Watertown 2013 Comprehensive Plan March 21, 2013 Public Forum Summary Report

Transcription

1 Watertwn 2013 Cmprehensive Plan March 21, 2013 Public Frum Summary Reprt MEETING DATE: March 21, 2013 LOCATION: TIME: ATTENDEES: PREPARED BY: Watertwn Middle Schl Auditrium and Cafeteria 68 Waverley Avenue 7:00 PM 9:30 PM Over 200 Citizens Steve Magn, Twn f Watertwn Giden Schreiber, Twn f Watertwn Danielle Evans, Twn f Watertwn Ingrid Marchesan, Twn f Watertwn Ken Schwartz, VHB Ralph Willmer, VHB Jef Fasser, VHB Geffrey Mrrisn-Lgan, VHB Matthew Chase, VHB Renee Gu, VHB Renee Gu, VHB DATE PREPARED: April 15, 2013 On Thursday, March 21, 2013, the Twn f Watertwn cnvened the first public frum fr the Watertwn 2013 Cmprehensive Plan prject. Apprximately ver 200 peple attended the frum, which was held at the Watertwn Middle Schl Auditrium and Cafeteria frm 7:00 PM t 9:30 PM. In additin t the members f the public, the frum was attended by Steve Magn, Directr f Cmmunity Develpment and Planning f the Twn f Watertwn; Giden Schreiber, Senir Twn Planner; Danielle Evans, Senir Twn Planner; and representatives frm the cnsulting team (Ken 1

2 Schwartz, AICP; Ralph Willmer, FAICP; Jef Fasser, AICP; Geffrey Mrrisn-Lgan; Matthew Chase, PE; and Renee Gu). As individuals signed in, a cpy f the meeting Agenda, several blank pst-it ntes, and a Turning Pint vting clicker were available as handuts. The meeting included fur sectins. The first sectin invlved a Live/Wrk bard exercise and a Wrd Art exercise while peple were signing in. The fllwing sectin in the auditrium included a welcme and verview f the Cmprehensive Plan prject by Steve Magn, and a presentatin f what this plan will include, as well as a Snapsht f Watertwn s land use and demgraphic statistics by Ralph Willmer. The third sectin, which tk place in the cafeteria, cnsisted f six (6) breakut sessins facilitated by representatives frm the cnsulting team. In every breakut sessin there were six (6) discussin grups, each fcusing n the Challenges and Opprtunities in ne r tw unique gegraphic regins f Watertwn. After the pen huse discussins, the public gathered in the Auditrium again fr the final Reprt Back sectin f the frum, during which each facilitatr summarized the majr themes frm the grups they participated. The visualized results f the Wrd Art exercise at the beginning f the frum were als presented t the public. A cmmunity survey with seven questins was participated by the public using the Turning Pint survey system prvided by the cnsulting team. The results f each questin were instantly displayed n the screen t give peple a better sense f what their neighbrs pinins are t create a better Watertwn. The public frum was wrapped up with a Next Steps verview, which prvided infrmatin n future public events and varius appraches fr the public t get invlved. The fllwing sectins prvide the highlights f the Live/Wrd bard exercise, the Wrd Art exercise and breakut sessin discussins, as well as results frm the cmmunity survey. Live/Wrk Bard Exercise The Live/Wrd Bard exercise was designed t visually understand wh frm which part f the cmmunity attended the event and hw well different neighbrhds were represented. As peple were signing in, they were directed t the Live/Wrk Bard by the sign in table which displayed an aerial map f the Twn f Watertwn. They then indicated n the map where they live r wrk in r ut f the cmmunity, using green push pins fr places they live and yellw pins fr places they wrk. The result, as seen in the fllwing pht, shws that mst f the neighbrhds in Watertwn were well represented by residents and lcal wrkers. A significant number f peple indicated that they wrk utside f Watertwn in Cambridge, Bstn, Waltham and ther places. 2

3 Wrd Art Exercise The Wrd Art exercise als tk place at the beginning f the public frum while peple were signing in. Each individual was prvided with tw blank pst-it ntes in the handut package befre they were directed t tw bards by the sign-in table. They were advised t write dwn ne wrd r phrase n the nte that they believed best describes Watertwn s Assets tday and pst it n the cmmunity assets bard and anther wrd r phrase that best describes Watertwn s Issues tday fr the cmmunity issues bard (see picture n the right). All the wrds n each bard were then typed up n cmputer t generate a wrd clud image using an nline tl called Wrdle. While every wrd/phrase shws up in the clud image, the nes that were mentined mre frequently ppped up in bigger fnts. The results, as shwn belw, have revealed majr themes f what peple like the best abut Watertwn and what they think shuld be imprved the mst (see Cmmunity Assets and Cmmunity Issues image). 3

4 Majr Assets: Prximate lcatin t Bstn The Charles River Diversity Cmmunity and peple Majr Issues: Traffic Overdevelpment and density Transprtatin and parking N trees and lack f green space Schls Rad repair Over-paving and lack f street curbs Watertwn Square 4

5 Breakut Sessins The breakut grup sessins tk place in the cafeteria. Six (6) statins were set up in the rm, each equipped with a large frmat map fcusing n ne r tw unique gegraphic regins in Watertwn, including: Statin 1: Neighbrhd Statin 2: Watertwn Square and Clidge Square Statin 3: Pleasant Street and Charles River crridr Statin 4: Galen Street and Mt. Auburn Street crridr Statin 5: Main Street crridr Statin 6: Arsenal Street crridr There were six (6) discussin sessins rganized. Each sessin lasted 15 minutes, during which interested individuals gathered arund a specific statin facilitated by a member f the cnsulting team and discussed challenges and pprtunities faced by that area f the twn. Befre the end f each discussin sessin, the public were asked t write dwn, respectively, what they thught the challenges and pprtunities were n tw pst it ntes and place them n the Challenges and Opprtunities sectins n the large map (see phts belw fr example). Each attendee had the pprtunity t rtate freely t ther statins f their interests fr each new sessin. 5

6 The fllwing summary highlights the majr themes frm the discussins at each statin. Statin 1: Neighbrhd Challenges: - Develpment density There is heightened cncern abut density f develpment, particularly with the recent multi-stry residential develpment alng Pleasant Street. Cncern was als expressed abut smaller huses being trn dwn in rder t build larger structures that dn t fit int existing neighbrhds. - Aging husing stck Watertwn s lder husing stck presents challenges in terms f upkeep, maintenance, energy efficiency, etc. - Public schls The impact f lsing yung families wh are chsing t live elsewhere due t lack f cnfidence in the public schls (real r perceived). - Parking ban the vernight street parking ban has resulted in the ver-paving f huse lts in rder t accmmdate parking demands n-site, including paving ver sidewalk medians - Rad and sidewalk maintenance General lack f trees, sidewalks and curbs within certain neighbrhds; pr cnditin f rads. - Pedestrian cnnectins Existing neighbrhds are nt well cnnected t ne anther. Need t prvide better pedestrian and bicycle access t the Charles River (especially frm the Riverside and West End neighbrhds) - Vehicular access and circulatin Watertwn is perceived as a drive-thrugh Twn: cmmuters cutting thrugh neighbrhds in rder t get t the Turnpike, Cambridge, etc. - Land use cmpatibility - Lack f transitin areas/buffers between residential and cmmercial/industrial land uses. - Aging ppulatin Lack f facilities fr Watertwn s grwing elderly ppulatin, including senir husing, assisted living and nursing facilities. Opprtunities: - Cmmunity facilities Prvide mre cmmunity facilities (such as dg parks, cmmunity gardens, twn pl, jazz clubs) and a neighbrhd center in the West End - Green identify starting with a mandatry twn-wide recycling prgram - Trees, rads and sidewalks Dedicated Twn-wide tree planting, radway and sidewalk maintenance prgram, including creating pprtunities t place cable and wires undergrund 6

7 - Cntinuatin f bike path - Neighbrhd branding prgram Prmte and celebrate Watertwn s distinct neighbrhds- their identity, rich histry, culture, fd, etc. Statin 2: Watertwn Square and Clidge Square: Challenges/Opprtunities: Watertwn Square: - Traffic Cngestin Vehicle queues are an issue, and t many vehicles run red lights. The traffic signal needs t be retimed and the gemetry needs t be reviewed ptentially diverting traffic t ther streets (Charles River Rad). There als needs t be mre plice enfrcement fr the red light runners. - Parking Parking is nt accessible fr stre frnt businesses. Parking shuld be mre easily accessible t stimulate a healthy business climate, ptentially add mre n-street parking. - Nt a Destinatin Traffic mainly travels thrugh square with ther destinatins nt being the square. Need t accmmdate the pedestrian and make the square a destinatin with new businesses and pedestrian accmmdatins. Cnsider capitalizing n its assets with the Charles River being s clse; farm markets, cafes, etc. Cnsider adding husing and ptentially building ver parking lts. - Pedestrian Accessibility Pedestrian crssings are pr and there is a lack f pedestrian amenities. Need t prvide better crsswalks r verhead walkways. Clidge Square: - Streetscape The Square lacks identity. There is a need fr mre street trees making this mre f a Twn Center. Cnsider prviding mre hardscape t narrw pavement width and accmmdate cafes, bicyclist, and the pedestrian. - Traffic Calming There is t much fcus n car travel. Traffic calming measures are needed t slw traffic dwn and make it safer fr pedestrians. - Lack f Character The Square is lacking character including building facades. The buildings need t be enhanced and destinatin businesses need t be brught in. Statin 3: Pleasant Street and Charles River crridr Charles River Crridr Challenges: 7

8 - Mre access t the river There is limited access t the river, especially west f Watertwn Square. There is a need fr imprvements t crssing Pleasant Street t get access t the river. - Maintenance and cleaning f the riverfrnt - Maintenance f Charles River path needs attentin, invasive plants- better plant maintenance, pisn ivy and desire t keep this beautiful area clean. - Develpment issues alng the river - need mre cntrl ver building mass t limit versized building blcks; avid verdevelping the river, keep it wild; sustain histrical characters; reverse excessive pavement t green tree friendly spaces and plan fr healthy tree canpies in the lng term. - Amenities Need better lighting and trash receptacles. - River crssings Interest in adding mre placed t crss the river. Charles River Crridr Opprtunities: - Mre / imprved riverfrnt activities Revamp/expand the existing pl Cultural, arts and cmmunity events, such as fd trucks, festivals, cncerts, and pen markets, cmmunity garden, etc. Increase recreatinal pprtunities, such as picnic tables and seating area, bike and bat rental, tennis and basketball curts, etc. Make the river walk a destinatin park. - Imprve paths fr pedestrians and bicyclist Ideas include: Tw paths: ne fr bikes, ne fr pedestrians; lighting alng paths- all the way t Waltham t keep it pedestrian friendly. - Imprve / celebrate cnnectins - Mre access t river walkways t make the river mre a part f Watertwn, e.g. prvide ft and bicycle bridge t ther side; cnnect Arsenal park t Charles River Path alng Charles River Rad; Encurage cnnectins t the river walkways frm ther cmmunities such as Bstn, Kendall Square, etc. t ptentially attract new businesses. - Preserve the river - Respect river eclgy; preserve, prtect and upgrade this special natural habitat accrding t state f the art cnservatin principles. 8

9 - Develpment pprtunities near the river Cafes; small htel alng riverside; n mre canynizatin (tall develpments darkening the sun by the river). - Preserving and enhance wildlife and educatinal pprtunities Hlding wildlife/cnservatin classes r wrkshps dwn n the river fr kids, and prtecting river and wetlands. Pleasant Street Challenges: - Develpment alng Pleasant street will need careful cnsideratin T much high density husing/big cnd develpment t clse t the river Overwhelming building massing: need mre set back frm the river and street Lack f chesiveness and unifying character; need better design standards All river brderline develpments shuld include public access t the river and maintain these access pints New develpment shuld enhance instead f disrupt riverfrnt pen spaces Lack f cnsideratin n the twn s ability t absrb increased traffic and demand n public services resulted frm new develpment Imbalanced develpment: t many residential, lack f mixed use Shuld utilize the river view in better ways: business vs. parking garages - Transprtatin, Traffic, and radway Traffic n Pleasant St. exceeded its capacity, need mre traffic calming/decngestin slutin Lack f public transprtatin services Crdinate utility rad wrk with city rad wrk- rads get ruined sn after they are dne Need t imprve walkability and bike safety Lack f parking - Relatin t the river and views need mre lighting and safety alng river paths; enhance, rather than blcking, views and access t the river frm Pleasant St; need t limit industry frm taking all the water views - Character f Pleasant Street cld, industrial feeling; lack f trees; nt pedestrian friendly Pleasant Street Opprtunities: 9

10 - Imprve transprtatin reduce/limit cngestins; prmte public transprtatin t husing and shpping alng Pleasant St; prvide bike lanes t encurage biking; ; imprve pedestrian envirnment t encurage walking - Strategize future develpment rezne the crridr fr mre retail n grund level and balance mixed uses; need mre businesses t prvide recreatinal pprtunities alng the river, such restaurants, cafes, etc.; enfrce better design standards t make Pleasant St a mre pleasant destinatin; bring R&D business alng the crridr; require green pen spaces and access t the river prvided by the develpment - Utilize pen spaces in better ways and prvide mre cnnectins create eclgy/natural learning centers fr kids and adults; imprve playgrund facilities and cnsider an utdr ice skating rink and dg park; prvide better cnnectivity frm Arsenal park t the riverfrnt park; prvide signage like with Waverly Trail with infrmatin n histry and nature - Make the river a mre significant destinatin f the Twn reclaim the riverfrnt fr the public (rather than private uses); cnsider bring mre activities t the river like bat rental, skating park, river park, etc. Statin 4: Galen Street and Mt. Auburn Street crridrs Galen Street Challenges: - Traffic cngestin: cnstant bttleneck; traffic cnditins cmplicated by bus statin; better traffic management/light timing needed; Galen St. discnnected frm the rest f the Twn because f cngestin in Watertwn Square - Pedestrian/bicycle safety: Difficult t access the bus statin; need mre pedestrian amenities; mre crsswalks - Streetscape imprvements: Need mre green space in bth area and distributin, as well as mre trees - Land use: N cmmunity feel- just a cnnectin t Mass Pike; t many aut businesses; revise zning and add design criteria Galen Street Opprtunities: 10

11 - Streetscape: Landscaping; wider sidewalks and mre pedestrian amenities; trees and planters - Land use: Mixed-use buildings; increased density; mre amenities at bus statin; planned cmmercial crridr with mre small businesses; create develpment in MBTA yard (mvie theater) - Pedestrian cnnectins: Prximity t Watertwn Square, Charles River parkland and bus statin - Charles River: Expand parkland Mt. Auburn Street Challenges: - Traffic cngestin: Traffic flw and safety alng the crridr, and in area arund Mt. Auburn Cemetery; lts f pass-thrugh traffic; need traffic calming; enfrcement f traffic laws; rad striping and turn lanes - Pedestrian/bicycle safety: Pedestrian and bike safety; wider sidewalks; multi-mdal streets; mre crsswalks; traffic signals difficult fr bikes and pedestrians - Transprtatin: Better bus service needed, especially during peak hurs; bus shelters and ther amenities; parking - Streetscape imprvements: Replace trees that are remved; snw remval is an issue; mre green areas and benches - Land use: Need mre restaurants and night life t attract hipsters; n identity as a neighbrhd; zning changes t enable better usage f the land mixed-use develpment and grwth; fragmented land use Mt. Auburn Street Opprtunities: - Streetscape: Landscaping and design standards; wider sidewalks and mre pedestrian amenities; trees and planters; façade imprvements; dedicated bike lane - Land use: Mixed-use buildings n mre single-stry retail; planned cmmercial crridr with mre small businesses; maintain histrical building and repurpse/reuse ld buildings, including library; mre single-family hmes; mre clustered husing/increase density; encurage utdr seating at cafes and eateries; accentuate and cultivate the cmmercial areas alng Mt. Auburn/mre diverse mix f cmmercial uses; cmmunity gardens - Clidge Square: Needs an identity; pedestrian friendly utdr amenities; emphasize ethnic markets and restaurants 11

12 - Recreatin: Maintain fields rather than build new nes - Pedestrian cnnectins: Mre pedestrian amenities; prvide simple bump ut crssings t majr rads- cnnect neighbrhds n each side - Transprtatin: Mre cnnectins t Harvard Square; traffic calming Statin 5: Main Street crridr Challenges: - Traffic cngestin caused by thrugh traffic t Waltham and mrning traffic frm Waverly Avenue t Watertwn Square - Incmpatible land use / lack f cnsistency and cherence thrugh crridr - Unfriendly pedestrian envirnment caused by pr street tree maintenance and sidewalk repair, inadequate traffic calming measures, and pr crsswalk signaling - Lack f cmmercial diversity: t many banks; n real destinatin area r interesting shps fr brwsing in the square - Cnflicts between autmbiles, cyclists, and pedestrians: make Main Street ne lane in each directin, add bike lanes, trees and walking path - Inadequate parking space - Need mre green spaces and trees; better streetscaping - Incnsistent design: bus shelters, lighting, clr f sidewalks, granite curbs - Lack f place identity, unattractive spaces: need zning fr imprved architectural aesthetics and landscape Opprtunities: - Mre mixed use develpment with mre height: residential and cmmercial, increasing nightlife - Intrduce mre diverse businesses and create interesting destinatins: mre businesses aimed at yung families; places like bkstre, lcal restaurants and eateries, arts and crafts stres, ice cream shps, butiques, and mvie theater etc. - Imprve streetscape and pedestrian envirnment t encurage ft traffic and prvide gd access t businesses: create green and safe recreatin paths alng Main Street with imprved sidewalk, mre benches/seating fr peple t hang ut, pedestrian island in middle f street, better signage, timed stp lights (as in Clrad Spring), bus shelter, 12

13 neighbrhd pcket parks, and mre street trees and plants(shuld encurage all develpments t incrprate lng-term, majr shade tree infrastructure) - Traffic calming: mre plice presence; ticketing cars; cnsider making the street ne way nly-like Harvard Square - Highlight Watertwn s rich histry and histrical significance; emphasize building aesthetics t make Main Street mre visually pleasing - Placemaking/encurage mre cmmunity events and activities: Prmte Gre estate: it feels s discnnected frm everything while it culd be mre tied int the twn Imprve and utilize Saltnstall Park: link it t the middle schl park; need mre wrk t make the park welcming t pedestrians; hld cultural events, summer cncerts, farmer s market and street fairs in the park; Develp a cmmunity garden ff Main Street fr west end f twn Ptential fr a dg park New spray park at ld plicy statin - Imprve parking situatin: parking behind retail reinfrces the Main Street cre - Cnnect t the Charles River: cnnectivity acrss Main Street frm the nrth t the river Statin 6: Arsenal Street crridr - Crridr shuld be mre pedestrian friendly, nt as vehicle dminated as it is nw - Slw-dwn traffic - Prvide better pedestrian and bicycle cnnectins t abutting residential neighbrhds - Prvide gd cnnectins frm neighbrhds t the nrth f Arsenal t the Charles River suth f Arsenal - The crridr needs mre street trees - Extend the bike path all the way t Watertwn Square a wman frm a Watertwn bicycle grup said there are plans t extend it t the Square, but land acquisitin is needed first - Extend bike path t the Charles River - There are many big buildings and big parcels ripe fr redevelpment they shuld be redevelped at a smaller scale than their current use r histric use, mixed use redevelpment is preferred als - The area shuld have a dg park 13

14 - Extend the dwntwn area (Watertwn Square area) dwn Arsenal t be an extensin f dwntwn, and create a new Twn Center with small shps, restaurants - The crridr culd use a small htel, restaurants, small shps, higher-end ffice uses - The prpsed park at the eastern end f Arsenal by the Charles will be a nice asset Cmmunity Survey After the Reprt Back n the breakut sessins, the public participated in a cmmunity survey that ffered them an pprtunity t quickly give their pinins n seven questins asked. Turning Pint techniques were used fr the survey, allwing the public t see the results f each survey questins instantly. The results are as fllws Hw lng have yu lived in Watertwn? a. Less than ne year (3%) b. 1 3 years (8%) c years (23%) d years (22%) e years (13%) f. Mre than 30 years (30%) 2. What types f husing shuld be encuraged in Watertwn? Chse all that apply. a. Single-family hmes (30%) b. Twn hmes and tw-families (23%) c. Multi-family in residential buildings (10%) d. Mixed use multi-family structures (25%) e. Accessry dwelling units (9%) f. Nt sure/nne (3%) 1 Nte that percentages that d nt equal 100% are due t runding. 14

15 3. What are the tw mst pressing transprtatin needs? a. Imprve cnditin f radways (16%) b. Build and/r repair sidewalks (16%) c. Reduce cngestin (25%) d. Prvide mre public transit ptins (15%) e. Increase bicycle/pedestrian access and safety (29%) f. Nt sure/ther (0%) 4. What are the three things yu wuld like t see in Watertwn Square? a. Mixed use develpment with husing (12%) b. Increase density by increasing the height f buildings (3%) c. Restaurants (17%) d. Retail mix (24%) e. Offices (2%) f. Start-up businesses (7%) g. Mre parking (10%) h. Streetscape imprvements (24%) i. Nt sure/ther (1%) 5. What d yu think is the biggest advantage Watertwn has fr attracting business? a. Quality f life/husing (5%) b. Presence f ther specific industries (1%) c. Reginal lcatin/access (73%) d. Availability f develpment-ready sites (9%) e. Wrkfrce quality and availability (8%) f. Educatinal attainment (2%) g. Nt sure/ther (2%) 6. Are yu satisfied r dissatisfied with the amunt f recreatinal facilities such as parks, playgrunds, and ballfields? a. Very satisfied (17%) b. Smewhat satisfied (33%) c. Neutral (14%) d. Nt very satisfied (24%) e. Very dissatisfied (11%) 7. What shuld be the pririty fr redevelpment f the Pleasant Street crridr? a. Husing (5%) b. Mixed-use (45%) 15

16 c. Cmmercial uses (6%) d. Retain the existing mix f uses (2%) e. Nt sure (42%) 16