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Memo
To: Watertown Community Development & Planning
By: Cindy Lee, Embarc
Date: October 16, 2017
Re: Summary of Abutter Meetings
385 Pleasant Street
cc: file
This is a summary of the meetings held to date with direct abutters to 385 Pleasant Street by Blair
Hines and Natalie Adams of Verdant Landscape Architecture.
Deb and Joshua Cornelius of 38 Waltham Street met with Natalie Adams on June 30, 2017
Ms. and Mr. Cornelius were concerned with the loss of trees on the berm. A group of five silver
maples abuts their back yard. Upon inspection it was determined that none of them are in good
condition. Applicant proposed planting fast growing evergreen or deciduous trees at the angled
parking area to increase tree count.
Debbie and Josh Cornelius, Karka Busta, Jill Crabowski, and Mark Voss, residents of the three
family house at 38 Waltham Street, met with Blair Hines on July 17, 2017.
Residents of 38 Waltham were not happy about the prospect of losing the railroad
embankment/berm and the large trees on it.
The following mitigation measures were discussed:
1. Remove the assortment of fences and Jersey barrier wall along the abutter’s rear property
line.
2. Raise the back 10 feet of their property about 2 feet to create a berm that sloped up to the
development with the evergreen tree plantings at a higher location.
3. Add two shade trees to the berm and mulch.
4. Fill a depressed area to the east of their parking area about 18 inches to fill in where the
ground slopes to the neighbor to the east.
5. Clean out all the invasive bittersweet vines and prune up the shade trees along their west
property line next to the Olympia Moving company.
Danielle Morgan of 8 Swetts Court and Alberto Panza of 74 Waltham Street met with Blair Hines
on July 14, 2107.
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Ms. Morgan was particularly concerned about how the height of the five story building. The
building would be minimally visible from her rear yard and Blair showed her our cross section
and explained that the five story building would in fact appear lower than a building the size of
her house located at 30 feet from the property line. Ms. Morgan wondered whether the building
could be lowered by setting the parking at a lower elevation.
Mr. Panza was likewise concerned and thought the building should be shorter or have the
parking depressed a story. He was however most concerned about the impact of the moving
trucks that idle next to his garden and start operating at 5 AM in the morning with their backup
horns. The Olympia Moving facility is not part of this project.
Joan Gumbleton on behalf of Grace Ciccotelli of 16 Waltham Street met with Blair Hines on
August 24, 2017.
The following mitigation measures were discussed:
1. Evergreen plantings—in consideration of Ms. Gumbleton’s concern about winter
shading, we will use the Emerald Green Arborvitea, which grow much higher than
20’. On-going maintenance can prune the plant in the future to keep within the 20’
ht.
2. Per Ms. Gumbleton’s request, three dead trees and all the dead brush, etc at the pont
of the property will be removed during the clearing of the berm prior to regrading.
3. The Developer will plant two shade trees on the property -- 3-3.5” caliper—the variety
of the trees and location will be determined with Ms. Gumbleton’s input.
4. Replacement of existing fence between 16 Waltham and the berm is part of the
development plan.
Ms. Gumbleton inquired about the size of the proposed park which will be approximately 3,300
SF. She also wanted to know about the ownership at the point of the property:
End of meeting note.