More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office is hosting a Summer Safety Fest on Saturday, July 16 from 10am-1pm at Babson College (231 Forest St.) in Wellesley.
The free family event is for all ages, and will include games, giveaways, informational tables, and touch-a-truck activities. Food donations will be accepted to benefit the United Way.
Wellesley’s Pond Road is known for its winding and hilly course through dense forest. It’s abutted by farmland, Lake Waban, Wellesley College property, and stately homes, including some owned by the Hunnewells. It’s officially a scenic road, though has experienced a change of scenery since two homes were built near the street over the past year. Also, when you now look across Rte. 135 from the top of Pond Road you see a chain link fence topped with barbed wire in front of the railroad tracks.
Now the scenery at the top of Pond Road, near Rte. 135, could be changed significantly again. The property owner, who sold to the developer those homes at 194 and 196 Pond Road, has now apparently sold 200 Pond Rd., to an investment firm. Plans are to build a multi-story, 130,000 sq. ft. assisted living and memory care facility where a 10,000-plus sq. ft. Georgian Colonial estate with a pool and tennis court now stands. That 1990 home, on property spanning some 9.6 acres, has gone on the market in the past for nearly $10M (see dramatic realtor video).
While the address for 200 Pond Rd., is in Wellesley, the long, meandering driveway leads to a compound situated across the town line in Natick.
So exactly how the approval process for this proposal will play out in the neighboring towns remains to be seen. We reached out last week to Natick officials and will update this post if we hear back.
Wellesley officials have had an introductory briefing on the project and have shared information both during the June 27 Select Board meeting (about 27 minutes into the Wellesley Media recording) and in a follow-up email.
The Wellesley Senior Living project comes from HYM Investment Group, Balfour Senior Living & Welltower, and Robert A.M. Stern Architects. We reached out to Balfour in late June, but have not heard back.
The project team’s pitch for the 130-unit facility includes that it will “establish a world-class senior care community in a bucolic landscape” and “preserve the nature of Pond Road” in part by screening the project’s view from those traveling along the road. During summer, when the trees are full, you can’t see much of the 200 Pond Rd., property from the street, though you get a pretty good view of it from those two new homes.
The developer’s presentation to the Wellesley officials included plans to improve the 175 feet of Pond Road (which stretches 6,200-plus feet overall) between the driveway and Rte. 135.
Project planners point out that most residents won’t have vehicles, and that employee traffic will be spread out and reduced via shuttles to public transit. Still, with visitors, employees, deliveries, etc., there’s no doubt that the introduction of such a facility will make crossing Pond Road at the Rte. 135 intersection dicier for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers both during and after construction.
Balfour is an experienced developer of such projects, and has a senior living facility planned in Brookline for 2024.
Wellesley Senior Living will be located just over a mile from a new “luxury senior living” facility in Natick on Rte. 135 dubbed Anthology, which doesn’t appear to include information on its website about pricing (“If you have to ask…”). The large assisted living and memory care facility will have 86 units, and replaced a handful of houses along the Boston Marathon route.
Wellesley Select Board member Ann-Mara Lanza asked during the recent Select Board meeting whether any affordable units might be part of the Wellesley Senior Living plans. Town Executive Director Meghan Jop said she wasn’t sure, though that would be up to Natick, and whether it has an inclusionary zoning provision. The presumably kitchen-less units in such a facility wouldn’t count toward Wellesley’s housing totals, but would provide more nearby housing for seniors.
The Wellesley Senior Living plan could necessitate a rezoning of the land in Wellesley given intentions to use it for commercial activity, Jop said. The project is expected to formally go before the Wellesley Select Board at some point, and then Town Meeting after that if it proceeds.
The project developers are expected to aim for zoning approval in Natick in the fall.
More: Resources for seniors in Wellesley
Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS senior profiles we’ll be publishing.
Both inside and outside of the Performing Arts wing at Wellesley High School, Nora Jarquin ’22 has dedicated her time at the high school to building a better community in the department. Jarquin participates in numerous performing arts offerings, from chorus groups, including the Keynote Singers and the Rice Street Singers, to the selective a cappella group, Ladies First, to winter and spring musicals.
“I stay involved because of the community. All these activities have given me my best friends and a place where all types of students collaborate and bond over a shared love for music and art. I love feeling connected to every person I share these experiences with and feeling a sense of place,” said Jarquin.
Dr. Kevin McDonald, the choral director at the high school, has witnessed Jarquin’s commitment to those around her. “What makes Nora different from most is her passion for making this place better. It isn’t just about her‒she was trying to make it better for everyone involved, and she was successful in doing so. She is wanting to leave a legacy here that carries on for younger singers. She took an enormous amount of responsibility on herself to build up singers not just as singers but as people, so she has had a real lasting impact.”
Jarquin’s parents signed her up for piano lessons at the age of seven, which she continued until her sophomore year. Along with playing the piano, she joined the chorus at the middle school and began acting in eighth grade. But observing the high school’s performing arts community was what encouraged her to continue after middle school. “Hearing, standing, and singing with the high schoolers as an eighth-grader is such a crazy experience because the middle schoolers are very quiet when they sing,” said Jarquin, “And then all of a sudden, you’re surrounded by all these older kids who actually sing loud, and are having so much fun, and it makes you want to do it.”
Jarquin auditioned for both Keynotes, which focuses more on classical music, and Rice Street, which is a jazz group, and was in both for three years. This year, she was an intensive for Keynotes. Dr. McDonald noticed how exceptionally committed she was to these groups. “Nora came in with that love of singing and that love of performing, and a desire to do well. She leaves never having ever given less than 150,000% each and every day, in each and every class, in each and every rehearsal.”
Jarquin appreciates the interconnected communities that have been a part of her high school musical experience. “[Keynotes] became this massive family. And it’s really awesome because we spend time in class together and then we perform together. And most of us are in a cappella groups too, so we see each other outside of school,” said Jarquin.
She auditioned for Ladies First, an all-female a cappella group, at the beginning of her sophomore year and remained in the group for the next three years of high school. “You see how much fun these people are having when you see them perform. I remember seeing Ladies First before I was in it, and they were just so cool [and] having so much fun and you want to be a part of that so bad,” said Jarquin. “And so I immediately was like, ‘Yep, I’m auditioning.’ And I just love spending time with it and making connections and Ladies and Keynotes are unlike any other class in school.”
In her senior year, as the Ladies First music leader, she can choose songs that the group sings. For example, in October she arranged songs by Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea for the group to perform in a small concert. However, Dr. McDonald has noticed that her abilities as a leader go far beyond the music she arranges. “To me, leadership comes with two things, the desire to serve and the willingness to sacrifice, and the way that Nora went about her business is that, because she was so generous with her intentions of wanting others to experience joy and wanting others to experience success, she put the focus on other people.”
When faced with the challenge of COVID, which had shrunk performing opportunities significantly, fellow Keynotes singer Lucy Calcio ’22 was impressed by Nora’s commitment to ensuring that everyone participating would be able to experience a full year of choir. “She dove in head-first when it was getting really difficult, she ran the Instagram, she would tell all her friends to sign up for the chorus classes, and her dedication to recruit more people and get people to come to the concerts really built up the environment this year,” said Calcio.
Jarquin was also able to think creatively, coming up with activities that were both COVID-friendly and effective in developing the musical skills of students.
The virus, however, was not the only challenge Jaruin faced in her time at the high school. After participating in the musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, her voice started to feel tired. “Instead of letting it rest, I just kept singing on it, which was a learning curve on my part. And when you do it again and again for like, multiple weeks at a time, it [creates] calluses,” said Jarquin. When Jarquin finally went to the doctor, she was diagnosed with nodules and lumps on the thyroid. She did vocal therapy for eight months and eventually had surgery to remove these lumps. Jarquin could not talk or sing for two weeks following her surgery.
In her most recent musical, Mamma Mia!, she played understudy Donna. “I’ve never had a lead role like that. And it means a lot after having come such a long way with my voice,” said Jarquin. Despite the challenges she faced because of her surgery, Calcio noticed that being able to overcome this obstacle so well helped her develop as a singer. “Seeing her get back into it, while taking care of her voice, her confidence has grown so much,” said Calcio. “She has grown from being a person who did choir freshman and sophomore year, to being a leader in everything she does and taking a front position.”
Jarquin is continuing her performing arts career at Washington University, where she will be majoring in Global Studies. She hopes to join an a cappella group and perform in musicals in college.
Article written by WHS Bradford Staff: Adam Juma ‘23
It was this time last summer that the Wellesley Historical Society, as part of Phase 1 of a capital campaign, made the big move to pay off its $400k mortgage on the Stanwood House, the Society’s future offices and exhibit spaces located at 323 Washington St. The stately 5,000 sq. ft. historic building, built in 1916, was the home of notable physician Dr. Frederic Stanwood and his family throughout most of the last century. Dr. Stanwood also saw patients in a small examination room at the back of the house, and he served on the Wellesley Board of Health for over 40 years.
So if the building, purchased in 2012 for $1M, is owned free and clear, what’s stopping the Society from pulling up stakes from its current location at the Dadmun-McNamara House in Wellesley Hills and moving down the street? Wellesley Historical Society executive director Taylor Kalloch says Phase 2 of the capital campaign is all about the climate control.
“The HVAC system is the next big hurdle as far as overall building safety for the collections,” she said in a Zoom interview. “It’s definitely not collection-friendly at the moment as far as temperature and humidity goes. There’s no air conditioning and therefore also no way to dehumidify the building. For the collections we’re really striving to hit between 40% and 60% humidity in a 50-60 degree temperature range.”
In addition Kalloch says the basement, which will hold the bulk of the collection’s storage, needs significant work. Currently, heavy rains can lead to wetness in the basement, an issue that must be resolved before potentially fragile artifacts such as maps, photographs, art, and textiles can safely exist in the space.
The progress on bringing an old house built for 20th-century family living up to today’s standards as an archive repository has been slow but continual. As part of Phase 2 the first floor of the Stanwood House has been outfitted with overhead lighting. “We have LED track lighting. It’s super-functional for exhibit spaces,” Kalloch said. In addition, a picture rail has been added, the first floor rooms received a fresh coat of paint, an outdated bathroom was brought up to code and made accessible, and ramps have been installed. In addition, two expensive additions—UV blocking film on the windows, and purpose-built storage systems for safekeeping of historical collections— are needed before collections can be displayed.
“We have probably another half a million to $600k worth of construction to tackle in Phase 2,” Kalloch said, estimating that realistically it will take 18 months to two years to raise that kind money.
Until these changes are achieved the collections, including the famed 2,400 entomological specimens that are part of the Denton collection, will remain at the Dadmun-McNamara house.
Dadmun-McNamara, cramped as it is, does hold a couple of important advantages over the Stanwood House—windows that can hold air conditioning units, and a basement that stays dry during heavy rains and can ward off the damp with the aid of three dehumidifiers. It is Kalloch’s Sisyphean task to empty those dehumidifiers. Presumably the Stanwood House will get one of those fancy dehumidifying units that drains the water outside of the structure so as to relieve Society staff and volunteers of the dreaded daily bucket brigade chores.
Despite the challenges, Stanwood House can be used in certain capacities before the completion of Phase 2. “Eventually we’d like to hold some of our smaller educational groups. Book club could meet there, or we could get our board meetings back in person there. We could do small exhibit openings, things like that,” Kalloch said.
Once Phase 2 is complete, Phase 3 will kick in and the Society will work toward laying the groundwork to put together an endowment specifically to help cover the upkeep costs of maintaining a historic building. “Like any house, sometimes it feels like things break faster than you can fix them,” she said.
Are there any old-house dwellers in Wellesley who can relate?
The Wellesley Historical Society is actively seeking donations to help with the Stanwood House’s renovations. One way you can donate is to be a part of the Stanwood House Walkway Project. Community members, businesses, and organizations now have the opportunity to personalize an engraved brick that will become part of the classic red brick walkway from the sidewalk on Washington Street to the front steps of the Stanwood House, or of one of the future walkways on the property.
Proceeds from all purchases of personalized bricks will support Phase 2 of the renovations critical to making the Stanwood House a safe place to store and share its collections for generations to come. Bricks are $500 each. More information here.
The Wellesley Historical Society under the auspices of the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation has given out over 30 scholarships to graduating Wellesley High School seniors. “Our focus is education and connecting people with educational resources, and this is just another extension of that,” Taylor said.
This year’s awardees were Quinn Wayman and Dania Meyers, who each earned $1,000 to put toward their college expenses.
The Office of the Attorney General has approved a dozen Wellesley town or zoning bylaws passed at Annual Town Meeting. These cover subjects such as allowing service and consumption of alcohol on sidewalks/rights of way in commercial districts, the Wellesley Housing Authority’s board make-up, and outdoor lighting, among others.
A few other rules, including those related to accessory dwelling units and commercial gun shops, are pending.
SPONSORED CONTENT: July Jubilation is coming back in a big way to Wellesley Square on Saturday, July 16, 9:30am-4:30pm, and it will be an event to remember. Scores of merchants will have special sidewalk sales at the annual family-friendly celebration. Active and interactive games for kids of all ages will be provided by Knucklebones in a huge play space (think half the size of a standard basketball court), as live music keeps the atmosphere energetic. The rain date for July Jubilation is July 23.
Expect drinks, food, and fun for the whole family, and incredible savings as the sidewalks and streets of Wellesley Square are filled with irresistible products and discounts. The fun will also include a dunk tank, petting zoo, balloon artist, bounce house, magic tricks and lots more.
You don’t want to miss this opportunity to enjoy Wellesley Square in the summer.
Learn more about times and exact locations as they become available at ShopWellesleySquare.com
Special to The Swellesley Report courtesy of the Wellesley High School Bradford and Parents of Performing Students (POPS). This is one in a series of POPS senior profiles we’ll be publishing.
Few students can claim an ardor for performing arts as strong as Lucy Calcio’s. A member of Wellesley High School’s Class of 2022, Calcio has shone during her time in the school as both a singer and performer, being an integral part of groups including Renegade A Cappella, the Keynote Singers, and Song Sisters, and the Improv Troupe.
From a young age, Calcio loved performing, taking dance classes and dancing competitively in elementary school. In sixth grade, she started doing plays at the middle school, falling in love with theatre. By the time she started high school, she took to singing, participating in the plethora of singing groups at the high school and taking private voice lessons to improve her vocal techniques.
In her time at the high school, Calcio has participated in many plays, but the ones that stand out to her were Everyone Get Eaten by Sharks and New Works, some of her very first. “Everyone Gets Eaten By Sharks was my first speaking role as Sweet Bonnie at the high school. With this play, the cast got to participate in the METG festival, and it was such an amazing experience. New Works was a process where the Juniors cast Freshman in self-written plays. I was one of those freshman, and working closely with an upperclassman was a huge learning experience, as well as tons of fun,” said Calcio.
Outside of school, Calcio has also worked with the Wellesley Theatre Project, where she performs in many summer and winter productions. “This Summer, I was in Legally Blonde, and I got the opportunity to play one of my favorite roles, Brooke Whydham. I learn so much from WTP and have amazing friends who also love theatre,” said Calcio.
Beyond her love for performing onstage, Calcio also enjoys doing work behind the scenes, such as writing her own one-act plays. “Last year, I got an honorable mention in the Sherwood Collins Playwriting competition for a one act [play] I wrote called A Dating History,” said Calcio. “I also won the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild All-Star Actor Award in my sophomore year.”
With all this success, Calcio is tremendously thankful for the teachers that enabled her on the way. “Ms. Sullivan has been an amazing teacher and guide as I have navigated theatre in high school. I have also learned so much in my a cappella group, in acting class with my fellow Acting 4 Intensives, and from my other Improv leaders. Finally, I have been blessed to participate in our wonderful choral department under Dr. McDonald all 4 years of high school,” said Calcio.
On a personal level, Calcio has also learned invaluable lessons from performance, experiencing both the thrills and challenges that it has to offer. “Performing arts has taught me how to take risks and be vulnerable,” said Calcio. “You put all of yourself into a song, monologue, or scene, and a lot of times you have to deal with not getting chosen. Being vulnerable onstage as I try to make the audience laugh in Improv Troupe or audition for a solo in a cappella has made me grow so much as not only a performer but a person. I have gained confidence and learned how to view rejection as not a failure, but as an opportunity for something else.”
As college approaches for Calcio, so does an abundance of new opportunities. Although Calcio does not plan on pursuing a theatre degree in college, she hopes to continue her passion for performing arts however she can. “Theatre and performance is something I would never want to give up. I plan to audition for college a cappella groups, one acts, choirs, and to keep theatre in my life,” said Calcio.
Article written by WHS Bradford staff: William Liu ‘24, Tate Bannish ‘24, John Battaglino ‘24.
