THE WOMAN WHO LOVES GODZILLA AND HAS NO PATIENCE WITH STUPID PEOPLE (WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE YOU)

I guess you could say: It’s in the eye of the beholder.

When I look at the building at 66 Galen Street, I see a monster rising out of the sea (or in this case, a river) quaking the ground as it plods onto Galen Street, where towering over the city, it snatches up pedestrians and cars in its giant hands.

 And here’s Godzilla on Galen, formerly known as 66 Galen Street.

But some of you see it differently. One member of the community likened the eyesore of a building to a giant spaceship and reminded us that the developers will be landing another giant spaceship right next to it.

Hmm. Spaceship?

My Godzilla impression came from my view of the monsterish building, while walking up Galen Street from Watertown Square. So I decided to take a second look. I walked carefully up the sidewalk brushing past the monster in order to view it from its rear end. When I reached the halfway point, I immediately gained a different perspective. It struck me, not as a monster or a spaceship but as a cruise ship.

Actually, more like a surrealistic cruise ship.

Here's a side view of the building.

 Now imagine that you live in West Watertown where Broder, the developer of the former Cannistraro site is building their life science “campus,” and something that looks like this becomes the permanent view from your kitchen window or backyard. And imagine that life science workers are relaxing on the rooftop patio, looking into your kitchen window or backyard. That’s the kind of thing that happens when nobody is looking out for you.

Then I continued my climb up Galen Street until I reached the end of the ship. Here’s a shot of it from behind.

 

It’s docked awfully close to the street. Don’t you think?

Now, here’s a shot of a real cruise ship.

What’s a key difference between 66 Galen and a real cruise ship? One can sail off into the sunset and the other stays put, casting dark, mood-dampening shadows on the miniature people and vehicles that cross its path.

I would like to think that as a city of 35,000 people, where many of us will disagree on any number of local issues, we can all come together to agree that building #1 at 66 Galen is an abomination and building #2, once it’s built, will be equally monsterish, or spaceship-ish or cruise ship-ish. Take your pick.

In today’s Watertown a similar abomination could soon be coming to a neighborhood near you – like at the former Cannistraro site and the former site of Sterritt Lumber, and anywhere else in Watertown that will accommodate a Carnival cruise ship.

You might be alarmed by this prospect, but not everyone is. In fact, for some among us, it’s party time!

The following quotes come from the same person. She is responding to comments on Watertown News, where she is countering the many people objecting to the biotech invasion, specifically 66 Galen Street and the Broder plan for the former Cannistraro site. I’ve quoted some of their alarmed, articulate comments in my previous post.

Here are some of her comments in response to theirs.

Watertown News, March 11, 2023:

“There is NO need to take action to limit biotech in Watertown. Biotech is a clean, modern industry which brings educated people and high paying jobs to Watertown.”

Watertown News, March 13, 2023:

“I am a Watertown resident for 7 years, homeowner and taxpayer. My doctor, dentist and hair stylist are located in Watertown. And, like other Watertown residents, I’m qualified for some of those biotech jobs because I put in significant time and effort to make myself qualified. I want more people like me to move to Watertown, so they can both live and work in the same town.”

Watertown News, March 17, 2023:

“There’s no need to wait for anything. What’s happening in Watertown is *modernization* and it’s a good thing. It will bring more educated people to live and shop in Watertown. I think the new buildings look great. They’re only 4 or 5 stories… not “massive” or “super high” in my opinion… and appear to be designed to fit into the landscape. Also, they’re designed to “green” standards.”

“For those who worry about “empty buildings” – don’t. All the biotech lab buildings open now or under construction in Watertown will be utilized, because lease rates will fluctuate to match demand. Remember that, in a free market, *price* adjusts to rebalance supply vs. demand. Moreover, there is still *significant* demand for biotech lab space as new small biotech start-ups open, while others lay off staff or shut down. Biotech is a fluid ecosystem, unlike other industries, so people looking in from the outside should not jump to conclusions.”

Watertown News, March 17, 2023:

“I simply disagree. It seems that modernization has a bad name with some. The truth is that, throughout history and around the world, no place stays the same over the decades and centuries. I am firmly in the camp of progress. I think the new buildings look modern and appropriate, and my opinion is as valid as anyone else’s.”

That was quite a lecture. There are more of her highly quotable comments, but I think you get her drift. I was about to summarize, but there really is no need. She is crystal clear. There is no ambiguity. And the woman who loves Godzilla is not alone. There are plenty of others who agree with her, so I am grateful that she is their spokesperson, putting it all on the record for the rest of us to see.

Watertown, my friends, is up for grabs.

Perhaps I have failed to mention this (just kidding), but we are in an election year. Can we please get at least one candidate, who runs on a pro-neighborhood and sensible progress platform and who will understand what it takes to get elected?  And who once elected, will be the councilor who always asks:

How will this decision impact this neighborhood?

Because without respecting the neighborhoods, we are at the mercy of anyone with deep pockets and a good song and dance.

In the meantime, 66 Galen stands and will continue to stand as a monument that will serve as a constant and powerful reminder of progress gone bad.

 

Bruce Coltin, The Battle for Watertown