Joint Hearing to Discuss Watertown Square Zoning to Begin on October 16; *New Placeholder Dates for Potential Continuation Set*

The City Council and Planning Board Joint Hearings to discuss the Watertown Square Area Plan zoning amendment will begin on October 16, 2024 in the Watertown Free Public Library. NEW placeholder dates have been set in the case the Public Hearing is continued. Please see the updated dates below!

When is the Joint Public Hearing on Zoning?

October 16, 2024 at 6:30 PM in the Watertown Public Library at 123 Main Street.

You can access the meeting agenda, Zoom link, and the email you can submit public comment to by clicking the button below:

When are the placeholder dates and what do those mean?

In the case that the Joint Public Hearing that is beginning on October 16, 2024 gets continued to a future date, the City of Watertown has prepared additional dates for those to be extended to. Below are the dates and times held:

• October 16, 2024 at 6:30 PM

• October 24, 2024 at 6:00 PM

• October 29, 2024 at 6:00 PM

• October 30, 2024 at 6:00 PM

• November 14 or November 19 -- Date still to be determined and finalized.

The placeholder dates are set for the ease of future scheduling and preparation for the City Council, Planning Board, Staff, and the public. All of the additional dates beyond 10/16/2024 are to be used on an "as-needed" basis, and the official announcement for whether the Public Hearing is to be continued or not will be made at the end of the meeting, should it be necessary. 

Are these placeholder dates different than what you announced previously?

Yes they are. The dates that were previously announced through these emails, online, and in the quarterly tax bill newsletter have been changed after further consideration and discussion. The above dates and times are up-to-date and please disregard any other dates,

Where can I read the proposed zoning amendments?

You can read the proposed zoning amendments that will be discussed at this Joint Public Hearing by visiting this link on the City's website. There you will find the zoning package with the amendment proposal and the proposed zoning map. That same zoning package can be found attached to the Hearing's agenda online as well.

How can I participate in the Public Hearing?

You will be able to participate in the Joint Public Hearing either in-person or virtually. You can access the Zoom link, online broadcast, and outreach email to submit public comment by accessing the Joint Hearing's agenda. Future emails will also continue to include this information.

Joint Hearing to Discuss Watertown Square Zoning is Planned to Begin on October 16 After First Reading at September 24, 2024 City Council Meeting

What is next in the Watertown Square Plan?

The next steps of the Watertown Square Area Plan implementation will be to discuss and approve zoning amendments. A zoning amendment is a proposed change to the zoning requirements and map, without having to completely rewrite the zoning code. To approve new zoning, the City will hold a Joint Public Hearing with the City Council and Planning Board to discuss the proposed zoning, hear public comment, and approve new zoning amendments.

The above map is the proposed zoning map from the final endorsed Watertown Square Area Plan. 

When does this next step begin?

The first step will be to complete something called a "first reading". This is a procedural step that the City must take by presenting a matter of significance to the Council (zoning amendments in this case) and asking for them to bring it forward for further action (such as scheduling a Joint Public Hearing to discuss).

This is a precursor to most public hearings and this will happen on September 24, 2024 (you can see the agenda for that Council meeting here, where you can find the first reading attached). From there, the City Council will officially announce the date that the Joint Hearing will begin. Note that there will not be any discussion about the specific zoning during this Council Meeting on 9/24/2024.

What is the hearing schedule?

Once the first reading is completed, it is anticipated that the City Council will schedule the Joint Public Hearing to begin on October 16, 2024 in the Watertown Free Public Library at 6:30pm.

Additional dates, times, and locations have been tentatively set below in the case that the Joint Public Hearing is continued beyond October 16. Please see the tentative schedule below and be aware that some details might be subject to change in the case that the Hearing process continues beyond the first scheduled date, or that some of the below dates might not be necessary.

As we approach the beginning of the Joint Public Hearing, an agenda and hybrid links will be released on the project's website and on the City's website.

Planned Hearing Schedule (with placeholder dates)

• October 16, 2024 @ 6:30pm in the Watertown Free Public Library & Hybrid

  Additional Meeting Placeholders

• October 17, 2024 @ 6:30pm in the Watertown Free Public Library & Hybrid

• October 21, 2024 @ 6:30pm in the City Council Chamber & Hybrid

• October 30, 2024 @ 6:30pm in the Watertown Free Public Library & Hybrid

• November 12, 2024 @ 6:30pm in the Watertown Free Public Library & Hybrid

How does this relate to the Watertown Square Area Plan that was Endorsed in July?

The Watertown Square Area Plan that was endorsed by the City Council and Planning Board in July 2024 will be a guiding document for the zoning that is being developed and discussed in the Joint Public Hearing. We recommend all who are interested to see the final endorsed Watertown Square Area Plan to learn more about the zoning proposals endorsed in the plan.

What is the timeline of this process?

The new zoning amendments that comply with the MBTA Communities Law must be approved by the City Council and Planning Board before December 31, 2024. 

Interested in learning more about the MBTA Communities Law? We recommend checking out our FAQ page on the new law. 

Questions? Feel free to reach out!

For more information about the project, please visit the project website. You can also reach out via email to us at team@watertownsquareimprovements.com.
You can also contact the City directly by dialing 311 in Watertown or by calling 617-715-8660.

Joint City Council and Planning Board Hearing to Discuss Watertown Square Area Plan on June 13 at 6:00 PM

Joint Hearing to be held on June 13, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Watertown Middle School Auditorium 
68 Waverley Avenue, Watertown, MA 02472

The Watertown Square Area Plan will be discussed at the upcoming Joint City Council and Planning Board Hearing on June 13. The Hearing will include a presentation from the Project Team, followed by an opportunity for public comment. You can access the full agenda for the Joint Hearing here. 

You can access the plan document on the project's website or in the above agenda packet to learn about the Draft Plan.

This Hearing is a hybrid meeting and you can give public comment either in-person or virtually. To join virtually, you can access the Hearing on June 13 by using this Zoom link, which can also be found on the project's website and in the agenda above.

You can also watch the event live online on WCA-TV.

Residents look on at Tim Love, Utile, presenting at the February 29, 2024 Community Meeting

The City has been printing copies of the Plan Document and dropping them off at the Library and Senior Center. We appreciate your patience as we regularly replenish the piles of copies. 

You can learn more about the project at the Watertown Square Area Plan website.

Arrival Details for Watertown Square Area Plan Public Forum, Thursday, April 4, 2024, 6:30pm

RSVP Here: https://forms.office.com/g/nEkynPFmyv

Location: 66 Galen Street, Watertown, MA 02472 (note different location than previous public meetings)

Timing: Doors for the event will open at 6pm. The Forum schedule will begin promptly at 6:30pm.

An aerial view of the 66 Galen Street Building, which is where the April 4 Public Forum will be held.

Parking: Attendees are recommended to park for free in the parking garage located below the building at 66 Galen Street. The parking garage entrance is on Water Street (photo below). You will be able to access Water Street by turning from Galen Street onto Technology Way (labeled above on the arial map), across from Aldrich Road. Then you will turn right onto Water Street and continue to the parking garage. Signage and balloons will be present to help inform attendees of where to go.

A photo of the 66 Galen Street parking garage located on Water Street.

Accessing the Building: There is an elevator and stairs located in the parking garage for those accessing the building from the garage. The event will be taking place on Floor 1 and will be accessible using the elevator or stairwell. For those not driving, we recommend entering the building on the ground level, located on Galen Street and Technology Way. A photograph below depicts this entryway. There, you will be able to use the elevator or stairwell to access Floor 1, where the event will be taking place.

A photo of the 66 Galen Street building entrance.

Save the Date: Watertown Square Area Plan Public Forum, Thursday, April 4, 2024, 6:30 PM

RSVP Here: https://forms.office.com/g/nEkynPFmyv

The Watertown Square Area Plan project team invites you to attend our next Public Forum on Thursday, April 4, 2024, beginning 6:30 PM at 66 Galen Street, Watertown, MA 02472 (note different location than previous public meetings).

If you plan on attending the public forum in person, please RSVP so we can properly prepare the venue. 

Photos from the February 29, 2024 Public Meeting. You can view a recording of this meeting by clicking here.

Public Forum Agenda

• 6:00-6:30 PM: Doors open to the public

• 6:30-8:15 PM: Presentation and Q+A

• Presentation of the updated streetscape, urban design, and MBTA Communities zoning with live polling (please bring a smartphone if you have one)

• Q+A Session with the City and Design Team

• 8:15 PM: Wrap-up and concluding remarks

We encourage all interested members of the public to join and provide feedback!

Thank You for Attending: Watertown Square Area Plan Public Meeting, February 29, 2024

Attendees watch a presentation by Tim Love, Utile, during the February 29, 2024 Public Meeting

On behalf of the Watertown Square Area Plan project team, we would like to thank everyone who was able to attend the Public Meeting on Thursday, February 29, 2024!

If you missed the presentation, you can view a copy of the slide deck in two parts: Part 1 and Part 2. You can also view a video recording of the presentation produced by WCATV here. 

Anyone who would like to provide additional comments on the design may do so via a feedback form, which will remain open through Monday, March 11. You may also send questions, or sign up for email alerts, by visiting the Stay in Touch page.

The project team will incorporate all feedback from the public meeting and this feedback form to finalize a design scheme, which will be presented during a public forum on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 6:30 PM, hosted at 66 Galen Street, Watertown, MA 02472. More details on what to expect at this public forum will be shared in the coming weeks.

Watertown Square Area Plan Public Meeting, February 29, 2024, 6:30 PM

RSVP Here: https://forms.office.com/g/JTcjHF5Ftc

If you plan on attending the Public Meeting in person, please RSVP so we can properly prepare the venue. 

If you can’t make this meeting in person, you can watch it live here, where it will be livestreamed starting at 6:30 PM on 2/29/24.

Additionally, an online feedback form and a recording of the event will be posted online following the public meeting to provide those who are unable to attend an opportunity to comment

Attendees watch a presentation by Jeff Speck during the Charrette series

The Watertown Square Area Plan project team invites you to attend our next Public Meeting on Thursday, February 29, 2024, beginning 6:30 PM at 64 Pleasant St, Watertown, MA 02472.  Doors will open at 6:00 PM.
 
This public meeting will summarize feedback from previous events and continue the conversation with residents, businesses, and other members of the community.  

The project team will share streetscape configurations based on the November Charrette series: the "Four Corners" and "Mini-Main Street" plans. 

In addition, the project team will present updates to the proposed urban design for the Square. The updates will demonstrate how the streetscape options and built form relate to one another in creating a holistic vision for the Square, and will focus on illustrating impactful change in key parts of the study area. Along with the urban design and zoning design standards, the project team will present updates to the proposed zoning map to show how Watertown can comply with the Multi-Family Zoning Requirement for MBTA Communities.

This public meeting will provide multiple avenues for comment, including interactive polling during the meeting presentation, a station exercise where members of the public can have conversations with project representatives about the proposed streetscape designs and proposed urban design and zoning, and an opportunity to provide online feedback following the meeting. An agenda for the meeting is as follows:

• 6-6:30: Doors open to the public

• 6:30-7:30: Design Team Presentation

• Introduction 

• Recap of Public Engagement

• Street Reconfiguration Scenarios

• Urban Design and MBTA Communities Zoning

• Next Steps

• 7:30-8:30: Public participation at topic-specific stations

If you can’t make this meeting in person, you can watch it live here, where it will be livestreamed starting at 6:30pm on 2/29
 
More details on the meeting agenda and opportunities to comment will be released closer to the meeting date. We encourage all interested members of the public to join and provide feedback!

Charrette Working Group Summaries Now Available

On behalf of the City of Watertown and the Watertown Square Area Plan project team, we would like to thank everyone who participated in our three-day design charrette! We are so grateful for the excellent attendance and productive conversation. Read below for a summary of the Charrette Working Group Sessions.

Watertown residents collaborating with city staff on their vision for Watertown Square

Urban Form

The Urban Form working group explored ideas on the future look and feel of the built form and public realm of Watertown Square. While most participants were interested in seeing a diversity of building heights and storefronts, some community members expressed their preference for new and denser developments, whereas others prioritized maintaining the existing built environment and preserving the neighborhood feel of the area, highlighting the need for design standards for new buildings. Providing affordable housing units, supporting existing and new small businesses, renovating or redeveloping vacant sites and buildings, and improving parking configurations are among the other identified priorities related to the built form of Watertown Square.

The discussion on public realm improvements centered on the desire for better access to the riverfront and other open spaces, improved pedestrian and bike connectivity, expanding green infrastructure extents, improved wayfinding, widened sidewalks, and increased public amenities like benches and tables. Community members would also like to see more indoor and outdoor programming to activate ground floor public spaces.

Strategic Sites

In the Strategic Sites working group, community members identified several key sites where they see the potential for better development and public realm uses, including the parking areas along Baptist Walk/Winter St, various larger parcels along Main St and Mt Auburn St near the Delta, and Watertown Yard. In locating sites with higher likelihood for redevelopment, participants considered such factors as current uses and density, parking, street wall and storefront conditions, and location. Many were interested in seeing mixed-use developments that explore higher density and better parking configurations, while others expressed the need for a sensible approach to setbacks and design standards.

Watertown residents attending a Working Group Session

Destination Square

The Destination Square working group explored design strategies to help small businesses thrive in Watertown Square. In discussing the current retail and small business mix in Watertown, many community members felt strongly about supporting existing businesses, while indicating the desire for a wider variety of small businesses in the future, including bookstores, boutiques, breweries, bakeries, ice cream shops, and grocery stores. Community members also provided input on public realm and streetscape improvements that could improve the small business environment. These include outdoor dining, providing more recreational amenities and programming at or around the Delta and the riverfront, widening sidewalks, expanding tree canopy and other green infrastructure, and providing space on pedestrian paths for pop-up businesses, food carts, and art installations highlighting Watertown Square as a destination.

Various policies were recommended as potential avenues to support small businesses, including subsidies for businesses, ensuring adequate street parking, a branding identity for Watertown Square, façade improvement programs, universal design, working with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to enhance recreational opportunities near Charles River, and improving wayfinding. Community Preservation Act funds and public-private partnerships are two potential funding sources discussed by community members.

MBTA Communities Zoning

The MBTA Communities Zoning working group explored the community’s preferences on district boundaries, densities, and required features in complying with the MBTA Communities law, which requires creating a zoning district in Watertown allowing multifamily housing by right at or over 15 units an acre and has the capacity for 1,701 units. While the discussion yielded highly varied preferences on density, there was a general consensus on allowing higher density residential developments around the Delta and along the Arsenal St and North Beacon St corridors, and transitioning to lower density further away to the west from Watertown Square. Most community members also supported incorporating parcels lining Galen St into the zoning district. On the topic of commercial use in new developments, many were in favor of requiring developments to be mixed-use on parcels near the Delta lining Main St, Mt Auburn St, Arsenal St, and North Beacon St. However, some community members expressed concerns about allowing any by-right development on a select few highly visible parcels near the Delta and its consequences on the character of the built form.

Thank you for Participating in our Three-Day Design Charrette!

Watertown residents collaborating with city staff on their vision for Watertown Square

On behalf of the City of Watertown and the Watertown Square Area Plan project team, we would like to thank everyone who participated in our three-day design charrette! We are so grateful for the excellent attendance and productive conversation. 

The following resources are now available:

• Recorded presentations from all three days of the charrette, thanks to WCATV. We encourage you to watch the recording of the final night's presentation on Closing Scenarios.

• The final night's presentation included the leading two design scenarios under consideration. (You can also download the full slide deck from the final night.)

We hope you continue to stay engaged as the Watertown Square Area Plan continues (see the timeline on our website). Our team is now drafting urban design and redevelopment scenarios and will soon begin developing elements of a proposed plan, which will be shared with the public early next year.

We encourage you to check the project website (www.WatertownSquareImprovements.com) for more information and stay tuned for additional email updates from our team. 

Residents attending the Charrette Opening Public Session presentation

Watertown Square Area Plan Three-Day Design Charrette Event Begins Tuesday, November 28, 2023

RSVP Here: 
https://forms.office.com/g/Zt6UGKzJV5
RSVPs are very helpful but not required

We are excited to share this invitation to attend one or more of the working group sessions at the Watertown Square Area Design Charrette on November 29 and 30, 2023. Each session will focus on a key issue in developing a Watertown Square Area Plan; these sessions are in addition to the drop-in opportunities and general meetings scheduled during the three-day charrette. All working group sessions will be held on the 2nd floor at 64 Pleasant Street. 

The Intersection: How can we make it work for all modes--and support the Square we want?  (Wednesday 10-11 AM)

• This session will consider alternative ways for personal automobiles, shared transit, pedestrians, bicyclists, and freight to move through Watertown Square.  A focus will be on how alternative designs meet other critical goals: lively public spaces and interaction, thriving businesses, open spaces, and an environmentally-sustainable Square.  On-street parking, loading zones, street trees and landscape buffers are part of the discussion.

Urban Form: What should the Square look like--building scale, public realm and more?  (Wednesday 11:30 AM-12:30 PM)

• The built environment involves choices about building dimensions (heights, setbacks, etc.)  ground floor activation, parking, energy efficiency, historic assets and building placement/ facades.  The session will also include the public realm (e.g., plazas, parks, street trees and furniture) and private realm (privately-owned spaces that may have more limited access).

Strategic Sites: How do we design for these key development opportunities around the Square?  (Wednesday 2-3 PM)

• The Watertown Square study area has several significant opportunities for a combination of development and public realm.   This session will consider options for important sites, including the Watertown Yard (owned by the MBTA) and the parking area behind the municipal/private-owned buildings on Main Street.  These sites could also be opportunities for public/private partnerships and for a combination of development and public realm uses.

Destination Square: How we design a Square where small business can thrive? (Thursday, 10-11 AM)

• Our small businesses need a built environment that helps them thrive.  This session will focus on conversation about public and private infrastructure, parking requirements and locations, allowing spaces that provide outdoor (or flexible indoor/outdoor) dining and commerce, where first floor activation is need, and public spaces/uses that can become a destination.

MBTA Zoning: How do we get to the 1,701 zoned units we need under the new law? (Thursday, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM)

• By the end of 2024, Watertown must comply with the MBTA Communities law by creating a zoning district that allows multifamily housing by right at or over 15 units an acre and has the capacity for 1,701 units.  The discussion will build on the prior sessions by exploring options for district boundaries, density and required features.

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A charrette is a collaborative planning process during which an interdisciplinary team of planners, designers, transportation experts, city officials, residents, business owners, other interested people, and most importantly you, work together to create a shared design vision of a particular area. 

The charrette will start Tuesday evening, November 28, 2023 (6:30pm-8:30pm), with an existing conditions analysis, feedback from the Kitchen Table Conversations (KTCs), and a summary of results from the Polis survey (you can participate in the Polis at https://pol.is/6vbuxzxrff through November 17, 2023).

On November 29 and 30, 2023 (during the morning and afternoon—see schedule above), the project team and City staff will invite input from the community and interested groups through the working group meetings, as the team sketches options for Watertown Square’s challenges. On the second evening, there is an “interim progress drop-in session” for members of the public to see and informally discuss the day’s work. During the final evening (November 30), the consultant team will present scenarios that will inform the next phase of our project and vision of Watertown Square. Members of the public will be able to drop-in at other times on November 29 and 30 to see and comment on the team’s work product (see schedule above).
 
More information about the design charrette will be posted on the Watertown Square Area Plan website as it becomes available: www.watertownsquareimprovements.com
 
Please bring your ideas on the future of our community! We hope to see you at 64 Pleasant Street throughout November 28–30, 2023 at the charrette.

Stay tuned for more details as we continue to expand and update the project website. If you were forwarded this email and would like to sign up for our email list, fill out this subscriber form. If you prefer not to receive future emails, please click the unsubscribe link below.