Watertown planners deny Taft School fee waiver, approve two new dormitories with conditions

The Watertown Planning & Zoning Commission on June 17 denied Taft School’s request to waive a $140,000 land‑use application fee and approved the school’s site plan and special permit to build two new dormitories.

Attorney Stephanie Cummings, representing the Taft School, argued that the full $140,000 fee was “disproportionate with respect to the cost of review” and said the figure equaled “nearly 40% of the entire planning and zoning department’s annual budget,” a level she called inconsistent with the law. Commissioners reviewed section 3.2 of the town ordinance on fee waivers, which allows reductions only where a refiling, a demonstrated public benefit, or a commission error is documented. Finding none of those conditions met, a commissioner moved to deny the waiver; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote. Cummings said the school would tender full payment while reserving its rights.

The commission then considered a continuation of Taft’s public hearing on the proposed site plan. The application received updated stormwater and landscaping plans; Rodney Morrison, principal engineer with the LRC Group, described added bioretention swales and planted areas that, he said, bring the design into compliance with local and state stormwater standards. Staff reported that the updated design had been reviewed with the wetlands reviewer and met applicable requirements.

Jake Adams, Taft’s chief financial officer, said the two 45,000‑square‑foot dormitories would not increase the school’s total enrollment beyond 600 students but would provide modern housing capacity to de‑densify existing dorms. He said each building includes five employee housing units and would house about 68 students each; the school expects to relocate roughly 60 students immediately into the new space.

Neighbors raised concerns about scale, height, lighting and noise during public comment. Heather Allen told commissioners she was worried about a 90,000‑square‑foot addition, 60‑foot building height, nighttime light and the effect of student activity on nearby streets. Diane Jerry (North Street) described construction dust from prior work and questioned how new plantings and buffers would be sited next to her property.

Taft representatives responded that the new dorm heights are consistent with existing campus buildings and do not require a zoning variance, that exterior lighting will be dark‑sky compliant and that a substantial mature‑tree buffer and retaining walls will be installed to retain existing vegetation. Architect Robert Douglas and the owner’s representative said the corner distance from one neighbor’s property to the nearest building corner is about 64 feet and that the nearest dorm room is roughly 125 feet from that house.

After the commission made the June 9 extension letter part of the record and closed the hearing, a commissioner moved and the commission approved the special permit and site plan to construct the two dormitories with associated landscaping, walkways and stormwater management. The approvals were granted by voice vote; staff will follow up on plan details and permit conditions.

What happens next: The Taft School will tender payment for required fees and move forward with final permitting. Staff will monitor implementation of the approved landscaping and stormwater elements and any conditions the commission places on the permit.