Alex Selvig Harvard/MEPA Letter
Alex Selvig
Candidate, Boston City Council
District 9, Allston-Brighton
PO Box 35755
Brighton, MA 02135
Secretary Ian A. Bowles
EOEA, Attn.: MEPA Office
Briony Angus, EOEA No. 14069
100 Cambridge St., Ste. 900
Boston, MA 02114
Dear Secretary Bowles,
I am writing to voice my opposition to granting a Phase 1 Waiver as
requested by Harvard University for their planned science complex in
North Allston.
As presented, the university plan would not qualify for such a waiver
under the current, established guidelines. The environmental impacts
directly or indirectly caused by the Science Complex are far from
insignificant, and the existing infrastructure is certainly not ample
and unconstrained.
Examples of this include, but are by no means limited to, the
following:
· According to the DPIR compiled and provided by Harvard, winds
created by the proposed buildings will exceed BRA maximum levels.
Several other issues exist in the DPIR.
· Traffic in a large area will be severely disrupted. It should
be
noted that the Boston Transportation department has disagreed
publicly
with Harvard's mode share numbers.
· Quality of life for abutting residents will be severely
impacted due
to noise, air pollution, debris, rodents and other factors associated
with construction of such enormous scale.
· Groundwater, drainage and aquifers, some feeding into the
Charles
River, may be adversely affected by release of materials and
pollutants currently on site or commonly used in the construction
process, or by changes in their natural courses.
· Existing infrastructure at the Massachusetts Turnpike exit for
Allston-Brighton is grossly inadequate for normal traffic. The
addition of several hundred large construction vehicle trips at these
severely stressed points will have a devastating, negative effect on
transportation.
This project is highly complex, and Harvard has failed to
conclusively
demonstrate that it meets the criteria for granting the Phase 1
waiver. Detailed, deliberate, meticulous planning must be carried out
in order to definitively protect the residents and the environment in
the vast area impacted.
A full review would be the only prudent, responsible, and reasonable
way to work towards a positive end result.
Sincerely yours,
Alessandro (Alex) Selvig