Watertown planning director recommends against Ives Hill rezoning

Watertown Planning Director Mike Lumbis is recommending against a request to rezone the parcel containing the Ives Hill Country Club restaurant and parking lot. He said the proposed change conflicts with the city’s comprehensive plan, which calls for low- or medium-density residential uses in that area.

Club owner Jake Johnson is seeking a neighborhood mixed-use designation so the restaurant could operate separately from the nine-hole golf course. The designation could also allow uses including gas stations and car washes, though Johnson said he would place a deed restriction on the restaurant parcel to prevent those uses. The Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the matter Tuesday, before the City Council makes the final rezoning decision.