Around Town

OP-ED: The Watertown Square Area Zoning Proposal is Out — What’s Next?

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A diagram of the proposed by-right housing zoning in Watertown Square to meet the MBTA Communities Law requirement. The by-right areas are outlined in a dark dashed line. (Courtesy of City of Watertown)

I’m filling out my “Very important Paper.” This is what I’m Considering. [EDITOR’s NOTE: The plans and ideas for Watertown Square presented at the April 6 meeting and discussed in this piece are conceptual, have not yet been approved, and if they are do not necessarily mean that they will become a reality]. By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

First, I’d like to thank City Manager George Proakis and his team for all of their efforts for the April 4th meeting.

Around Town

Watertown Square Housing & Intersections Proposals Revealed

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A large crowd listened to the presentation at the Watertown Square Area Plan Meeting on April 4 at 66 Galen St. (Photo by Rachel Kay)

The proposed design of Watertown Square will look similar to the current intersection, with one leg removed and larger open space. Designers also revealed a new plan to meet the MBTA Communities Law on Thursday, showing a plan with areas for by-right housing around Watertown Square, and south of the Charles River. The design team and City officials have gathered input from the public at previous meetings, City Manager George Proakis said, and there were strong agreement on some areas, such as that the Watertown Square intersection needed improvement and the downtown area has some nice historic architecture, but much of the area lacks character and is not friendly to shoppers and pedestrians. Other matters were more mixed.

Around Town

LETTER: Local Group Encourages Pro-Housing Residents to Attend Upcoming Public Forum

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(From Housing for All Watertown)

So many Watertown residents are frustrated by the housing shortage, squeezed by rising rents, and worried about the consequences of failing to meet our urgent housing needs. This week, you have a chance to meaningfully address the housing crisis in our city. Housing for All Watertown invites pro-housing residents to join us at the Watertown Square Area Plan public forum this Thursday, April 4th, 6:30 p.m. at 66 Galen St., to advocate for a plan that makes more new housing possible for everyone. Housing for All Watertown is an independent, grassroots group of residents seeking solutions to current housing challenges in order to improve the quality of life for current and future residents. We support all types of new housing to meet the many different needs of our diverse community, from new market-rate projects to public housing expansion.

Government

City Manager: Next Watertown Square Meeting a Key One, Discusses How MBTA Communities Zoning Works

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The Watertown Square Area Plan meeting on April 4 will not be the last meeting in the process, City Manager George Proakis told the City Council Tuesday, but it will be an important point in the redesign of the intersection and the City’s effort to meet the MBTA Law requirements. Proakis also explained what the zoning changes would and would not do. The next meeting in the Watertown Square Area Plan process will be held at 66 Galen Street on Thursday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. Proakis said this will be the sixth meeting held by the City in the process and it will be a key one. “This particular meeting is important for us. We will be presenting one idea for where to move forward on streetscape, one on where to move forward on zoning,” Proakis said.

Around Town

OP-ED: Democracy Dismantled, One Poll and Survey at a Time

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A continuation of “When Bad Ideas Happen to Good Neighbors”

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

A news article just came out on March 17, 2024 in a real estate publication, Banker and Tradesman. Watertown is famous! Here’s why:

“In Watertown Square, consultants recommend zoning areas around the square for building heights ranging from three to five stories, with the tallest heights near the five corners intersection. The proposal could generate over 6,320 housing units at full buildout, compared with the 1,701 required by the state’s formula for Watertown.”

And here’s HAW’s official response in that article:

“You don’t hire those consultants if you just want to do paper compliance,” said Sam Ghilardi, a steering committee member of the Housing For All Watertown resident group that supports additional multifamily development. “We are thrilled with what has been proposed so far.”

Government

Save the Date: Next Watertown Square Area Plan Public Forum

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Attendees at the Feb. 29 Watertown Square Area Plan meeting hear from consultants working on the project. (Photo from City of Watertown)

The following information was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Square Area Plan project team invites you to attend our next Public Forum on Thursday, April 4, 2024, beginning 6:30 p.m. at 66 Galen St., Watertown, MA 02472 (note different location than previous public meetings). If you plan on attending the public forum in person, please RSVP so we can properly prepare the venue. 

During this public forum, the project team will present feedback from the previous public meeting (which you can rewatch here: http://vodwcatv.org/CablecastPublicSite/show/3049?site=3), and introduce a proposed design scheme to move to next steps. 

More details on what to expect at this forum will be shared in the coming weeks. If you are unable to attend in person, a broadcast link will be shared in the coming weeks to view the discussion online. 

We encourage all interested members of the public to join and provide feedback!  

RSVP Here: https://forms.office.com/g/nEkynPFmyv

Around Town

Options for Watertown Square Redesign Refined and Presented to the Public

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Residents gave input about the ideas for redesigning Watertown Square during a meeting on Thursday night. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Designers gave some glimpses of what Watertown’s center could look like if the City adopts a plan to redesign and redevelop the area during Thursday night’s Watertown Square Area Plan meeting. Two main options for reworking the roadways in the Square were explored, both of which would add more open space to the area, and showed retail kiosks on the Delta. The scenarios also looked at how Watertown could meet the requirements to allow more housing to meet the MBTA Communities Act. Buildings with as much as six stories of residential units were shown in the illustrations.

Around Town

Date for Next Meeting on Watertown Square Area Design Announced

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The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:

The Watertown Square Area Plan project team invites you to attend our next Public Meeting on Thursday, February 29, 2024, beginning 6:30 PM at 64 Pleasant St, Watertown, MA 02472. 

Following the October kickoff meeting and the November Charrette series, the project team has been busy reviewing the ideas discussed and developing proposed roadway configurations, urban design concepts, and zoning options for the Square. This public meeting will summarize feedback from previous events and continue the conversation with residents, businesses, and other members of the community. The project team will discuss updated scenarios and dive into recommendations based on this evolving conversation. Following this public meeting, the project team will incorporate feedback and present the recommendations and plan in Spring 2024. More details on the meeting agenda and virtual participation opportunities will be released closer to the meeting date.