Quality of life during Harvard construction

The Task Force meeting on Monday (6:30 @ Honan Library) will include transportation and construction issues, so this is a good time to look at the DPIR and the promises that Harvard makes so that people whose homes are close to the construction site will be affected as little as possible.

The Task Force wrote in its comment letter for this project:

Construction mitigation measures, which will likely be of relevance for years to come, should include at a minimum attractive sound-barriers covered with greenery, sound-proof windows for abutters affected by construction-related noise, and a comprehensive plan for maintaining safety and traffic access to local streets for pedestrians, residents, drivers, and cyclists, including measures to reduce cutthrough traffic.

Harvard's response in the DPIR was:

The Proponent and the Construction Manager will work together to ensure impacts to the neighborhood are kept at a minimum. A Construction Impact Management Plan (Section 4.11) will be put in place and enforced. Appropriate signage, police details, and secure fencing will also be included. Please see Section 4.11.4 for further information.

In Section 4.11 I don't see anything about sound-proof windows, design details about a barrier wall to surround the site, or strategies to reduce cut-through traffic that could be caused by the construction. I also don't see much recognition by Harvard that this is not just one construction project that is about to start, but decades of construction that will unavoidably disrupt this neighborhood regardless of how many bulletin boards Harvard puts up.

An interesting comparison is with Massport, the operator of Logan Airport and the former employer of Chris Gordon, Harvard's chief of Allston development.

http://www.massport.com/logan/airpo_noise_sound.html
While Massport cannot eliminate noise at its source, it can neutralize its effects through one of the most extensive soundproofing programs in the country. Massport's Residential Sound Insulation Program to date has soundproofed 9,088 dwelling units, including 4,507 homes, and 36 schools. Since the program began, Massport has spent $140 million to soundproof dwellings and schools.