Allston Construction Mitigation Subcommittee meeting notes, June 19, 2017

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The Allston Construction Mitigation Subcommittee met on Monday, June 19, 2017.  A core group  of neighbors attended, as did Christine Marini of Boston Police District 14.  Ed LeFlore represented Harvard University.  No one from City Hall attended.

 

Boston Calling

 

The  subcommittee discussed some issues that occurred during the Boston Calling festival over Memorial Day weekend at Harvard’s athletic fields.  Although many in the neighborhood said they  were pleasantly surprised at how little disruption the  neighborhood sustained, others reported:

 

• Uber/Lyft drivers speeding on neighborhood streets
  
• Confusing signs directing concert-goers to the Uber/Lyft pick-up location
  
• Confused concert-goers waiting for the 66 bus that was not operating down North Harvard Street from 11 p.m. – midnight(ish)
  
• Trash on North Harvard Street
  

 

In addition, Marini reported that on Friday night (5/26/2017), about 40 medical runs were made to the concert site.  Mt. Auburn Hospital had not been notified of the potential influx and thus had to scramble as people were taken to the ER.  Marini said that only one arrest was made – also on Friday night – in the 7-11 parking lot.

 

The subcommittee recommends that the neighborhood attend the Boston Calling debriefing meeting on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 6 p.m. in the Charlesview community  room.

 

Harvard Updates

 

LeFlore reported that scrim on the Western Avenue fencing along the new science site was removed for safety sake, but acknowledged that “rubber-necking” from vehicles into the now visible site also caused concern.  He said the university is looking at designs for new scrim along that fence, as well as potentially at the old Charlesview location.

 

The old Charlesview site will open imminently for Turner Construction parking, adding to the currently  available construction worker parking on Rotterdam Street.

 

Pile driving at the new District Energy Facility on Western Avenue near Genzyme will continue for 3-4 more weeks.  Subcommittee members noted the noise from the site, but agreed that there was no vibration to neighboring homes.

 

Although LeFlore does not speak for CSX, he said that he understands that the railroad has finished moving earth from the site at the corner of Western Avenue and Hague Street.  As the site is cleared, Harvard will take possession of the land and begin trenching for the “utility corridor” that will ultimately go under Rotterdam Street to the new science site.  He said that during the trenching, Rotterdam will remain open to traffic.  The timing of the work is uncertain, pending the CSX/Harvard transition.

 

Upcoming Meetings:

 

The subcommittee will meet at 6 p.m. in the Honan Library on:

 

• Monday, July 10, 2017
• Monday, August 14, 2017