Rec equipment shed at Arsenal Park must be relocated

WATERTOWN -- The Watertown Conservation Commission is weighing where to move a Parks and Recreation equipment shed at Arsenal Park after determining the structure was never properly reviewed before it was built.

TOWN -- At its October 7 meeting, the Conservation Commission heard from Assistant City Manager Ken Ryan and Open Space Planner Michelle Moon on options for relocating the 16-by-14-foot, two-bay shed near the Arsenal Park skate park. One bay holds Recreation Department gear, including pickleball and other sports equipment; the other holds cross-country skis. Officials said the shed was added to construction plans sometime between 2022 and 2023 without being brought back to the commission for review, and it was installed in 2024, after which Watertown High School students began using the area around it. In May 2026 the commission voted to have the shed removed because it does not conform to the park's approved 90 percent design.

City staff presented three possible new locations: near the Commanders Mansion, next to the parking lot at the park entrance, and beside the tennis courts. The Recreation Department's top choice was the tennis court site for its proximity to the courts, though staff noted it would require removing one or two trees and lacks shade. Staff estimated the cost of demolition, removal and a new concrete pad at roughly $40,000 to $50,000, with funding not yet identified. Commission members questioned the shed's size and whether a concrete pad is necessary, and asked that any replacement not exceed the height of the existing six-foot perimeter fence. City staff said they would return with further site details and cost estimates.

Compiled from team and league reports, reader submissions, and local coverage.