Government

While the State of the City Looks Good, Manager Also Address Challenges Facing Watertown

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City Manager George Proakis, left, and City Council President Mark Sideris spoke during the first annual State of the City on Wednesday night. Behind them is a photo of a juggler at the Faire on the Square. (Courtesy of the City of Watertown)

The State of the City of Watertown is strong and the future is bright, City Manager George Proakis said during the first annual State of the City on Wednesday night, but there are still many challenges to deal with. The event where the City Manager and the City Council President talk about how the City of Watertown is doing is now required to be held annually, following the changes to Watertown’s City Charter adopted in 2021. At the end of his presentation, Proakis included a photo of a performer at the Faire on the Square.

Around Town

GoFundMe Effort Raising Money for Artist Who Created New Watertown Square Mural

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The artists behind the Watertown Square mural Amir Tabatabaei, left, and Niloufar Keyhani, right, with resident Elodia Thomas. (Courtesy of Elodia Thomas)

The wall on the side of CVS in Watertown Square has gotten a new look thanks to two local artists, but they have had to cover most of the cost of the project. A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help reimburse the husband and wife team from Watertown for their time and expenses. The artists are Amir Tabatabaei and Niloufar Keyhani, who moved to the United States several years ago from Iran. Accomplished artists who worked on public art projects in their homeland, they got the opportunity to create a piece in their new home.

Business

New Italian Restaurant Opens in Center of Watertown

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Bar ‘Cino has opened in Watertown Square. (Photo courtesy of Bar ‘Cino)

The following piece was provided by the Newport Restaurant Group:

Newport Restaurant Group, the Rhode-Island based and 100 percent employee-owned hospitality group that operates a collection of restaurants and properties across New England, today opens Bar ‘Cino in Watertown. Derived from vicino, the Italian word for “neighbor”, the new Bar ‘Cino is nestled in the heart of Watertown Square and is the third location of the Italian-inspired dining concept which first opened in Newport, Rhode Island in 2019 followed by Brookline 2020. “We are thrilled that our latest Bar ‘Cino opening will be in the vibrant and historic city of Watertown,” said Paul O’Reilly, CEO of Newport Restaurant Group. “Over the past several years, we’ve enjoyed bringing our passion for delicious Italian food and drink to our guests in Newport and Brookline and are excited to foster that same spirit right on Watertown’s Main Street.

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.

Government

Watertown’s Budget Includes Study of Improving the Square, Rodent Control & Energy Efficiency

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Watertown City Hall

City Manager George Proakis told the City Council that he believes that a key to getting the best bang for the buck in the City Budget is providing competitive salaries and benefits to employees. He also discussed some new initiatives planned to start in Fiscal Year 2024, including studies on Watertown Square, rodent control, and making the City’s buildings and vehicles more efficient. Revenues

The vast majority of Watertown’s budget comes from local real estate and personal property taxes. The City is forecast to collect $152 million in property taxes, which makes up about 80 percent of the $190 million Fiscal Year 2024 Budget. The City budget includes $15.9 million in State Aid, up $1.5 million from FY23.

Government

Petition to Reduce Size of Buildings Allowed in Watertown Square Sent to Planning Board

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The City Council voted to send the petition requesting that the allowable size of new buildings in Watertown Square be reduced to the Planning Board for consideration. Councilors did not weigh in on the request, and were told they were required by statute to send the petition on. The petition submitted with the signatures of more than 200 residents calls for the floor area ratio (FAR) be reduced from 4.0 to 2.2 in the Central Business District, which includes most of Watertown Square. FAR regulates and restricts the height, number of stories, and size of buildings. Other factors impacting the mass and height of the building include the allowable height, the required setbacks from property lines, and the amount of open space required.

Around Town

Citizens Petition Seeks to Limit Size of Building in Watertown Square

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The Central Business District can be seen in red. It is located in Watertown Square. Tuesday night, the City Council will consider a citizens petition to reduce the size allowed for new buildings going up in the area around Watertown Square. The City Council will meet on Tuesday, April 25 at 7 p.m. in City Hall, and will also have remote participation by Zoom. The agenda also includes a vote on funding for the recommended projects from the Community Preservation Committee.

Around Town

Planning Board Wants Some Changes to Main St. Project, Developers Trying to Work with Post Office

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An illustration of the project at 104-126 Main St. submitted to the City. Designed by Icon Architecture. The Planning Board saw the plans for the major project on Main Street for the first time Wednesday night, and asked designers to tinker with the design after they had questions about the retail space and the pedestrian passage between Main and Pleasant Street, as well as the height of the building. The 104-126 Main Street project proposed by O’Connor Capital Partners is six stories tall and includes 143 apartments in five stories and 6,201 sq.