Committee of the Whole discusses potential Lawrence School hockey rink

At the City Council Committee of the Whole meeting  Monday, Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy presented councilors with a plan to use the former Phineas Lawrence Elementary School at 258 Trapelo Road, which until recently housed the city’s Facilities Department.

Mayor McCarthy proposed two plans for the property. In one, the former school building would be transferred to the Waltham Housing Authority to be converted into affordable senior housing, similar to the former Hardy Elementary School, and the back section of the property would be transferred to the Recreation Department for a hockey rink and associated parking. In the other, the whole property would be transferred to the Recreation Department for the hockey rink.

The mayor explained that the city is 21 years into its 25-year lease of the Veterans Memorial Skating Rink on Totten Pond Road. The rink is owned by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, and she thinks it’s unlikely the city will be able to renew the lease because of recent legislation. She added that she was primarily appearing in front of the committee to assess which of the two options City Council preferred.

The idea of a new rink received general support from councilors, who emphasized a desire to support the city’s youth hockey program. Councilor-at-large Randall J. LeBlanc praised the program’s affordability, adding, “If you lose the rink, you’d basically lose Waltham Youth Hockey.”

Councilors also praised the city’s maintenance of the current Totten Pond rink, some expressing frustration that the city may lose control of it after investing in improvements. “When [the state] didn’t even want it, we came and rescued it, and have put all kinds of money into it — and now that we’ve made it into a gem they want to grab it back,” said Ward 9 Councilor Robert Logan.

In response to questions by Councilor-at-large Kathy McMeniman about how the project will impact neighbors, the mayor confirmed that the city will hold a neighborhood meeting around any construction, adding that the parking for the rink would not have access to Trapelo Road.

Nearly all of the councilors who spoke in favor of the rink also spoke in favor of building housing on the lot. Director of Recreation Kim Hebert testified that the property would be able to contain both the former school converted into housing — which the mayor said would include at least 15 units — and the proposed rink, as well as parking for both.

Councilor-at-large Colleen Bradley-MacArthur asked why this building would be converted into senior housing and not family housing, given the city’s proportional stock of senior affordable housing. The mayor said that this was informed by recommendations about family and senior housing models from WHA Executive Director John Gollinger and Assistant Executive Director Mark Johnson, adding that she would have an update on housing for the council soon.

The mayor said that she would return to update councilors once she had more detailed plans for the property, but that the update “won’t be here for a while.” She added she would also be returning soon with proposals for the last stages of renovations to the abutting property, the former Fernald State School.

Additionally, City Council committees

• revisited a previously tabled item regarding docked bike-share Bluebikes. Councilor Colleen Bradley Mac-Arthur said that the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and Engineer J. Michael Garvin will give a presentation at the Traffic Commission meeting this Thursday.
• accepted the first drafts of documents outlining long-term zoning suggestions from independent contractor CommunitySense, which the city commissioned to propose changes to Waltham’s zoning code. Ordinances & Rules Committee Chair Cathyann Harris explained that the council was still waiting for an “audit” of more immediate changes to the current code.
• approved documents for a permit for an expanded building for an MSPCA-Angell animal shelter at 62 Fourth Ave. The public hearing for this permit will resume at next week’s city council meeting.
  In the same meeting, the Ordinances and Rules Committee also discussed a proposed revision to a special permit for Middlesex Integrative Medicine for a marijuana dispensary at 305 Second Ave. Ward 4 Councilor John McLaughlin raised concerns with a recent order to vacate the company received from the Leominster City Council for another one of its stores.
• requested a formal assessment from the Law Department to divide homeowner costs for repaving the private section of Milner Street, which was proposed at last week’s City Council meeting. In addition, members of the Public Works and Public Safety Committee requested updates on repaving Kenmore Road — which has been in front of the committee since 2024 — and street openings on Marion Way and Buxton Lane, which have been in front of the committee since 2023.
• accepted edits to a revised special permit proposal for a lab space at 180 Third Avenue that would allow for two emergency generators at the site.
• unanimously approved the Waltham Public Library’s request to transfer $80,000 from the Library State Aid account for educational supplies for the new year.
  In addition, WPL Director Kelly Linehan requested that the library transfer $9,460.50 from the Library State Aid account to fund half of an updated battery system for the library’s bookmobile. Farber, a specialty vehicle company and outfitter of the Bookmobile, will pay the remaining half, according to Linehan. The Finance Committee approved the transfer with the exception of Councilor-at-large Carlos Vidal.