Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Watertown officials heard what residents want to see changed, or maintained along one of the town's major corridors.
Pleasant Street has seen plenty of new developments going up, but residents complain that they are too big and everything being built is housing. About 200 Watertown residents came to share their opinions for what could be changed or what is doing well in town during last week's Comprehensive Plan Workshop. The plan will be a document used by town officials to lay out what Watertown will look like in the future. Along with what they want to see for the whole town, residents also looked at several areas of town, including the Pleasant Street corridor and the Charles River corridor. Some said they want to make sure the natural beauty and wildlife in the River are protected. Most agreed that they want more access to the river, particularly …
Monday, March 18, 2013
Planning for the Watertown Comprehensive Plan begins on Thursday night with a meeting and workshop.
This week, Watertown residents have the chance to share what their vision for how they would like the town to look in the future at the Comprehensive Plan Meeting and Workshop. The meeting, Thursday night March 21 at 7 p.m. at Watertown Middle School, will be the kick off for creating the plan, which will in corporate a wide range of factors, said Gideon Schreiber, a senior planner with the Watertown Planning Department. "It will define a vision for our town - land use, housing, transportation, economic development, recreation," Schreiber said. "It's a really exciting opportunity." The town has had other planning studies and documents, but not one that incorporates all the areas that will be in the Comprehensive Plan. Town officials want…
42.37208
-71.1908
Watertown Middle School
68 Waverley Ave, Watertown, MA
/articles/help-shape-the-way-watertown-will-look-in-the-future
768531
/locations/9048389
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Input provided at the meeting at Watertown Middle School will be used in creating the comprehensive plan.
As town planners set to work on the first comprehensive plan in nearly a quarter century, they seek ideas from Watertown residents for how they want to see the town look in the future. On March 7, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the Watertown Planning Department will host a public meeting about the comprehensive plan. The meeting will be held at Watertown Middle School. Refreshments will be provided Residents will be asked questions such as: For more information contact Steve Magoon at smagoon@watertown-ma.gov, or Gideon Schreiber at gschreiber@watertown-ma.gov, or call 617-972-6417.
42.37208
-71.1908
Watertown Middle School
68 Waverley Ave, Watertown, MA
/articles/planners-want-to-know-people-s-vision-of-how-watertown-will-look-in-the-future
768531
/locations/8847598
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Two neighbors of the 192 Pleasant Street development write that the project will harm their neighborhood.
- OPINION
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Tuesday, January 15
Dear Editor, I am writing in response to your story about the recent Planning Board meeting discussing the proposed development project at 192 Pleasant Street which ran in the Patch on January 14, 2013. I was surprised and disappointed to see that your article made no mention of the many, vocal residents who were at this meeting to oppose the project in its current form. Your article leaves the reader with the false sense that residents have only cosmetic concerns about the building. On the contrary, after hearing arguments from both sides of this issue at the meeting, all present know that concerns were raised and continue to exist about crucial elements of the planned development, namely: Other concerns residents raised included the …
42.367442
-71.193898
192 Pleasant St, Watertown, MA
/articles/letters-pleasant-street-residents-oppose-14-unit-condo-building
/locations/8602170
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Planning Board told the builders to move the building which had been planned to go on a town easement.
Developers of a 14-condo development proposed for 192 Pleasant St. must redo plans because the building would have sat on a town easement. The building, proposed by Acton-based Burkhard Corp., would have gone on top of a section of the town's 50-foot-wide easement for a sewer line, Watertown's Director of Economic Development and Planning Steve Magoon said, according to a report on Boston.com. Plans call for the building to be made up of one- and two bedroom condos, according to the report. Burkhard appeared before the Planning Board on Jan. 9 seeking a special permit to build the condo building. The building would be the latest housing development to be built in the Pleasant Street Corridor. Zoning for the area was changed by town …
42.367442
-71.193898
192 Pleasant St, Watertown, MA
/articles/developers-going-back-to-drawing-board-for-pleasant-street-condos
/locations/8593636
Monday, October 22, 2012
Consultants hired by the town will talk with residents about the type of housing they would like to see built in Watertown.
The following information was provided by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council: Interested in learning more about community housing needs and a plan to address them? Join the Watertown Department of Community Development and Planning, Metro West Collaborative Development (MWCD) and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) for a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 25, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Watertown Public Library. The meeting will bring together residents to learn about housing needs and housing demand in Watertown, and discuss housing assets, opportunities and challenges for moving forward with a housing production plan. Feedback gathered at the meeting will inform the development of strategies while recognizing and working to …
42.36717
-71.18717
Watertown Free Public Library
123 Main St, Watertown, MA
/articles/residents-can-sound-off-on-the-future-of-housing-in-watertown
768325
/locations/8046440
Monday, September 17, 2012
Two consulting firms will put together a Comprehensive Plan to help shape what Watertown will look like in the future.
Town officials want to know what kind of town Watertown residents want to see in the help come up with a Comprehensive Plan for future development in town. Residents will have a chance to share their thoughts and participate in other ways over the next 15 months when two consulting firms – Vannasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. (VHB) and Sasaki Associates – hold meetings to create the Comprehensive plan. The two firms are no strangers to town, as both have offices in Watertown. VHB has done comprehensive plans in a number of communities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, including Southborough, Charlton and Bedford, N.H., said Ken Schwartz, VHB's director of planning. The plan will combine a wide range of areas – including business development…
Friday, June 15, 2012
The controversial proposal will not go forward after Walmart decides the spot is not right for a store.
Walmart will not be coming to Watertown. Company officials announced Friday they will not seek to build the store proposed to go near Watertown Square. Walmart officials did not respond to requests for an interview. Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo sent out a statement saying that the two locations did not appear to be good places to open a store. “One of the primary deciding factors on any given site – whether it’s in an urban, suburban or rural market – is that it makes sense from a business perspective and contributes to our bottom line,” said Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo. “In the case of the Somerville and Watertown sites, we made a business decision that the projected cost of investment would ultimately exceed our expected return…
42.36481
-71.17874
Arsenal St & Irving St, Watertown, MA
/articles/walmart-withdrawing-its-proposal-to-build-a-store-in-watertown
/locations/7221001
Friday, May 25, 2012
Ask questions now about Walmart, housing projects and other developments in Watertown in our noon chat.
One of the biggest questions in Watertown these days is what to do with the empty lots and old industrial sites in town. Some have been turned into condos or apartment complexes, including the Waltham Street apartments and the former Haartz-Mason building. Other proposals include a Walmart on land off Arsenal Street near Irving Street. Last week, Town Councilors discussed whether to increase the number of liquor licenses in town in an effort to encourage developers to build mixed-use developments on unused areas of town that would include office space as well as restaurants.
42.36752
-71.18773
Town of Watertown Town Hall
149 Main St, Watertown, MA
/articles/live-chat-about-the-future-of-development-in-watertown
1422333
/locations/7094907
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Walmart & more: Watertown Economic Development and Planning Director Steve Magoon will be here at noon tomorrow to answer your questions.
Developments are popping up around Watertown, and more have been discussed, including Walmart. Find out the latest on that proposal, as well as other projects and what town officials are doing to encourage developers to build in town during Patch's live chat with Watertown's head of Economic Development and Planning on Friday at noon. As head of the that department, Steve Magoon works with developers and hears about the latest projects being considered for Watertown. Before the chat begins, be sure to check out the story and leave your questions for Mr. Magoon in the comments section below. The live chat will be opened by 9 a.m. so you can leave questions there ahead of time and sign up for a reminder of the chat's start. Some recent …
wiley coyote
8:35 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
It's great that you are taking it to the residents. I will be there and hope to see many more. Hopefully the ideas will get incorporated into the future plans. more ›