Fwd: Town Council Update
Councilor Tony Palomba
It is time for another Town Council Update! Many of you have received my Updates in the past, but for some this may be your first time. I hope you find them interesting and useful. As always, I welcome your comments and ideas. Please share this Update with your friends, family and neighbors. In addition, check out my website at www.councilorpalomba.com, like me at https://www.facebook.com/councilorpalomba and follow me at https://twitter.com/MAWatertown.
Also, a note about elections. I realize you may be worn out from the demanding November 2018 state and national elections and you may be catching your breath before the all-important November 2020 races however, I want to remind you that we have local elections in November 2019! My name will appear on the ballot in November as I seek re-election for a sixth term as your Councilor-at-Large! I hope I can count on your support and your help. Stay tuned for more information in future Updates.
Action on Energy and Environment
There have been exciting developments in the areas of energy efficiency and the environment to combat climate change. With the passage by the Town Council of an ordinance amending the Zoning Code, Watertown has become the first community in Massachusetts to require solar installations on commercial or industrial projects of 10,000 square foot or more and on residential developments of 10 units or more. While Massachusetts requires that buildings are solar ready, only Watertown requires solar installations. Click here to see the Ordinance. In addition, the Town Council passed an ordinance further amending the Zoning Code to require certain projects be developed as LEED Silver certifiable, as outlined in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, in commercial, mixed use and industrial zones throughout Town. Formerly the requirement pertained only to projects in the Regional Mixed Use District in the East End of Watertown. Click here to see the Ordinance.
The good news on addressing climate change does not stop here. Recently the Town Council voted to create a “Climate and Energy Master Plan” which calls on the Town to conduct a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory and Energy Assessment and Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment. The motion, which passed unanimously, requested that the administration hire a consultant to conduct the assessments and to identify a funding source for consideration by the Council. For details on the Council’s action click here. At the same meeting, the Council passed a resolution committing the Town to use 100% renewable energy for municipal electricity by 2035 and use 100% renewable energy for municipal heating and municipal transportation by 2050. Click here to see the Resolution. In addition, the Town has joined with many other cities and towns in signing a letter to National Grid that calls for greater communication and coordination to accelerate “cost-effective repair of natural gas leaks and replacement of leak-prone pipe”. As we know, each methane molecule is 84 times more harmful than a carbon molecule.
Finally, Watertown Electricity Choice, our residential renewable electricity supply program, is awaiting final approval by the Department of Public Utilities. Once approved, the Town, working with our municipal aggregation consultant, will begin an intense and extensive public education effort about the benefits of community aggregation, the levels of renewal energy that residents can select, including 100%, and the option for residents to opt-out of the program. All communication about Watertown Electricity Choice will appear on Town letterhead. Please be aware that no electricity supplier has been selected and no marketing program is underway.
These important developments have come about because of the hard work and commitment of many people. Kudos to the members of the Town Council, to Ed Lewis, our Energy Manager and Facility Project Manager, to the members of the Town’s Committee on Environment and Energy Efficiency, and to the members of Watertown Faces Climate Change, a working group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment and a node of 350MA. A particular note of gratitude to Jolly Tager and Susan Falkoff for their leadership on the solar ordinance.
Affordable Housing
The Committee on Human Services, which I chair and serve with Councilors Falkoff and Bays, has held seven meetings between April and December of last year on the issue of affordable housing. We heard from residents, members of the Watertown Housing Partnership, members of the Watertown Housing Authority, members of the Massachusetts Legislature, members of our Department of Community Development and Planning, and representatives from statewide housing advocacy, planning and resource organizations, such as the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, the Metro Area Planning Council and the Citizens‘ Housing and Planning Association. The Massachusetts Housing Partnership and the Metro West Collaborative provided the Committee important information on affordable housing development as did the Assistant Housing Director from Somerville and a representative from Cambridge. What did we learn?
➢ There is a housing crisis in Massachusetts and in greater Boston that will not be solved by the actions of any one city or town. It must be addressed by communities across the Commonwealth increasing their stock of market-rate and affordable housing.
➢ Watertown is not exempt from the increasing cost of homeownership and rents. Residents of Watertown have felt the consequences of the housing crisis. There are families and individuals who have moved out of Watertown because they can’t afford to rent, have experienced homeless or are living in inadequate housing arrangements.
➢ The Watertown Housing Partnership includes experienced housing citizen volunteers who are committed to increasing the Town’s stock of affordable housing. We have an excellent Housing Authority, though the waiting list for a unit can be 6 – 10 years.
➢ There are state and regional organizations and nonprofit housing groups willing and able to help Watertown and we are served by a particularly strong community development corporation in the Metro West Collaborative.
➢ Watertown has done a good job of producing affordable housing through the use of inclusionary zoning. Watertown requires that 15% of the units in a development with 10 units or more or over 10,000 square feet be affordable.
➢ Most importantly, we learned that Watertown can do more! The Committee will continue its discussion of possible actions steps Watertown can take to address the issue of affordable housing at its next meeting on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 PM in Town Hall. Please join us.
Affordable Assisted Living Units
Because of the work and foresight of the Watertown Housing Partnership, Watertown joins a very select group of cities and towns that require affordable units in assisted living developments. Projects with 10 – 75 assisted living units must have 5% affordable and those with 76 or more units must have 10% affordable. To see the complete text of the Ordinance the Town Council passed click here.
Community Preservation Act (CPA) and the new Community Preservation Committee (CPC)
I am very pleased, as a member of Invest in Watertown, the coalition that sponsored the CPA question that was approved in November 2016, that the Community Preservation Committee was sworn in on February 21. The nine members constitute an independent body whose responsibilities are determined by state statute. The CPC will approve proposals that will be submitted to the Town Council for funding projects in three areas – open space and recreation, historical preservation and affordable housing. Presently, there is about $2.3 million of CPA money raised from the 2% surcharge ($1,932,150) on the tax bill in FY ‘18 ($1,932,150) and the subsequent 19% state match ($367,395). There is state legislation pending which would raise the state match to 45% on municipal funds raised in FY ’19. The members of the CPC include both members required by statutes governing municipal CPCs and at-large members. They include Jason Cohen (Planning Board), Maria Rose (Conservation Commission), Susan Steele (Historical Commission), Allen Gallagher (Watertown Housing Authority), Bob Dirico (Recreation), and four residents – Jonathan Bokian, Dennis Duff, Mark Kraczkiewicz and Elodia Thomas. All CPC meeting are public meetings and you will see them announced on the Watertown website. The CPC will spend time getting to know each other, learning about the CPA legislation, putting procedures in place, and determining how best to incorporate community input. I urge you to attend as many meetings as possible. The next meeting will on Wednesday, March 20 at 7:00 PM in the Town Council Chambers. This is a new and exciting opportunity for Watertown.
Development in Watertown
The pace of redevelopment in Watertown continues, though a bit slower than in the past. Two mixed-use developments on Pleasant Street are under construction. Water Mills at 330-350 Pleasant Street will have 99 units and the development at 385-383 Pleasant Street will have 58 units. The vast majority of these rentals are one and two bedroom units. Riverpark Lofts on Howard and Bacon Streets right off Pleasant Street is nearly complete. It has 65 units, 33 of which are three-bedroom units, a welcome addition to the housing stock in Watertown. The Elan development at the corner of Irving Street and Arsenal Street is nearing completion and will include 282 rental units as well as commercial space on the first floor.
The major redevelopment of Arsenal Mall, now called Arsenal Yards, is continuing to move forward. The project will include a movie theater, supermarket, residences and a number of up-scale restaurants and eateries. The Majestic Theater and City Lights restaurant will open this fall. It may also include a building dedicated to an R&D laboratory and office space for biotech companies. The developer, Boylston Properties (BP), will be asking the Planning Board for a revision to its master plan to convert Building G from residential use to commercial use. In 2018, the developer proposed raising the height of that building from 130 feet to 197 feet, but did not move forward with the proposal due to significant community opposition. However, BP did not believe it could profit from a shorter apartment building and thus decided to ask for a change in use. If approved this will be the second change to the master plan resulting in the loss of residential units, include a significant number of affordable units. BP had previously received approval to build a hotel rather than the residential building approved in the master plan.
Life Sciences Boom and Regulating Biological Research Laboratories
Watertown has long been the home of biotechnology and biomedical companies. The demand for research and laboratory space by companies who find the rents in Cambridge and surrounding commercial centers out of reach, has continued to grow. One just has to see how quickly the Linx complex and 65 Grove Street have attracted tenants as well as smaller redevelopments like those on Coolidge Avenue, and as mentioned above, plans to offer more R&D space in Arsenal Yards. The increase in life science research and development in Watertown has caught the eye of resident Elodia Thomas, who wondered if Watertown had policies and procedures in place to regulate the activities in the 23 existing biotech companies. After reviewing regulations from other communities, the Town developed its own regulations. Presently the Board of Health is reviewing these and has recently held a public meeting to elicit comments. See the draft regulations here and please submit your comments to the Director of the Health Department, Mr. Larry Randim at lra...@watertown-ma.gov. Please note that BL4 (Biosafety Level 4) laboratories, which handle highly contagious and deadly pathogens, are prohibited in Watertown.
Watertown Schools – Building for the Future
An equally exciting development is a recent decision by the School Building Committee, which is composed of Town officials, School Board and Town Council members, and residents. The SBC has been meeting for months with Ai3 Architects, the project designer, and our Owner’s Project Manager from Daedalus Projects to come up with the best designs for our three elementary schools that put a premium on 21st century learning. After considering renovation and expansion of the three schools, the SBC is now proposing that the Hosmer and the Cunnif be razed and two new schools be built. This determination was made because the cost of new buildings was only slightly higher than the cost of renovation and expansion. Because the Lowell has historical elements, it will be renovated and include two new additions. One of the key factors of new construction is the greater ability to include energy-efficient elements that will save money over time. It is hoped that the Hosmer and the Cunniff will be as close to net zero as possible. The cost of the project has changed dramatically since it was presented in the FY ’20 budget. At that time, the estimated cost ranged from $80 million to $120 million. A more realistic figure for renovation and expansion announced earlier this year was $153 million. The new estimate for the two new buildings and the renovation and expansion of the third is $169, 875 million. The Watertown Elementary School Project is to begin in fall of 2019 and take four years, ending in fall of 2023. Check out the overall “Building for the Future” here.
Transportation and Parking
Watertown has recently contracted with the consultant firm Stantec to develop a Parking Management Plan for Watertown Square and Coolidge Square. Two community meetings were held in January and an on-line survey was available until the middle of February. The Plan will make recommendations to improve parking by considering improved meter technology, shared parking options, enforcement, easy to understand regulations, and how to match available parking with parking demand. Stantec’s report and recommendation will be presented at a community meeting this spring. To learn more about the Plan, the data collected, the survey results, and comments from residents who attended the community meetings click here.
I am pleased to report that the Watertown Transportation Task Force (formerly the Watertown Public Transit Task Force) is back in action. After a short hiatus the WTTF is again serving as the only community organization dedicated to addressing transportation issues in Watertown. I am fortunate to be a member of the Steering Committee and to hear first-hand about the organization’s goals and activities. Its most recent project is the publication of a report on the proposed shuttle buses for Pleasant Street and Arsenal Street. You can read “Shuttle Buses for Arsenal and Pleasant Streets: What’s Happening, What Hasn’t, Why?” by clicking here. Take a moment to read the report and learn how you can get involved in this important work at https://www.facebook.com/WatertownTTF/
Committee on Media and Public Outreach
This year the Town Council President, Mark Sideris, established a new Town Council committee, the Committee on Media and Public Outreach. The charge to the Committee was to “develop potential options for increasing participation in government and methods for outreaching to the community.” I serve as the chair of the Committee along with Councilors Lisa Feltner and Caroline Bays. As a result of the seven meetings we have held to date we have reviewed the current tools the Town uses to communicate with residents, compiled a list of potential new tools, suggested changes to the Town’s website, proposed the creation a Communication and Engagement Officer, and encouraged the Town to develop a communication/participation strategy and action plan. The Committee has benefitted from the active participation of residents, including those with specific experience in social media and information technology and in providing technical assistance to municipalities. The Committee is now turning its attention to the issue of community engagement and will meet again on Thursday, March 7 at 5:30 PM in Town Hall. We have invited members of Community Conversations to share their experiences on the topic. You can learn more about this local organization at here.
New Dog Park Open
It has been a long haul, but I am so happy to say that Watertown’s state of the art dog park is now open! Many years in the making, the dog park is part of the new entrance to Filippello Park on Grove Street. There will be an official opening in the Spring, but please stop by now and give your dog a treat. There is plenty of parking.
Snow Removal Program
The winter may be half over, but you can be assured that there will be more snow! Watertown now has a “Snow Removal Program” that connects seniors and those unable to shovel their walks with students from our Middle School and High School. The Program is being coordinated by the Recreation Department in cooperation with the Senior Center. Please contact Peter Centalo at pcen...@watertown-ma.gov or Ann Marie Gagnon at aga...@watertown-ma.gov.
Watertown Access to Treatment, Education, and Resources Task Force
Composed of Town officials, elected officials, community leaders, and residents, the W.A.T.E.R.town Task Force has been working to address the opioid crisis in Town for over three years. I have been fortunate to be a member of the Task Force and to watch its efforts result in a drastic decline in fatal overdoses. Recently, the organization participated in a two-session strategic planning process. We reviewed our past work, created new goals, and developed an action plan. One particularly important goal is to raise awareness among our Watertown neighbors about challenges confronting those with a substance use disorder.
New Town Employees
We welcome new employees at the Department of Public Works - Jesse Myott as Director of Administration and Finance and Kevin Duffy as Project Engineer. We are please to say that Chris Haywood has returned to Watertown as the Forestry Supervisor and Tree Warden. The Watertown Police Department has three new officers – Kevin Rooney, Frank Forde and Casey DallaCosta and the Watertown Fire Department has four new firefighters – Corey MacDougall, Andrew Vega, Olivia Winsor, and Cory Donahue. Also, there is new leadership at the Fire Department with Harry Walsh as Fire Lieutenant, Michael Ciulla and Scott Trombly as Temporary Fire Lieutenants, Brian Donovan as Temporary Fire Captain, and Ryan Nicholson as Deputy Fire Chief.
Upcoming Events
-The MBTA is holding a series of community meetings to elicit your comments on its Better Bus Project, the Proposed Fare Increase, and the Automated Fare Collection program. There will be a meeting on Monday, March 4 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Community Room at the Boston Police Station at 552 Main Street. This is a very important opportunity to share your opinions and suggestions. Learn more at MBTA.com/community. Also, the MBTA is eliciting comments via a survey from those who use rail service. Find the survey at http://www.mbtarailvisionsurvey.com
- Wayside Youth & Family Support Network’s Multi-Service Center and PBS’s science series, NOVA, are holding a screening of the documentary, Addiction on Tuesday, March 5 from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Mosesian Center, 321 Arsenal Street. A panel of local experts will answer questions following the film. Contact Stephanie_...@waysideyouth.org for more details.
- The Watertown Youth Coalition will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, March 20 from 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM in the Watertown Free Public Library. The “Well-Being of Watertown Youth – 2019 Town Hall Meeting” will feature a skit by the Peer Leaders and the Improbable Players and an interactive discussion of the key issues the WYC Peer Leaders have identified and addressed in past year.
-Watertown Public Schools is again sponsoring a two-day training on the Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation program. The training will take place in the Community Room of the Watertown Police Station (552 Main Street) on Saturday, March 9 and Saturday, March 16 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Register at the WPS website here.
Shout Outs!
- If you have young children and are looking for family events, you need to know about Watertown Families Together. Contact Arlene Smith at arlene...@hotmail.com for more information.
-Kudos to Watertown for All Ages for undertaking a year-long project to assess transportation needs of Watertown seniors. For more information about The Transportation Initiative for Seniors, which is funded by Tufts Health Plan Foundation and the Watertown Community Foundation, contact Bob Shay at b...@rpshay.com.
- Finally, a very big THANK YOU to Live Well Watertown for its wonderful programs promoting healthy living and its efforts to make wellness an integral part of our community. Check out LWW’s website at http://livewellwatertown.org/ or contact Stephanie Venizelos at aveni...@watertown-ma.gov