Town Seeks to Lease Old Branch Libraries Before They Deteriorate

Branches have been empty since 2006, and now have plants growing over outside of buildings.

Plants obscure the front windows of the vacant North Branch of the Watertown Free Public Library, while at the East Branch ivy has climbed over the building with some of the vines creeping between two panes of glass of one window. Town officials have been seeking to lease the two buildings – North Branch at 263 Orchard St. and the East Branch at 481 Mt. Auburn St. – for a few years. The branches closed in the summer of 2006. Town Councilor John Donohue said at Tuesday's Town Council Meeting that he worried that the condition and potential to repair the branches is going beyond the point of no return. "Has anyone gone into the buildings as of late?" Donohue said. "The deterioration of the East Branch has been accelerated by the growth of …

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Viewfinder

Viewfinder: The Library

The Watertown Free Public Library is a gem in the heart of Watertown, and it has a lot more going on than just books and DVDs. We take a closer look inside.

Here's a peek at some of the less-familiar spaces, rooms, objects, and works of art tucked away in the library, which was remodelled in 2006.

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With No Bids for Old Library Branches Committee Exploring Sale

After four years of intermittent efforts toward finding a use for the vacant North and East Branch Libraries, the town has decided to consider selling them – an option it has long postponed – while continuing to seek lease candidates.

Since the summer of 2006, the former North and East Branch Library buildings in Watertown have sat vacant, occupied only by stacks of boxed town documents and the occasional piece of gym equipment. Now, after years of intermittent efforts toward finding a use for the properties, the town has decided to consider selling them – an option it has long postponed – while continuing to seek lease candidates. "I wish we could lease them ... but at some point when reality collides with idealism, we've got to do the realistic thing too," said Town Councilor Vincent J. Piccirilli Jr., co-chair of the Former Branch Libraries Reuse Advisory Committee, in an interview.  "If we cannot realistically lease these properties, then I think we need to consider…

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What's Happening

Five Things You Need to Know Today: Oct. 29

Paper pumkins, improv comedy and field hockey on tap today.

"Five Things you Need to Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Let us know what you think of the new feature in the comments section.

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All Eyes on Parking Near Old Police Station

The Police Department's move to its new home freed up some coveted parking spaces in Watertown Square. What will happen to those?

With the migration of the police station west along Main Street in September, prized Watertown Square parking spaces have opened up and town officials have some ideas for what to do with the spots. Some say the spaces should be reserved for firefighters at the nearby fire headquarters; others say the spaces should be for any town employee. Another option is to turn them into general parking. The parking in question falls into three areas: The spots in the library lot are particularly prized. Town Manager Michael Driscoll wants to keep the spaces for town employees, so residents can use spaces closer to Town Hall and the Watertown Free Public Library. "If a senior or young mother with children comes to the library, they can park close to …

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