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.