Ask Harvard to extend the deadline for State Environmental review

There is a September 7 deadline for comments to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office about Harvard’s Science Complex. Considering how busy we are with the BRA’s review of this project there is no way we can review another document in the next few weeks.

PLEASE ASK HARVARD TO EXTEND THE MEPA DEADLINE FOR 30 DAYS!

The letter I wrote is below. Modify it, reuse it, or write your own, but please send something. The email should be sent to kathy_spiegelman@harvard.edu with copies to briony.angus@state.ma.us and deerin.babb-brott@state.ma.us

There is also an important MEPA review meeting on Thursday, August 23rd from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Spangler Center Auditorium at the Harvard Business School. Please attend if possible.

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Ms. Spiegelman,

I am writing to ask you to grant a 30 day extension to the comment period for Harvard’s MEPA Environmental Notification Form.

As you know, the members of the Harvard Allston Task Force and dozens of other members of the Allston/Brighton community have, and will continue, to make an impressive time commitment in an effort to complete review of Harvard’s Science Complex Draft Project Impact Report by the September 10 deadline as part of the BRA’s Large Project Review process. These meetings include:

July 9 - Harvard Allston Task Force meeting
July 16 – Harvard Allston Task Force
July 25 - Harvard Allston Task Force meeting
July 30 - Harvard Allston Task Force meeting
July 31 - Boston Civic Design Commission design review of the Science Complex
August 6 - Harvard Allston Task Force meeting
August 13 – Harvard Allston Task Force meeting
August 22 – Harvard Allston Task Force meeting
August 23 – MEPA consultation session
August 27 - Harvard Allston Task Force meeting
August 28 – Boston Civic Design Commission design review of the Science Complex
September 10 - Harvard Allston Task Force meeting

I hope you will agree that the addition of a MEPA review process with a September 7 comment deadline is more than any community could reasonably handle.

Thank you for considering a 30 day extension of this deadline to October 7 so that this important MEPA filing can receive the attention it deserves.

Sincerely,
Harry Mattison
28 Mansfield St, Allston