City opts not to use Franklin St. water main

The city will not use a water main beneath Franklin Street to reroute water needed to serve buildings on the southwest side of Public Square.

"I think the most preferred route is the most direct route, and that is out in front of the building," City Manager Mary M. Corriveau said.

The city has spent the summer determining how best to upgrade water lines to four or so buildings on the southwest side of Public Square. The existing laterals are too small to serve commercial sprinklers, which limits developers who wish to create upper-floor apartments.

Neighbors of Watertown had planned a $300,000 renovation of the Cahill Building, 14 Public Square, to construct upper-floor apartments but placed the project on hold while the city sought a way to get a larger-diameter pipe to serve the building, and potentially its neighbors.

Thomas P. Cahill, the building's owner, said in late July that he no longer plans to develop the upper floors of his building because of the red tape associated with the project.

Wednesday morning, Mrs. Corriveau said she had not talked to Mr. Cahill and had heard of his intentions only through the Times report.

"We'll put together a cost estimate and see if the work can be done, then we'll go back to the building owner to see if the project is still a go," Mrs. Corriveau said.

A few buildings on the south side of Public Square are connected to 1-inch-diameter laterals, which are not large enough to serve commercial sprinkler systems. Such a system is needed in the Cahill Building to meet fire codes.

To upgrade those laterals through the front of each building, the city would have to excavate portions of the sidewalk and roadway that were put in as a part of the 2008 streetscape project.

The city and Neighbors had considered rerouting a lateral from Franklin Street to the Cahill Building, but underground utilities would hamper that option, Water Superintendent Gary E. Pilon said.

Mr. Pilon said he is working with Engineer Kurt W. Hauk to come up with a cost for the project.

Contractors are scheduled this week to begin replacing sidewalk and curbing along Franklin Street, between Goodale Street and Public Square. Before city officials learned the location of underground utilities in the area, the Franklin Street sidewalk project was considered a window allowing the city to hook into a water main without having to dig into new sidewalks.

Mr. Pilon also wants to get into the cellars of each affected building to determine whether any other objects would get in the way of the project.

"I have no idea what is down there," he said. "That's the next piece of the puzzle."