Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/tag/watertown-square/page/4/)
Watertown Square. (Photo by City of Watertown)
By Mark Pickering
Watertown stands at a crossroads – on two separate issues. What we do now will guide the city’s way into the future. One question is whether to continue to be a city that emphasizes the use of cars and ignores public transit. The other question is whether to allow the construction of taller buildings in the Square.
The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:
The Joint Hearing of the City Council and Planning Board to be held on June 13, 2024 at 6:00 PM at Watertown Middle School Auditorium, 68 Waverley Avenue. The Watertown Square Area Plan Document has been posted and you can access the document here (PDF). You can also access an appendix document of the updated MBTA Communities Zoning Summary (PDF). The Plan Document will be discussed at the City Council and Planning Board Joint Hearing on June 13, 2024, at 6:00 PM in the Watertown Middle School Auditorium at 68 Waverley Avenue in Watertown. Printed copies of the Plan Document will be made available at the Watertown Free Public Library and at the Watertown Senior Center starting next week.
The City of Watertown provided the following announcement:
The Watertown Square Area Plan will be discussed at the Joint Hearing on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 6:00 PM in the Watertown Middle School Auditorium at 68 Waverley Avenue in Watertown. Please note the updated date and location. The Joint Hearing will be to discuss the plan document submitted to the City Council and Planning Board prior to the Hearing. This plan document will also be shared on the Project Website, on the City of Watertown’s website and social media prior to the Hearing on June 13, 2024. The online participation information will be released closer to the event, along with the Public Hearing’s agenda and the plan document.
To the Editor:
I’ve been impressed by Manager George Proakis’ initiative, effort and community involvement process for the Watertown Square Area Redesign. In terms of the streetscape, it’s terrific that the manager is trying to create a plan that insists that our Square is first and foremost the center of our community, not just an intersection to drive through as quickly as possible. It is in terms of zoning that the draft plans have led to more disagreement. Unlike some municipalities, we are choosing to obey the new MBTA Communities law and join in the region-wide attempt to increase the supply of housing by changing the zoning in the Square. The need for more housing units at lower rents and/or purchase prices is clear.
The redesign of Watertown Square will be discussed on June 12. (Photo by City of Watertown)
(NOTE, May 24, 2024: They day and location of the Watertown Square meeting has changed and has been updated in this article)
The draft of the Watertown Square Area Plan will be discussed at a meeting on June 12, but prior to that City Manager George Proakis will delve into the topic of zoning during a live and interactive show on Watertown Cable. Watertown Square Meeting
The meeting focused on Watertown Square will take place on Thursday, June 13 beginning at 6 p.m. It will take place at the Watertown Middle School Auditorium. Present at the meeting will be both the City Council and the Planning Board, said City Council President Mark Sideris. He said it may be the first of multiple meetings on the Watertown Square Area Plan, which includes not only the redesign of the main intersection, but also where the City will allow housing to be built by right to meet the requirements of the MTBA Communities Law, as well as form-based zoning which will determine how future developments will look.
The Watertown Square Redevelopment has provided us a once in a generation ability to reimage the core of our city and while what has been proposed has made great strides in helping meet our housing goal, in my opinion it has dropped the ball when it falls to transit. The current plan outlines a reduction of 3 lanes but does not do enough for those of us that use Public Transportation. I propose the creation of a true busway that would greatly improve ride times and thus encourage more citizens to us public transportation; I know others have suggested thus during the town meetings. Watertown doesn’t need water downed bus lanes that are ineffectual by being painted on the far-left lane only for cars to use it to turn. What we need is a bold vision of what it can and ought to do.
We often talk about “The Good Old Days” and the nostalgia of how things were better in the past. While Watertown’s past had great things, “The Good Old Days” had the same issues we face today. For instance, The Historical Society of Watertown has a fantastic resource: Watertown Newspaper Headlines from 1880-1941. Below is a sampling of 20 headlines along with the dates they appeared:
7/14/1880 “Galen St Dangerous for ladies after dark”
11/8/1882 “What Watertown Needs Most – housing for rent”
10/21/1892 George E. Priest said he had heard that the Newton & Waltham Street Railway desires to extend its Watertown-Waltham line to Mount Auburn
8/1/1893 “controversy between horse drawn vehicles and electric cars between Cambridge and Watertown”
1/6/1893 “Plans for electric railway cars from Watertown to Newton up Galen Street”
11/1/1901 “Cyclists warned not to ride between streetcar tracks, dangerous”
7/4/1902 “Horse and buggy accident between Mr. & Mrs. James Milmore and 2 men on horseback – Fred Rankins and Frank Haynes”
9/26/1902 “Another suggestion for improving the center (illustration and map of a proposed new Watertown Square)”
12/9/1904 “Save the trees”
3/17/1905 “Arsenal streetcar route extended to Scollay Square”
12/15/1905 “New Plans for Galen Street Bridge and Delta”
7/19/1907 “Watertown murder case: Charles Reed shot by Antonio Zeccolo”
7/30/1909 “10,000 riot at band concert near Watertown Square”
1/20/1911 “ Progress Being Made on High School Building (East Jr.)”
2/7/1924 “Common Street Widening meets great protest”
12/24/1933 “Town votes $135,000 for addition to High School, $35,000 for Main Library”
11/8/1934 “Subway tunnel proposed for Watertown Square (to relieve traffic!)”
12/26/1935 “Arsenal Street most dangerous piece of road in town”
9/4/1941 “ Watertown Starts to Abolish Worst Traffic Bottleneck (widening Watertown St. at Galen”
6/29/1945 “Mt.
When I think of all the ways that Watertown has shaped my life and family, I think about how fortunate my son is to have lived his entire life here. And for as long as we’ve called Watertown our home, the Square has been a cornerstone of our lives. From weekly trips to sing and dance with friends and neighbors at the library to long walks (and scooterings) around the Charles River, I’ve spent endless hours in the square.
I have also been fortunate to be able to attend every one of the public presentations on the Watertown Square redesign, and I am deeply optimistic for the proposed changes. I’m encouraged by the passion with which the city staff are working to make Watertown’s beating heart stronger and healthier for the next generation. The decisions we make in the coming months will determine what sort of city my son will inherit.