TOWN OF WATERTOWN • OPEN SPACE And RECREATION PLAN 2005 Update Department of Community Development & Planning Watertown, Massachusetts Final Edition Watertown Open Space Plan 2005 - 2010 This page intentionally left blank. Final Edition 2 Watertown Open Space Plan 2005 - 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS...........................................................................................................................................3 TABLE OF FIGURES...............................................................................................................................................5 SECTION 1 - PLAN SUMMARY.............................................................................................................................6 SECTION 2 - INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................7 A. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE ....................................................................................................................7 B. PLANNING PROCESS AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ........................................................................7 SECTION 3 - COMMUNITY SETTING ..................................................................................................................9 A. REGIONAL CONTEXT .............................................................................................................................9 B. COMMUNITY HISTORY.........................................................................................................................10 C. POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS......................................................................................................12 D. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS ......................................................................................14 E. ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE...............................................................................17 SECTION 4 - ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS..................................................................21 A. GEOLOGY, SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY...............................................................................................21 B. LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ...................................................................................................................22 C. WATER RESOURCES .............................................................................................................................23 D. VEGETATION .........................................................................................................................................24 E. FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE..................................................................................................................25 F. SCENIC RESOURCES AND UNIQUE ENVIRONMENTS.....................................................................25 G. ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES .......................................................................................................28 SECTION 5 - INVENTORY OF LANDS - CONSERVATION AND RECREATION INTEREST ......................30 A. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................30 B. PRIVATELY OWNED PARCELS OF SIGNIFICANT INTEREST ..........................................................38 C. PUBLICLY OWNED PARCELS (INCLUDING TOWN, PARK & CEMETERY ACRES).......................41 D. STATE AND FEDERALLY OWNED OPEN SPACE PARCELS .............................................................79 SECTION 6 - COMMUNITY GOALS ...................................................................................................................82 A. DESCRIPTION OF PROCESS................................................................................................................82 B. STATEMENT OF OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION GOALS .............................................................87 SECTION 7 - ANALYSIS OF NEEDS ...................................................................................................................88 A. SUMMARY OF RESOURCE PROTECTION NEEDS.............................................................................88 B. SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY NEEDS ..................................................................................................89 C. MANAGEMENT NEEDS.........................................................................................................................90 SECTION 8 - GOALS AND OBJECTIVES............................................................................................................91 GOALS.................................................................................................................................................................91 OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................................................................91 SECTION 9- FIVE- YEAR ACTION PLAN ..........................................................................................................95 GOAL 1: IMPROVE THE AMOUNT, ACCESSIBILITY, AND CONDITION OF WATERTOWN’S RECREATIONAL RESOURCES .........................................................................................................................96 GOAL 2: BEAUTIFY, PROTECT, AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PUBLICLY OWNED CONSERVATION AND PASSIVE OPEN SPACE...............................................................................................97 GOAL 3: PRESERVE OPEN SPACE ON PRIVATE PARCELS ........................................................................99 GOAL 4: TAKE BETTER ADVANTAGE OF WATERTOWN’S PROXIMITY TO THE CHARLES RIVER......99 GOAL 5: AGGRESSIVELY SEEK NEW FUNDING SOURCES......................................................................100 GOAL 6: MAKE WATERTOWN MORE FRIENDLY TO PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS........................100 GOAL 7: IMPROVE THE URBAN FOREST ...................................................................................................101 GOAL 8: IMPROVE EDUCATION..................................................................................................................102 GOAL 9: IMPROVE SAFETY IN OPEN SPACE AREAS ................................................................................103 SECTION 10 - PUBLIC COMMENTS.................................................................................................................106 LETTER FROM MICHAEL DRISCOLL, WATERTOWN TOWN MANAGER..................................................106 LETTER FROM JOHN HAWES, CHAIR, WATERTOWN PLANNING BOARD..............................................106 SECTION 11 REFERENCES................................................................................................................................109 APPENDIX A........................................................................................................................................................110 Final Edition 3 Watertown Open Space Plan 2005 - 2010 SECTION 504 REPORT (ADA).........................................................................................................................110 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT TYPICALS .....................................................................................................110 TYPICAL OPEN SPACE SURVEY TALLY........................................................................................................110 TYPICAL OPEN ENDED SURVEY RESPONSES #401-450............................................................................110 SECTION 504 REPORT (ADA).........................................................................................................................111 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT TYPICALS .....................................................................................................124 TYPICAL OPEN SPACE SURVEY TALLY........................................................................................................126 TYPICAL OPEN ENDED SURVEY RESPONSES #401-450............................................................................127 Final Edition 4 Watertown Open Space Plan 2005 - 2010 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1 - Regional Context.................................................................................................................................9 Figure 2 - Watertown, 1895...............................................................................................................................11 Figure 3 - Median Income by Type....................................................................................................................12 Figure 4 - Household Median Income...............................................................................................................13 Figure 5 - Watertown Zoning.............................................................................................................................14 Figure 6 - EO-418 Map 1: Existing Conditions and Future Land Use ............................................................16 Figure 7 - Infrastructure-Water Distribution and Drainage Systems................................................................18 Figure 8 - Infrastructure – Transportation System............................................................................................19 Figure 9 - Soil Types...........................................................................................................................................22