Watertown Square Area Plan
MOST RECENT UPDATES
Watertown City Council Unanimously Approve Watertown Square Zoning Package! Release of the Final Package with Amendments to be Released Soon
At the November 14, 2024 Public Hearing, the City Council voted to approve a zoning amendment package for the Watertown Square area. The Council voted to approve several of the Planning Board’s recommendations, however they also made some amendments of their own to the package. The final release of the zoning amendment package with the updated zoning will be release in the near future. In the meantime, you can find the below documents that do not reflect all of the updated changes made at the City Council meeting:
You can also watch back all of the Hearings held: October 16, October 24, October 29, October 30, and November 14.
The Watertown Square Area Plan was endorsed by the City Council and Planning Board on July 16, 2024. Access the finalized plan above!
Find materials and videos from past events and Hearings!
Charrette Presentation Summary Videos
Summary videos of our Final Charrette Presentation, November 30, 2023, from project consultants Jeff Speck and Tim Love discussing a vision of a thriving downtown and two leading design scenarios currently under consideration.
WHY ARE WE MAKING A NEW PLAN FOR WATERTOWN SQUARE?
To create lively public spaces
To create street design that promotes safe walking, biking and public transit usage
To ensure that small businesses can thrive
To promote shared public-private open spaces that are activated and expanded, with more access to the Charles River
To create expanded housing options
To explore more opportunities for public art
To reuse, enhance, or preserve the Square’s most significant historic structures
To make the Square a destination for residents and visitors alike, with attractions for community members to visit and spend time
An overview in chart form of the timeline of creating the Watertown Square Area Plan
What will we be working on?
Existing Conditions Analysis
Identifying travel paths and desire lines, synthesizing takeaways from the previous plans such as Watertown’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and Walkable Watertown
Public Engagement Plan
Stakeholder engagement, Polis Online Survey, Design Charrette event
Urban Design & Redevelopment Scenarios
Potential development opportunities, public realm recommendations (street reconfiguration/road diet), urban realm design
Transportation and Parking
Detailed conceptual plan for redesigned street right-of-ways, implementation timeline, high level peer review
Rezoning
Development of a tiered zoning approach, MBTA Communities analysis, public engagement via webinar and WCATV
An image of Watertown Square with labels identifying important locations for the plan. The labeled areas are displayed below.
1. View facing Watertown Square intersection
2. View of Charles River from Greenway path
3. View of automobile dominated stretch of Arsenal Street
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a charrette?
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.
How can I stay updated on the project?
Sign up for updates, announcements, and more here.
I have a question or concern about this project. Who can I reach out to?
You can reach out to the project team at team@watertownsquareimprovements.com or email Watertown City Planning at planning@watertown-ma.gov.
You can also submit a comment here.
resources
Watch the Recordings of the Hearings
Joint Hearing Resources and Materials
Public Comment Submissions for Joint Hearing on 6/13/24, 6/27/24, and 7/16/2024
Materials from the April 4, 2024 Public Forum
Materials from the February 29, 2024 Public Meeting
Materials from the November 2023 Charrette Series
Kitchen Table Conversation (KTC) Resources
Presentation from Kick-off Event on October 17, 2023
Background Information
