Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The Board of Selectmen hope to “swap” land with the Natural Resources Commission in order to come to an agreement over parking in the area.
The town will move forward with a new senior center at the old American Legion site, which leaves town boards and committees to once again sort out the parking situation at the tight plot. Selectwoman Terri Tsagaris said there are a few options on the table for the now vacant plot at 496 Washington St. at a Monday meeting. The town could reclaim spaces at Needham Bank, which are currently being used by high school staff until the school’s parking lot is built. Spaces on Washington Street could be devoted to the site during specifically allotted hours. Also, there’s Morton Park, located directly across from the site and next to the Wellesley Police Department, which is held by the Natural Resources Commission, Tsagaris said. Two members of …
42.29921
-71.28856
496 Washington St, Wellesley, MA
/articles/parking-still-an-issue-for-american-legion-senior-center-site
/locations/7073215
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Local officials host a series of meetings about reducing traffic by way of mixed-use communities along the secondary highway.
Route 9 is one of Massachusetts’ most historic roadways. It bisects the enitre state laterally, providing access to many of Massachusetts’ smaller towns and includes many shopping options along the entire road. However, it’s common traffic lights and single-lane areas can cause a gridlock nightmare for those who have to commute on the highway near the urban centers of Boston and Worcester. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council along with the MetroWest Regional Collaborative will begin a series of meetings May 22 on how to reduce traffic on Route 9 by way of a method called Smart Growth, which includes the strategic placement of mixed-use facilities – residential, commercial and retail in one location – along the highway. MAPC …
42.29633
-71.43712
100 State St, Framingham, MA
/articles/what-s-in-store-for-route-9
/locations/6986011
The steps have been blocked off for months for safety purposes.
The front steps to the Wellesley Free Library’s main branch have been roped and coned off for months, but why? Ann Howley, chair of the Wellesley Library Board of Trustees, e-mailed in to shed some light on the situation: “The stone steps have come loose and are a hazard to walk on so they are roped off for safety,” she said. “It has been determined that they have come loose due to a drainage problem so the drainage issue will need to be dealt with along with resetting the steps to secure them. Planning is underway and work will begin as soon as possible and be completed as quickly as possible.” Howley said she could not provide specifics as to when the steps may be fixed.
42.29713
-71.29132
Wellesley Free Library
530 Washington St, Wellesley, MA
/articles/drainage-issue-slows-repair-of-library-steps
230399
/locations/6983698
President Barack Obama came out in support of gay marriage yesterday.
In the wake of North Carolina's decision to amend its Constitution to ban same sex unions, The Guardian website has created a model looking at gay rights in each state. According to the graphic, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont, along with Washington state, Iowa and the District of Columbia, have the most rights afforded to gays. Massachusetts allows: Massachusetts prohibits: Also, Massachusetts' hate crime laws include crimes committed based on gender identity or sexual orientation. In addition to comparing states' level of gay rights, the Guardian graphic allows you to log in through Facebook and see what rights are afforded in the states where all your Facebook friends live.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
After a decade of work, public meetings, planning and construction, Newton and state officials celebrated yesterday the completion of the Lower Falls pedestrian/bike bridge, which crosses the Charles River and connects Newton and Wellesley.
Officials in Wellesley and Newton celebrated the opening of a Lower Falls bike bridge yesterday.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
MassDOT spokesman Michael Verseckes said the bridge’s completion should still be on schedule.
The Rockland Street Bridge has been blocked off for months without so much as a nail being hammered at the site. But construction activity could return in early June after a plan redesign is completed this week. Due to the redesign, however, the $1.7 million cost of the bridge replacement will likely go up. Massachusetts Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Verseckes said today the cost increase is unknown but will become clear sometimes after the redesign plans are finalized. The project required a new plan after workers found that the bridge abutments were too small. “If we’re looking to place blame on something one can look to the age of the plans to see there was some faulty information we were going off of to begin with,” he…
42.30829
-71.27855
Rockland St & Washington St, Wellesley, MA
/articles/massdot-rockland-street-bridge-cost-will-increase
/locations/6966266
Friday, May 4, 2012
The newest member of the Board of Selectmen told a crowd of about 40 Wednesday that while the board anticipates an amicable end to the situation at St. James, the town could at some point be forced to evict the parishioners.
At a Wednesday night meeting to discuss the St. James The Great Church land property transaction, one member of the Board of Selectmen said that parishioners, intent on hanging on to the closed church, could be removed eventually by force. Donald McCauley said that once the parishioners – who have been holding a vigil at the church since it closed in 2004 – have exhausted their appeals in court, the town can ask them to leave, according to Boston.com. “If they don’t have the right as a matter of civil law to be in the church – at that point, the town will have to ask them to leave,” he said in the story. McCauley is hopeful, however, that push does not come to shove and, according to Boston.com, the parishioners would sooner leave the …
42.30489
-71.31802
St. James The Great Church
900 Worcester St, Wellesley, MA
/articles/mccauley-eviction-of-parishioners-could-involve-police
256863
/locations/6936220
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
The Board of Selectmen unanimously passed a measure last night, which allows restaurants with a minimum of 50 seats to apply for alcohol licenses.
Cafe Mangal, Susu Bakery and several other smaller Wellesley restaurants may soon be able to serve beer, wine or a liquor drink at a customer’s request. The Board of Selectmen last night passed a measure, which allows restaurants with a minimum of 50 seats to apply for an all-alcohol license effective today. Until today, restaurants had to have a minimum of 100 seats to apply for a license to serve alcohol. There are 17 available all-alcohol and six beer and wine only licenses, according to Hans Larsen, executive director of general government services. The board’s approval was the final step toward the passage of the amended bylaw. The town voted overwhelmingly in favor of the new regulations at the March 13 election. Not everyone in the …
42.295231
-71.293236
Blue Ginger
583 Washington St, Wellesley, MA
/articles/new-regulations-pass-allowing-small-restaurants-to-apply-for-alcohol-licenses
92127
/locations/6910729
42.2976
-71.29005
Wellesley Town Hall
525 Washington St, Wellesley, MA
/articles/new-regulations-pass-allowing-small-restaurants-to-apply-for-alcohol-licenses
230390
/locations/6910730
Monday, April 30, 2012
Land use restrictions have caused the state branch of the ACLU to take notice.
Due to use restrictions in the sale agreement of the property, The Massachusetts branch of the American Civil Liberties Union is checking into the sale of 900 Worcester St. – The St. James The Great property. The potential sale restricts future use of the property from becoming a stem cell research facility, an abortion clinic or a site where assisted suicide is performed for 90 years. An ACLU lawyer told Boston.com that this may be a case in which religion would dictate how a town uses public land. “This is the government accepting a restriction on what the public can do with this property and on what the government can do with it based on canon law,” Sarah Wunsch, staff attorney for the ACLU, told Boston.com. “That is allowing a …
42.30489
-71.31802
St. James The Great Church
900 Worcester St, Wellesley, MA
/articles/aclu-looking-at-st-james-purchase
256863
/locations/6904437
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The meetings begin in May.
The town will hold a series of public informational meetings regarding the potential acquisition of 900 Worcester St. the St. James The Great church property, according to Wellesley planning director Meghan Jop. Meetings: Neighborhood meeting Tuesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. in Great Hall, Town Hall. Public meeting Wednesday, May 2 at 9:00 a.m. at the Library Public meeting, Thursday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Great Hall Public meeting, Sunday, May 6 at 3:00 p.m. at the Police Station (people must park on street or at the former American Legion.) A June 13 Special Town Meeting will decide officially whether the town will acquire the property.
42.30489
-71.31802
St. James The Great Church
900 Worcester St, Wellesley, MA
/articles/town-to-hold-st-james-public-meeting-series
256863
/locations/6880862
Mark Nikolewski
10:18 am on Friday, May 11, 2012
As a new home owner on Rt. 9 this is sound like encouraging news. On a related note, I have toyed with the idea of starting some kind of initiative/awareness program to beautify our stretch of 9 through town. There are many dilapidated fences that are literally falling over. They're a real eyesore for everyone who has to pass them. Also, speaking of fences - I am currently researching what plants… more ›