Community Forum #1 Summary Report DISCLAIMER: Please be aware the following materials were prepared by JM Goldson, 2-20-20 through 7-21-20. To preserve their integrity, summaries and raw data collected from public engagement have not been edited and may contain inaccuracies, grammatical, and/or spelling errors. DISCLAIMER: Please be aware the following materials were prepared by JM Goldson, 2-20-20 through 7-21-20. To preserve their integrity, summaries and raw data collected from public engagement have not been edited and may contain inaccuracies, grammatical, and/or spelling errors. Watertown Community Preservation Plan Community Forum #1 Summary Report Prepared by JM Goldson 02/07/20 MAIN CONCLUSIONS Participants indicated that open space and natural resource protection is the highest priority for CPA funding (40%), followed by community housing (26%), historic preservation (18%), and outdoor recreation (16%). Participants indicated several needs and project ideas. A few of the most common include: - Acquire and protect open space and underutilized land for open space - Protect and preserve natural habitats, including the Charles River - Create bike and pedestrian trails and connectivity - Preserve and create community gardens - Protect historic houses that are threatened (acquire and convert to affordable housing or for other public use) - Protect and adaptively reuse satellite North Branch Library (among other potential sites) for affordable housing - Establish a housing trust, first time homebuyer program, and rental assistance program - Create affordable and appropriate housing opportunities for seniors and aging residents Community Engagement Report 2020 1 Watertown CP Plan Forum #1 Summary SUMMARY & BACKGROUND On January 29, 2020, the Watertown Community Preservation Committee (CPC) hosted a community forum as the first public event of a planning process that will result in the Town’s first Community Preservation Plan. Watertown adopted the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in 2016 to generate local and state funding to preserve and enhance the Watertown Community in four areas: - Community Housing - Historic Preservation - Open Space & Natural Resources - Outdoor Recreation With a newly established CPC and a new Community Preservation Coordinator, this team is working with consultants JM Goldson LLC to develop a five-year Community Preservation Plan that will guide the allocation of CPA funds through identified resources, needs, and priorities. This planning process will also establish an application process and technical assistance to help the community and the CPC kickstart this valuable new funding program. The primary purpose of this event was to a) share information with the public about CPA and b) collect input from the community about needs and priorities related to the four CPA-eligible categories. The night began with a presentation by the project consultants, followed by open house-style interactive activities. Six stations were set up around the room to both provide background information and solicit feedback from the community. Approximately 140 people attended the event. A summary of findings is presented on the following pages and a transcription of raw data is included in the appendix. Community Engagement Report 2020 2 Watertown CP Plan Forum #1 Summary PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS Participants were asked to respond to a few demographic measures to get a sense of who was in attendance and providing feedback at the community forum. This helps the project team to understand the general characteristics of participants. A summary of responses is provided below. The majority of participants: - Are current residents of Watertown (95%) - Have lived in/been associated with the community for 20+ years (66%) - Are between ages 51 and 75 (68%) → this is much higher than the community as a whole (29%) - Live in households with no children present (68%); 28% have school-age children living at home → this is fairly comparable to the community as a whole (23% of households include school-age children) Community Engagement Report 2020 3 Watertown CP Plan Forum #1 Summary Community Engagement Report 2020 4 Watertown CP Plan Forum #1 Summary Community Engagement Report 2020 5 Watertown CP Plan Forum #1 Summary PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK Key themes and take-aways from participant responses are provided below. 1. 2. 3. 4. a) Community Engagement Report 2020 6 Watertown CP Plan Forum #1 Summary OPEN SPACE & NATURAL RESOURCES Project Idea or Identified Need Number of sticky Total number note comments of star upvotes Acquire property for open space, pocket parks, gardens, etc. 12 16 - Industrially zoned parcels - Sterritt Lumber property - Wooded areas, especially on historic properties - Watertown Square Merchants Row Habitat restoration and preservation 9 18 - Connected habitat corridors - Reintroduce or support native species health - Invasives remediation - Contaminant remediation and mitigation Charles River preservation and enhancement 17 10 - Discussion around dam removal and fish ladder (not consensus) - Access - Restoration, mitigation, and preservation (erosion, invasives, etc.) Sawins, Walkers, and Williams Ponds (acquire/restore/preserve/public access) 7 12 Whitney Hill Park (protection and trail restoration) 4 10 Commander’s mansion landscaping and rose garden 1 1 Arsenal Park renovation 1 Accessibility of open space throughout town 1 OUTDOOR RECREATION Project Idea or Identified Need Number of sticky Total number of note comments star upvotes Bike/pedestrian opportunities and connections 6 17 - Access and accessibility - New trails or connections - Protection of existing trails Community gardens 5 16 Community Engagement Report 2020 7 Watertown CP Plan Forum #1 Summary Recreation opportunities and access to/along the Charles River 5 10 Bird sanctuary 2 9 Pocket parks and grass fields 5 5 - Parks with activities and amenities (exercise, games, etc.) - Parks and green spaces near senior living, employment centers, and in Western/Central areas of town specifically Sawins Pond (acquire/restore/preserve) 3 6 Dog parks or dog-friendly recreation spaces 2 2 Recreation activities at Walkers Pond (ice skating, soccer fields, etc.) 2 HISTORIC PRESERVATION Project Idea or Identified Need Number of sticky Total number of note comments star upvotes Restoration and reuse of Watertown’s North Branch Library 6 22 - Affordable/elderly housing - Meeting/event location - Incorporate green space component Protect historic homes from demolition (acquisition), especially if also 3 10 includes a green space component Parker school restoration and reuse 2 7 Protect, preserve, and restore historic cemeteries and memorials 2 3 Town hall mural restoration 2 2 Identify and protect historic sites, esp. in Watertown Square 2 1 Edmund Fowle House 2 - Climate control - ADA-compliance/access Community Engagement Report 2020 8 Watertown CP Plan Forum #1 Summary Other specific projects listed: 1 each A few received one - Galen Street bridge star. See appendix - Farmland preservation at Gore Place for details. - Marshall Place exterior restoration - Beacon School Orchard House preservation and reuse - Restore Paul Revere and Coolidge Tavern markers - Shick House for town archives - Restoration and reuse of old Police Station - First Parish of Watertown (ADA-compliance/accessibility and rehabilitation of front porch) - Commander’s Mansion restoration COMMUNITY HOUSING Project Idea or Identified Need Number of sticky Total number of note comments star upvotes Discussion around “affordability” limits and financial support programs 8 15 - Ensure truly affordable/meeting needs - First time homebuyer program - Rental assistance program - Housing Trust Housing for seniors 7 8 - Downsizing options - Congregate living - Service-rich living Reuse of Watertown’s North Branch Library for affordable housing 4 4 Purchase historic homes to protect from demolition and set as affordable 3 1 Other specific sites or recommendations: 1 each A few received one - Affordable housing for younger people (<40 years old) or two stars. - Encourage more affordable units in new development complexes See appendix for - Support ADU creation as affordable units (need zoning allowance details. first) - Parker School - Reuse instead of new development - WHA property at Nichols Ave - Rosary property - Watertown Yard (MBTA) lot - Create new affordable units (generally) 2 7 Community Engagement Report 2020 9 Watertown CP Plan Forum #1 Summary NEEDS AND IDEAS BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA EXERCISE FORMAT One station presented participants with a map of Watertown which identified the four jurisdictional districts (A, B, C, and D). Participants were asked to place a pin on the map where they live. They were then provided the opportunity to share any specific needs or project ideas for any of the four districts. Based on the overall number of responses and pins in the map, it appears that a smaller number of people contributed to this station than some of the others. A summary of responses is provided below. The majority of respondents indicated that they live in Districts B and C (69%). *stars* below indicate the level of support/number of comments around this topic. DISTRICT A - Green/open space ***** DISTRICT C - Enhance Coolidge Square (passive - Charles River conservation rec/landscaping) - Affordable housing/North Branch Library conversion *** - Protect Whitney Hill Park - Preserve public green space DISTRICT B - Green/open space/parks *** DISTRICT D - Public access to Oakley Country Club - Gore