Watertown officials debated hiring a land-use consultant for $50,000 as the town looks to put new controls on a wave of development.

The firm would create design standards for the entire town, The Watertown Tab reported. The consultant will draw up visual examples of types of buildings that meet the town’s standards.

The process is expected to take three to four months, Community Development and Planning Director Steve Magoon said.

The Town Council in June rejected a citizen petition calling for a one-year moratorium on new development along Arsenal Street, where hundreds of apartments, a hotel and new retail and office space are planned.

The projects include a repositioning of the Arsenal Mall, expansion of the Arsenal on the Charles office complex anchored by AthenaHealth, a 148-room Residence Inn by Marriott Hotel at the former Charles River Saab site and mixed-use complex between Arsenal and Irving streets, containing 37,000 square feet of retail space and 300 multifamily residences.