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

AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCENTIVE STUDY AND COMMITTEE MEETING – MONDAY, JUNE 15 In my last Update, I provided a summary of the December 16 presentation by the Massachusetts Area Planning Council (MAPC) of its Watertown Affordable Housing Incentives Study. MAPC was researching what voluntary incentives could be taken to encourage market rate developers to increase the number of affordable units beyond what our inclusionary zoning requires and to increase the production of housing developments where all units are affordable. Some ideas that were presented included waiving ground floor commercial requirements and permitting fees, reducing parking requirements, and allowing for increased heights of buildings. The presentation can be found here.  MAPC did a second presentation to the Watertown Affordable Housing Trust on March 26. This presentation took a deeper drive into how to increase affordable housing in Watertown by exploring two approaches – a Pro Forma Model and a Buy-Down Model. The former focuses on very specific incentives that might entice a developer to voluntarily increase the number of affordable units in a the development.  The incentives depend on the overall number of units proposed in the development ranging from 8 units to 25 units and 60 units. The Buy-Down Model is one basic incentive – cash payment. In this model a municipality gives a developer a direct payment in exchange for providing additional affordable units. You can learn more by reviewing the March 26 presentation here. I am pleased to say that the Committee on Human Services, which I chair, is holding a meeting on Monday, June 15 at 5:30 PM at City Hall to hear and discuss MAPC’s final report. It is not possible at this time to share the report, but it will be available prior to the meeting. I will post it on my social media platforms. I hope you will have the time to read the final report and be willing to share your comments and questions during the meeting either in-person or on zoom.  OPENS SPACE – DCR’s PASSIVE PARK AND WALKER POND    Passive Park at the Charles River Reservation In early May, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (MDCR) held a public meeting to provide an update on the plans for a new Passive Park at the Charles River Reservation. While the site is under the control of the MDCR, it is situated at the corner of Greenough Boulevard and Arsenal Street at the corner Watertown’s East End and will provide Watertown residents a large open space for passive use. You can see an excellent slide presentation from the May presentation here. It includes information about the the project’s goals, the proposed schematic design, and timeline. The hope is that construction will happen between January 2027 and January 2028. A few of the key goals include providing a safe and welcoming passive park including trails and seating areas, connecting to existing bike and pedestrian networks, evaluating a safe crossing of  Arsenal Street to access parking on Greenough Blvd, offering accessible parking spaces, and providing a strong focus on landscape restoration. Some of the components in the Park will include an accessible walking trail, a woodland walk, a wetland boardwalk, picnic areas and tables, wayfinding markers, and interpretative signage. If a passive park accessible to Watertown residents is something you are concerned about and you were not able to attend the MDCR’s 2nd community meeting in May, you may wish to look more closely at the  presentation and sign up to be notified about project updates and future community meetings.  Walker Pond Watertown’s major open space project – Walker Pond – took a step forward since the last community meeting in November of last year when the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) voted at its May meeting to approve a proposal from the City for $990,000 for the next phase of the project. The funds are to be used to complete the project design, create construction documents, and provide cost estimates as well as address permitting issues, additional community outreach, and coordination with abutters. The estimated timeline for this phase of the project is 9 – 12 months. If the proposal is approved the City Council, it will be the second installment of funds from the CPC for Walker Pond. In the Spring of 2024 the CPC awarded the City, following approval by the City Council, $145,000 to “conduct ecological work, develop a feasibility study, and create a conceptual design”. Once the second phase of the project is completed, the City will have bid documents and then can issue requests for bids for the actual construction of the Pond. The estimated cost for construction is between $8 and $10 million. The City purchased the property in 2022 for $11.25 million.  At the CPC meeting there was some discussion of where the money for the construction of the Pond would come from. City officials responded that they are researching various funding sources including public and private grants. You can see the Phase 2 – Walker Pond: Design Development & Permitting here.  2025 ANNUAL REPORT: PUBLIC ARTS AND CULTURE Recently the City Council received the “2025 Annual Report: Public Arts and Culture (Plan)” from the Community Design Division of the Department of Community Development and Planning prepared by Liz Helfer, our Public Arts & Culture Planner. I found the Report both informative and interesting. You can download it here. It brings together the work of three distinct but overlapping committees – the Watertown Cultural Committee (WCC), the Watertown Cultural District (WCD), and the Public Arts & Culture Committee (PACC).  Each of these Committees have different charges, funding sources, and governing bodies, as well as attractive logos!   The WCC has been around for many years and receives an annual allocation from the Mass. Cultural Council. It distributes grants for arts, humanities, and sciences programming. The PACC was established in 2021 at the time the City adopted a Public Arts Master Plan and is similar to the many other volunteer city committees in Watertown, though it is the only one (excluding the Community Preservation Committee) I know that receives annual funds from the City. The WCD is the newest of the three committees established in 2024.  It is a public-private partnership which includes 27 organizations and individuals and is coordinated by a part-time Cultural District Outreach Coordinator.  What ties these three entities together is their commitment to arts and culture programming.  I think it is fair to say they all believe that quality of life for residents of Watertown is greatly improved by participating in arts and cultural activities. Take a look at the Report. I think you will be impressed by the public arts and culture events and projects. Finally, here is the latest Watertown Arts and Culture Bulletin from the WCC. Sign up if you would like to receive it regularly.     WATERTOWN’S HOUSING PLAN 2026 – 20230 For months members of the Administration and the Watertown Affordable Housing Trust (WAHT) have been working diligently to produce the “Watertown Housing Plan 2026 – 2030” (Plan). The Plan was recently published and was referred for review to the City Council Committees on Human Services and Economic Development and Planning. A meeting of the joint committees to discuss the Plan has not been scheduled at this time.  However you can see the referral and the 80-page Plan here. A housing plan is created every five years with the purpose of creating goals and strategies to increase and maintain a diversity of housing options in Watertown. If time allows, you may find it useful to read the full report.  However, below you will see the Plan’s key findings information on zoning and development trends, goals and strategies. I know this is quite a bit of information but I hope it will prepare you for the joint committees meeting and to offer you the opportunity to prepare comments and concerns about the Plan. I have bolded some of the items that I feel should be discussed in some detail. Please do not hesitate to share your critique of the Plan with me at councilorpalomba@gmail.com.  Key Findings • Watertown is growing slowly in population and growing significantly in diversity. • Our population skews more to those in the 25-39 and 55+ age ranges. • A relatively affluent median household income that masks the significant percentage of lower-income households residing here. • The majority of our housing stock consists of older single-family and two-family homes, but a significant and growing percentage of homes are in larger apartment buildings. • Approximately 7.5% of our housing stock consists of deed-restricted affordable housing, primarily public housing units and inclusionary units in market rate buildings. • Rents and home prices continue to rise, with 39% of our renters and 28% of our owners “cost-burdened,” i.e., spending more than 30%of their income on housing. Information on Residential Zoning, Recent Development Trends, Funding Sources for Affordable Housing, and Constraints.  – Watertown has zoned for residential growth in the mixed-use districts along the Arsenal Street and Pleasant Street corridors; since the Great Recession, development in these districts has resulted in over 1,700 units. – The 2024 zoning amendments created new mixed-use districts in Watertown Square, including a by-right overlay district with a zoning capacity of 3,754 units.  The new zoning reduced residential parking requirements and provided incentives for affordable developments. This rezoning has triggered a wave of new residential projects in and around the Square. – Watertown’s inclusionary zoning requirements have produced almost 300 affordable units. – The City’s capacity to provide local funding for affordable housing has increased substantially in the last five years. Sources now include Community Preservation Act money, city budget allocations, and the potential for linkage fee collections in the future. – Watertown is aware of natural and physical constraints that may limit particular projects, but with the potential for continued redevelopment of formerly commercial sites these constraints are not a barrier to achieving our housing goals. Goals 1: Increase, deepen affordability of, and preserve deed-restricted affordable housing. 2: Encourage the private market to create a variety of housing types at different price points. 3: Continue to build a welcoming community for all, creating housing opportunities for both residents and those who want to move to Watertown. Strategies 1. Identify potential affordable housing sites and work with developers on projects.      – Continue current efforts to identify sites through locational metrics and preliminary assessments by on-call professionals, and through encouraging affordable developers to work in Watertown.      – Explore additional methods to find suitable sites, such as using a real estate agent, and/or publicly highlighting the site search.      – In considering opportunities for new affordable housing, consider the need for units that serve a range of households, placing particular focus on households with children and with        seniors on a fixed income. 2. Promote the use of public land for affordable housing development.      – Consider locating an affordable housing development on the City’s 148 Waltham Street site.      – Work with the MBTA to consider affordable housing as a significant component of development on its Watertown Yard site.      – Consider including a significant affordable housing component on the City’s parking lots in Watertown Square. 3. Support the Watertown Housing Authority and others in the effort to rehabilitate public housing inventory and create new units on its existing land.      – Assist the Watertown Housing Authority in evaluating the potential for redevelopment of existing properties.      – Continue to support the proposed Willow Park redevelopment project.      – Consider financial assistance for other WHA redevelopment and/or modernization projects. 4. Consider adoption of the measures discussed in the final affordable incentives study report. 5. Increase the City’s capacity to implement the strategies listed in the Plan.     – Employ a full-time housing planner within three years.     – Continue to include $250,000 in the annual budget for the affordable housing trust as a bridge to the availability of linkage fees.     – Consider participating in a regional housing program that would monitor inclusionary zoning units and review requested rent increases for the city.     – Increase collaboration between the Affordable Housing Trust and Community Preservation Committee, while recognizing each body’s particular statutory goals and process. 6. Promote the production and preservation of housing types that meet the needs of underserved populations.      – Encourage affordable developments that include supportive services for seniors and individuals with disabilities.      – Address the needs of individuals with disabilities by incorporating or encouraging, as appropriate universal design and visitability standards for large residential        development projects, possibly through the city’s design guidelines and/or peer review, in consultation with the Council on Disability (COD).      – Encourage the creation of more 3+ bedroom units in both affordable and market rate developments to meet the needs of larger family households.      – Consider a program to support capital improvements that preserve the viability of older housing stock for households not in deed-restricted affordable housing . 7.  As part of the City’s upcoming general zoning review, evaluate the impact of current zoning and parking requirements on residential development as well as the existing inclusionary zoning policy.      – Consider changes in current zoning and parking requirements if needed to further housing production in zoning districts where that is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.      – Evaluate existing inclusionary zoning policy. 8.  Anticipate and potentially help meet the need for capital improvements and/or major recapitalizations in existing affordable housing developments.      – Regularly discuss capital needs and funding sources with Watertown’s existing affordable housing providers.      – Plan for potential use of HOME funds (WestMetro consolidated pool and/or Watertown allocation) to minimize the need for emergency funding for critical repairs. 9. Promote fair housing.      – Continue to fund fair housing testing programs and publicize results.      – Continue to work with the Human Rights Commission to offer education to owners, property managers, real estate agents, tenants and the public on fair housing.      – Work with local brokers to promote acceptance of housing vouchers. 10.  Help educate cost-burdened tenants and homeowners about available housing resources.      – Increase and periodically update housing resources identified on the city’s website.      – Consider ways for the community development and human services departments to work together in providing housing-related educational assistance to income-qualified        tenants and homeowners. 11.  Adopt an accessory dwelling unit ordinance. 12. Evaluate the housing production impact of new city zoning at appropriate intervals, including the Watertown Square re-zoning in November 2024. HOW TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR GOVERNMENT AND YOUR CITY   I have always believed that one of my responsibilities as a City Councilor is to keep up with what is happening in City government and in our City. I have to admit that this is a challenge! Maybe you also find it hard to stay on top of all that is going on in Watertown. The City has tried to make that a little easier by having a robust City Communication initiative and a Communication Team under the direction of Tyler Cote. I have come to appreciate the value of the publications, What’s Up Watertown and the City Council Update which I describe below.  I have also highlighted one particular department newsletter. What’s Up Watertown  What’s Up Watertown is the go to resource for learning about events and ongoing projects in Watertown. It is published at least weekly, but often a couple of times in a week. Its sections include News, Events of the Week, Upcoming Events, and Projects. Some entries provide more content than others and most include links to more information about a topic and links to organizations’ websites. Here is an example of What’s Up Watertown dated  May 29, 2026.  Take a look and you will learn about the opening of the Farmer’s Market, the upcoming Town Wide Yard Sale, Watertown’s World Cup Party, how to apply to be on a city committee, board or commission, and much more. One of the many links in provides is to the “Connect With Us” page on the City’s website which is an excellent resource. Here you can browse the many city/department newsletters, sign up for emergency alerts, see the City Calendar, learn what departments use social media, and follow the City on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.   City Council Update  The City Council Update is published within a couple of days after each regular City Council meeting. It offers a quick look at what happened at each meeting and offers a link to the WCATV recording of the meeting.  You can easily sign up to receive it by going to the City Council page on our website. Here is the link. Thanks to Doug Newton, Municipal Policy Analyst, who creates the Update with the able assistance of Brendan McCarthy the Council Clerk.  “W watertown, ma” – Economic Development Newsletter W watertown, ma is one of the many city/department newsletters.  It is published monthly by the Watertown Economic Development Office and was initiated in November of 2024. You can download the May 2026 newsletter which is a good example of what you can find in each issue.  I find the “Industry News” section particularly useful.    EFFECTS OF THE ZONING AMENDMENTS FROM THE WATERTOWN SQUARE AREA PLAN As you may recall the City engaged a robust community engagement process beginning in October 2023 to create the Watertown Square Area Plan (Plan) which was approved by the City Council and the Planning Board in summer of 2024. In November of that year, the City Council approved zoning amendments with the intention of making it more likely that some goals of the Plan would be achieved. I want to share some information that the City Council recently received from the City Manager regarding housing developments in the Watertown Square area.  Between 2020 and November 2024 two new housing developments were built providing 182 units of residential housing with 26 of those units deemed affordable. However, since December 2024 five projects have been permitted and will provide 107 housing units with 14 of those deemed affordable. In addition there are 2 projects that are in the pre-permitting stage. While the figures are not final, an estimated 156 residentials could be build with 23 of those deemed affordable. It should also be noted that 150 units (40 of the 107 and 150 of the 156) will be build within the by-right transit oriented development overly (TODO) zoning area. You may recall part of the goal of the WSAP was to meet the requirements of the Massachusetts MBTA Communities Act.  If is possible that the smaller number of housing units built between 2020 and 2024 was due to that fact that during that period developers found it more profitable to build life science projects rather than build housing.  I think it is also fair to say that the greater number of housing units that have already been built since 2024 and are proposed to be built in the coming years is due, in part, to the changes in the zoning resulting from development of the Plan.   THE DEMONSTRATION PROJECT AND THE WATERTOWN SQUARE AREA PLAN!   In a previous Update, I provided an update on the status the Watertown Square Area Plan (Plan) since it was adopted in July 2024. This included information about the City’s contract with Bowman Consulting Group to develop a roadway design based on the Plan’s goal for a four-way intersection in the Square. That work continues with a possible end in a year. The other development  was the 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 2025, the City Council received a presentation from the consultant, Innes Land Strategies, that explained what a Redevelopment Authority is, how an Urban Revitalization Plan (formerly an Urban Renewal Plan) is regulated, the role of the City Council and the Planning Board in approving and managing a Urban Revitalization Plan, and the positive value of creating a Demonstration Project as a precursor to a full Revitalization Plan. Please see their presentation here. Below is a summary of what has happened since the fall of 2025 1) Innes Land Strategies Group issued its “Watertown Square Demonstration Project Plan (Draft)” in April. This is a lengthy document, 160 pages, that you can find by clicking on “Read the Draft Demonstration Project Plan” on the Watertown Square Project webpage.  It is a very comprehensive document covering every aspect of what is involved in the proposed Demonstration Project. (Project).  If you have limited time, I would recommend reading Section 3 – The Demonstration Project (Pages 21- 44). Of particular interest is the description of “Option A and Option B”. Option A calls for a 4-story parking garage with 370 spaces, 52 bike parking spaces, ground-floor retail, 2-story commercial annex building, a 12,300 SF public green, and a 247 unit mixed-use residential development with car and bike parking. Option B is similar to Option A however it includes a 5-story parking garage with 434 spaces and more open space – 26,500 SF which includes the 12,300 public green. The proposed phases and timeline begin with the possible approval of the Demonstration Project in 2026 and end with the design and construction phase between 2029 and 2031. 2) On April 6, City Manager Proakis presented the “Watertown Square Revitalization Update” at a public meeting in the Watertown Free Public Library. You can see his slide presentation by clicking on City Manager George Proakis Slide Presentation on the Resource Center page of the Watertown Square Project website. The presentation provides a nice summary of the goals, public process, and outcome of the Watertown Square Area Plan and the related zoning amendments.  It also offers a summary of what urban revitalization planning is before focusing on the proposed Project. I think you would find it helpful to focus on the sections of the presentation that describe the main elements of the Project – the parking garage, public space, commercial space, and housing. You may not agree with everything that is in the presentation, but it does offer answers to questions like: why a parking garage, why not just building housing on the property, can’t you build housing over the garage, and why does the City need a private partner. I did have a concern about the presentation’s focus on our potential private partner/developer, Hg80. While the City Council had given the City Manager some guidance about this, I found the numerous slides about Hg80’s work and the presence of a member of the Hg80’s leadership team at the meeting a bit premature.  3)  On May 20 the City organized the “Watertown Square Open House” from 3 PM – 8 PM at 9 Galen Street. City staff and representatives from Innes and Bowman staffed tables at which residents could ask questions about all aspects of proposed Watertown Square improvements. There are some great resources to review if you were not able to attend the Open House. Visit the Resource Center where you can click on links for more information. I think you might find the “Virtual Tours of Project Area – Open House May 20, 2026” particularly useful.  Finally, the City has been collecting public comments on the Watertown Square improvements.  Click on “Submitted Comments to the Project Team at the 4/6/2026 Meeting and post-meeting online comment submission form” on the Resource Center page to read public comments following the City Manager’s presentation at the April 6 public meeting.  Finally, sign up to stay informed about the all aspects of the Watertown Square Area Plan here.    Welcome Aboard, Thank You, and Congratulations In recent months, Watertown has filled two very important positions in City government – the position of Assistant City Manager for Community Development and Planning and the position of Treasurer/Collector. Kennan Rhyne began her role as the Assistant City Manager for Community Development & Planning on April 13.  Ms. Rhyne is a seasoned municipal planner and architect with extensive experience in managing complex planning projects. In addition to serving as the Deputy Director for Comprehensive Planning in Boston’s Planning and Development Agency she also managed her own consulting firm where she provided planning, zoning, and urban design services to cities and towns including Boston, Lowell, Quincy, and Newton. During Ms. Rhyme’s time with the City of Boston she did extensive planning addressing open space, transportation, and housing – all important areas of development for Watertown.  Consider dropping her a welcoming email at krhyme@watertown-ma.gov.   Alexander Haggerty joined the staff on May 5 as our new Treasurer/Collector.  Mr. Haggerty served as Treasurer/Collector in the towns of Barre and Norwood and as Assistant Collector in Lowell and Woburn. His experience in the field, and particularly his experience in the widely used accounting software, Munis, will serve Watertown well. Drop him an email to welcome him to Watertown at ahaggerty@watertown-ma.gov. After many years growing Watertown’s social media presence and improving our website, Digital Media Manager Jeanne Ostroff will be retiring.  A sincere note of appreciation to Jeanne for her contributions to the City.  We wish her the very best in the coming years. Finally, it is wonderful to hear that Tyler Cote who is presently our Community Engagement Specialist and responsible for major improvements in how the City connects with residents has been promoted to Director of Communication and Community Engagement and will oversee the Communication Unit within the City Manager’s office. We also send our congratulations to Sarah Burns on her promotion from Executive Assistant to Digital Communications Specialist.   This email was sent to <<Email Address>> why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Elected Official · 14 Bates Rd # 2 · Watertown, MA 02472-3480 · USA