Environmental Clean Up Finished at Site off Washburn Street

The owners of the property behind Washburn and Franklin streets have completed the clean up of the former industrial site, and may be coming to the town with a proposal in the not to distant future.

The site, 30R Washburn Street and 53R Franklin Street,  has been used for many different things over the years, said owner and developer Peter Zagorianakos, including a dry cleaner, landscapers and a dairy. The site was contaminated with gasoline. It was also the site of a major fire, that burned down a barn in January 2010.

Last week, Zagorianakos - also known as Peter Z. - appeared at a public meeting at the Watertown Free Public Library to update officials and residents about the clean up being overseen by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

In 1994, the DEP identified the site as one in need of clean up. The work has been extensive.

"We removed 5,000 tons of material, and treated 1.8 million gallons of groundwater," Zagorianakos said. 

Zagorianakos said he is not sure what will be proposed for the site, which is next to the spot where Walmart had considered building a store. The last owner had proposed building a residential development.

"It seems from the previous proposals, we hear the preference of neighbors is town houses," Zagorianakos said, who added that he did not know when any proposal would come forward.