The Issues page includes information about key issues and projects in Watertown. I invite you to comment on any item you find interesting.

Walker Pond – Third Community Meeting Scheduled As you may remember, Watertown purchased the 6.67-acre Walker Pond in the West End of Watertown from Raytheon in October 2022 for $11.25 million. The hope was to develop the property as open space and passive recreation. The City did not take action on the property until it applied for a grant from the Community Preservation Committee in 2024.  Ultimately the CPC provided a grant of $140,000 for a conceptual design and an ecological study.  The City has also sponsored two community meetings one in August and one in November of 2025 to hear the results of the research and elicit ideas about the use of the property.  In addition to gathering input via community meetings, the City also publicized two community surveys.  You can see a summary of the presentations by the consultants at the two community meetings and the survey results at the Walker Pond project page here.  The latest recommendation for the new park is a nature focused design with minimal development and protection of wildlife.  There appears to be no interest in use of portions of the park for recreation, even passive recreation, which is something I had advocated for.  There is a third community meeting scheduled for February 5 at 6:00 PM at 57 Stanley Avenue in Watertown.  I hope you can attend.  WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN WATERTOWN? A lot is happening in Watertown when it comes to new housing developments and mixed-use developments. There are four new developments proposed since the new Watertown Square Area Plan was passed and the related amendments to our zoning code. Some of the developments are “by-right” meaning that as long as a developer meets the zoning regulations, they do not have to seek approval for a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeal.  However, they do need to go before the Planning Board for a site plan review. The Planning Board can put conditions on its approval of the development but cannot issue conditions that result in the project not being viable. The first project to be built “by right” is at 33 Mt. Auburn Street, the site of the old Port Oil business that has been abandoned for the last 11 years.  The proposed development, which was approved by the Planning Board in December of last year, will be 5 floors and include 40 residential units (12 one-bedroom and 28 two-bedroom units).  Six of the 40 units will be affordable. The mixed-use development will also include 2,600 square feet of commercial space on the first floor. Other new residential developments include:  a) A condominium development at 108 Watertown Street, which was approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals in December. There will be 9 studios, 30 one-bedroom, 12 two-bedroom and 1 three-bedroom condos. Given Watertown’s 15% inclusionary zoning regulations, 8 units will be affordable.  b) A smaller development is planned for 75 Mt. Auburn Street, which includes the building on the corner of Mt Auburn Street and Summer Street.  Plans call for a total of 9 units, 8 would be in a new building attached to the current building which is presently houses commercial businesses.  That building would be converted to a residential unit. One of the 9 residential units would be affordable. c) By far the largest development is a proposed mixed-use development at 45 – 59 Mt. Auburn Street which is presently the Watertown Square Plaza where Dunkin Donuts, M&T Bank and other businesses are located.  The proposal is for 153 units in a five-story building with 9,830 square feet of commercial space on the first floor. There will be 43 studio apartments, as well as 62 one-bedroom, 38 two-bedroom, and 10 three-bedroom apartments     Willow Park Project Advances – Your Help is Needed! In the last Update I shared the good news that the Community Preservation Committee proposed, and the City Council approved, a grant of $4 million to fund the Willow Park Redevelopment Project (WPRP). The Watertown Affordable Housing Trust also granted $400,000 to this project.  There has been both bad news and good news since then.  The bad news is that the submission for pre-approval to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) for project funding by the developers, Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and the Watertown Housing Authority (WHA), was NOT approved. The good news is the City Council approved a CPC proposal to award $2 million more to the WPRD in December of last year.  Also, after revising the WPRD’s budget to show a reduction in the total cost  from $107,518 million to $104,056 million, POAH and WHA resubmitted its pre-application proposal and it was  approved by EOHLC.  This is very exciting news. It is anticipated that the developers will be invited to submit a full application by February.  If the WPRP is approved by EOHLC in late spring or early summer of this year, the Willow Park public housing development will be recreated to include 138 residential apartments, including 60 replacement public housing apartments and 79 new affordable apartments. This is where you come in!  The City Council has already sent a letter of support for the Project to EOHLC. I hope you will take a moment to write a short letter of support for the Project and its much needed affordable housing to: Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities 100 Cambridge Street, #300 Boston, MA 02114 You can also sign a letter of support that has been initiated by the local housing advocacy organization, Housing for All Watertown (HAW)  here. Please do either or both as soon as possible. Ordinances, Studies, Reports! I thought you would be interested in the ordinances that are in the process of being written.  Ordinances are basically laws that residents and businesses are obligated to follow.  It is difficult to say when an ordinance will be finalized and presented to the City Council for approval.  I am guessing that the first three ordinances listed below will be taken up by the end of the calendar year.  The fourth ordinance listed will be approved in weeks.  BERDO or Building Emission Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance The Ordinance was written, after a year and a half of research and many drafts, by our Environment and Energy Efficient Committee.  The goal of the Ordinance, which applies to existing commercial and residential buildings, is to “track, report, and gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2025”. The City Council and members of the business community reviewed the most recent draft.  The current draft can be found here.   Additional suggestions will be considered and a final draft of the BERDO Ordinance will be ready for distribution. Tree Ordinance This Ordinance is a goal in our Climate and Energy Plan which you can see here.  While there has some discussion of this at meetings of the Committee on Energy and Climate as well as a short presentation by our Tree Warden, it has not moved forward for many months.  Hopefully this will change soon. Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance  Watertown has an interim ADU Ordinance that was passed in late 2024.  The development of a final ADU Ordinance is very slow in coming.  However following the changes in the zoning regulations, based on the interim Ordinance, the result is more ADUs in Watertown. I don’t have the exact number, but based on the agendas and minutes of past Planning Board meetings, I believe the 14 proposals for ADUs have been approved. Ordinance Relative to Food and Beverage Single-Use Items, also known as the “Skip the Stuff” Ordinance.  This Ordinance is about to have its final public hearing at the City Council’s February 24 meeting.  You can see a copy of an early draft and the present 2025 draft here.  The purpose of the Ordinance is to “reduce the overall environmental impact of the City of Watertown” and the provisions of the Ordinance “will reduce the amount of single use plastics used in Watertown”. Also, you may find the studies and reports that the City has commissioned.  These often provided the necessary information that is needed to craft legislation, establish regulations, and develop new policy initiatives.  Public Buildings Department Study  A consultant has not been chosen for this study at this time, though this is expected to happen soon. The Study, when completed, will provided a “strategic municipal organizational assessment and design for the City’s Public Buildings Department functions and processes”.  This could lead to a major restructuring of the Department and changes in operations. Parking Study  This Study will look at all aspects of parking in Watertown, including the winter parking ban, our existing, but rarely enforced, two hour parking limit on most City streets, use of street parking by employees of area businesses, and much more.  The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued very soon.  I hope we will receive responses soon so an award can be made and the Study can be completed in a timely manner. Affordable Housing Incentive Study I go into greater detail about this Study below, but in short the Study is to recommend what are the best incentives to offer market-rate developers to encourage them to increase affordable units in their housing projects.  City of Watertown: Health and Climate Resilience Report This Report was published in September 2025. The purpose of the Report was to recommend a “set of strategies and actions that can enhance the resilience of Watertown communities”.  The list of recommendations is too long to show you here, but many were clustered around specific topics including 1) Outdoor/Physical Environment, 2) Indoor Environment, and 3) Municipal Policies and Practices.  Like all studies, the challenge is implementing the Report’s recommendations!  You can see the Report here. Watertown Study to Improve City Supported Mobility The goal of the study is simply stated in its title – How Can the City Increase Mobility in Watertown.  You can find the complete report here.  Following the section on “Needs Assessment and Date Findings” the Study offers a series of Mobility Strategies under the following titles: 1) Local Transit Approach, 2) Leadership in Universal Access Design, 3) Top Corridors by Use, 4) Comprehensive Safety Approach, 5) Local and Regional Priorities with Agency Partners.  During a Council committee meeting where the Study was presented, there appeared to be strong support for “Community-Focused Transit Service Models”, specifically various forms of micro transit.   Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan The Plan which was created by consultant firm, Kessler McGuinness & Associates, LLC (KMA) KMA, was published in June of last year. The purpose of the Plan is to “ensure residents and visitors have access to all facilities, programs, and services”. This is an extensive Plan with specific recommendations for each of the City’s buildings and Department.  You can read the Plan here.  What Next for Watertown Square? Demonstration Project As you know the Watertown Square Area Plan (Plan) was adopted in July 2024 and the related zoning amendments was approved by the City Council in late 2024.  What has happened since? There have been two developments since 2024.  One is a contract that the City signed with Bowman Consulting Group to develop a roadway design based on the Plan’s goal of a four- way intersection in the Square.  The study is taking place as we speak and will conclude in about 18 months.  It will look at streets, sideways, bike paths and, most importantly, area utilities. The other new development has been a discussion of a Demonstration Project (Project) that would give us an idea of what projects might look like in other parts of the Square.  In September the City Council received a presentation from the consultant, Innes Land Strategies, that provided an introduction to a Redevelopment Authority, an Urban Revitalization Plan (formerly an Urban Renewal Plan), the role of the City Council and the Planning Board, and the positive value of creating a Demonstration Project.  Please see their presentation here.  Below a some of the highlights of the presentation and a potential Demonstration Project. – The City Council, based on previous state legislative action, is also a Redevelopment Authority and in that role can enter into agreements with private parties, propose public/private developments, and act more freely than an elected body.  While an Authority must follow state regulations, it is less constrained by state laws guiding local elected assemblies.  Acting as a Redevelopment Authority, the City Council can create an Urban Revitalization Plan (Plan) for Watertown Square. – The first step that the Redevelopment Authority can take is to develop a Demonstration Project that can be built on property that is within the geographic area delineated in the Watertown Square Area Plan.  I think it is important to share a bit of Innes’ presentation to explain the positive value of a Demonstration Project. It allows the City to test the feasibility of the kind of development that could happen in Watertown Square. The conceptual plan illustrates the community’s vision. It delves into what is feasible given the underlying conditions such as ownership, zoning, and subsurface infrastructure, as well as and other site conditions. Lessons learned in the Demonstration Project will inform the Urban Revitalization Plan. – It should be noted that the development of a full Plan is not something that can happen without the approval of two state agencies, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and the Massachusetts Environment Policy Act, as well as the approval of the Planning Board and the City Council.  On the other hand, a Demonstration Project can take place with only the approval of the Planning Board and the City Council. The presentation by Innes Land Strategies noted above provides details and timelines about a Plan and a Project. – Presently there is informal discussion about where a Project might be located including the area behind the CVS, the area behind the Watertown Free Public Library, the site of the former Watertown Police Department or some mix of all or some of these potential locations.    There will be more information forthcoming very soon about this important step in the implementation of the Watertown Square Area Plan, via an Urban Revitalization Plan, which as you recall involved an extensive public process.  It is anticipated that a robust process, allowing for community input regarding a Demonstration Project, will also take place.   FLOCK Cameras! You may have heard about or read about the controversy that has arose over the contract that the City has with Flock Safety to install 8 FLOCK cameras in various locations in the Watertown. The contract is for two years at a cost of $24,000/year.  The purchase was presented to the Council via the Watertown Police Departments budget proposal and approved in the FY25 budget by the City Council.  Before I proceed, let me say that I own the fact that I did not flag this purchase during the budget process.  That was a serious oversight on my part. After early concerns were voiced, the WPD produced a FAQ about the contract and what the Flock cameras can record, how the data that is collected is used, who it is shared with, and how the data has helped the WPD target criminal behavior.  You can find the FAQ here.  However, many residents have raised important concerns and questions about the FLOCK cameras through emails to Councilors and the City Manager.  The concerns are many, but there are three that I think are particularly relevant. 1) The FLOCK cameras collect more information about a car than traditional license plate readers, including the make, model and color of an automobile.  2) The WPD policy is not to share the data with any local enforcement agency unless there is a clear reason for requesting the data and that it is approved by the WPD.  However the language is weak and does not define the criteria that is used to decide whether a request is approved or not. 3) There is significant concern that while the WPD may not share the data, it is not clear that Flock Safety, which has access to the data, will not share it with state and federal departments who then in turn use it to track undocumented immigrants, anti-ICE protestors, and pro-Palestinian activists.   There are many more concerns raised about the FLOCK cameras including that the Flock Safety is not a reputable company and that members of Congress have initiated a request for a formal investigation of Flock Safety.  The latest news announced by the City Manager at the recent City Council meeting is that the City will be temporarily suspending its contract with Flock Safety in part because of the many resident concerns.  The City Manager will soon present a related policy to the City Council for referral by Council President Sideris. He will most likely assign the item to the Committee on Public Safety who will hold a public meeting. I have additional information about this issue, including a copy of the City’s contract, a position paper on Flock Safety by the ACLU, and a copy of an email that the ACLU sent all 351 cities and town regarding their concerns about the installation of FLOCK cameras.  Please reach out to me at councilorpalomba@gmail.com if you would me to send you a copy of these materials.    Goodbye, Thank You, and Welcome Aboard! In Watertown, like many cities, there are always folks moving on to enjoy retirement or the challenges of a new position as well as new employees eager to share their skills and talents to serve the residents of Watertown.  I want to share a few of the changes that have taken place. After 17 years as the Director of Department of Community Development and Planning (DCDP) and more recently as the Assistant City Manager, Steve Magoon is retiring.  Steve has been a central figure in the  creation of important planning initiatives and commercial and residential development in Watertown as well as the person responsible for overseeing the many programs within DCDP and supervising the senior staff in these programs. He has played a leadership role in the development of the Comprehensive Plan in 2015 and the revised Plan in 2023, in the Pleasant Street Corridor project, and in laying the foundation, via the creation of new zoning regulations, for the development of Arsenal Yards.  The list of his accomplishments is too long to recite here. See Watertown News for a great article about Steve by editor Charlie Breitrose.  Steve has been a true public servant – dedicated, responsive, and forward-thinking.  He will be missed by many. Welcome to Jenna Bancroft as the Director of the City’s new Department of Human Services. Jenna was hired in June of last year and has already had a major impact on services for Watertown residents, most recently playing a leadership role in the City’s community food drive.  She has been busy putting in place the goals for the new Department and coordinating the activities of her staff which include Kathy Cunningham, the Food Pantry Coordinators, Jay Terminiello, our Veterans Service Officer and Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator, and Domenica Puleo, our Wellness Coordinator. Stephanie Venizelos, a longtime City employee who developed and coordinated the Wellness Program and founded the Watertown Farmers’ Market, will be joining Jenna as the new Assistant Director.  Jenna was the former Director of Human Services in Newton.  She is very familiar with the Watertown and the services our residents as she was a former employee for Wayside Youth and Family Support Network.  Watertown is fortunate that Jenna joined us here in Watertown. Thank you to Melissa Morrissey.  After over four years as the Treasurer/Collector for the City, Melissa has submitted her resignation.  She has served the residents of Watertown well and her professionalism and talents will be missed. We wish her the very best as she begins her new job as the Treasurer for the Town of Mansfield.  I am very sad to have to share that our Senior Planner for Housing, Larry Field, will be stepping down from his position.  Larry has served Watertown for over five years playing a leading role in some of the major accomplishment vis-a-vis housing including the creation of the Watertown Affordable Housing Trust, which he has guided and supported since its inception in 2021, and the City’s five-year Annual Housing Production Plan. He worked closely with the Metro West Collaborative to implement a rental assistance program during COVID and has been at the forefront of the City’s efforts to increase affordable housing.  Larry has also demonstrated great flexibility and a commitment to collaboration as he has served in many other capacities within the DCDP.  While Larry will step down as Senior Planner for Housing, we are grateful that he will stay on staff as a Housing Advisor.  William Downie has been hired to replace Larry.  Mr. Downie was recently a Senior Planner at the Barrett Planning Group (BPG) where he worked with several municipal partners in New England, developing long-term housing strategies and producing Housing Production Plans.  We wish him the very best in his new role here in Watertown. Shout Out to the Watertown Free Public Library and the Successful Community Food Drive Many of us know the vital role that theWatertown Free Public Library plays in the City.  It is recognized in the area and actually throughout the Commonwealth as one of the premier libraries.  In addition to a wonderful collection, the Library offers an array of programing from concerts to lectures and from health and wellness classes to a variety of workshops.  Their Hatch MakerSpace program is growing and the wonderful Project Literacy continues to serve residents and others whose first language is not English. Recently the City Council received an Impact Report. Here are a few of the highlights.  Services – 324,000 library visits in FY25 up from 327,000 in FY24, 369,000 website page/views in FY25 up from 347,000 in FY24, and 7,606 Bookmobile Visitors in FY25 up from 5,470 in FY24. Programs – 60,000 in-person program attendees in FY25 up from 58,000 in FY24 and 5,265 Hatch MakerSpace Attendees in FY25 up from 4,677 in FY24. Circulation – 876,000 total circulation materials in FY25 up from 814,000 in FY24 and 162,000 Items streamed/Downloaded in FY25 up from 143,000 in FY24. Project Literacy served approximately 600 adult English language learners in FY25, though this is a decline from last year likely due to refugee housing closures and immigration policy changes. However staff and volunteers expanded services to include emergency planning support, U.S. citizenship test prep and more. Congratulation to Library Director, Kim Long, and all the staff.  Personally I would like to give a special thank you to Natasha Ruggeri-Koret, Administrative Assistant who has always been very helpful to me.  Responding to a Crisis – a Successful Community Food Drive Over 3,000 Watertown residents are enrolled in SNAP representing about 10% of our populations. These figures are from 2024, but probably they are the same or greater in 2025 and most likely will increase in 2026 as more and more vital services are cut via federal policies.   Watertown residents and businesses responded to this crisis through the City-sponsored community food drive in November and December.  Thousands of food items were donated to support our food pantries and the community fridge as well as to provide direct support to families.  In addition, over $50,000 was donated to the Watertown Community Foundation that was earmarked to serve Watertown residents who are experiencing food insecurity.  A shout out to Jenna Bancroft, the Director of the Human Services Department, and her wonderful staff.  Also a shout out to Tia Tilson, the Executive Director of the Watertown Community Foundation, and the Foundation’s staff and Board members.  And of course, a big shout out to all the residents and businesses who participated in the food drive. Support the Nuclear Disarmament Resolution in the City Council! The City Council will hold a public hearing at its Tuesday, February 10 meeting – NEXT WEEK – at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall to discuss the Nuclear Disarmament Resolution. I have been working with the Nuclear Disarmament Committee of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice and the Environment to put the Resolution before the Council using the Citizen Petition option that is in our Charter. The Committee has been actively organizing for passage of the Resolution for nearly two years – collecting signatures, holding community meetings, appearing on WCAT, speaking with Councilors and much more. You can see the latest handout from the Committee that summarizes the Resolution, urges residents to contact Councilors, providing contact information and a template the residents can use when calling or emailing Councilors here. Please take a moment to reach out to Councilors with a quick call or email. Most importantly, I ask that you attend the meeting to show support for the Resolution.  It will be discussed early in the 7:00 PM meeting so you do need to stay every long.  Do this for the safety for your family, friends, and neighbors!