arsenal Street from the mall. The new hotel will be a Marriott, according to a report in the Watertown Tab, and will be designed by the same architecture firm behind the Marriott in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston. (Read more details by clicking here). A proposal to change the zoning for the areas including the property where the hotel is planned, would allow a building as high as 79 feet tall or six stories.

Development

Town Council Looking to Change Rules for New Developments in Watertown

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The Town Council seeks to change the rules for new developments proposed to be built in Watertown. 

On Tuesday, the Council voted to recommend changes to the town’s Zoning Ordinance, and requested that Director of Economic Development and Planning Steve Magoon start the process to change the rules. Under the recommendation from the Rules and Ordinances subcommittee, a public meeting would have to be held for any residential project with four or more units and any non-residential project of more than 10,000 sq. ft. before it could be submitted to the Planning Board. The proposal would require meetings to be advertised at least two weeks before the meeting, and the district councilor for the area where the project is proposed must be notified.

Around Town

A Dog Park May be Coming to a Watertown Park Near You

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By Charlie Breitrose

Dogs may soon have a place to run and play in Watertown. The Town Council voted Tuesday to ask town staff to explore the cost and timeline for building a dog run area in How Park on Pleasant Street, and investigate putting another one at Arsenal Park or Filippello Park. In addition, residents will be able to use a dog park being built as part of the new apartment complex being built on Waltham Street. The run at How Park would be 200 feet by 100 feet, and would be along the sloped area near Pleasant Street, said Watertown Director of Economic Development and Planning Steve Magoon. “It is sloped and has some trees, so it is not good for a ball field, but it is a good place for dogs to run around,” Magoon said.

Around Town

Town Council Turns Down Request from Watertown Small Business Group

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A group representing local, independent groups spoke to the Town Council on Tuesday and asked them to consider adopting measures to support local businesses, but their request was denied. Members of Watertown-Belmont Local First include locally-owned businesses and while the group is modeled on other similar groups, spokeswoman Rena Baskin said the group is independent. Members must be located in town, owned locally (headquartered in Massachusetts), must not be publicly traded and must be independent – not franchised, Baskin said. Supporting locally-owned businesses can have benefits, Baskin said. “They are the largest employer and provide the most employment to town residents,” Baskin said.