My presentation from last night's meeting

Community Presentation of Harvard University's Allston Master Plan by Harry Mattison

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:18 AM

    So I was "yeah" the shuttles starting. Then "boo" the closest stop is either the hi lab or Harvard stadium. Not one stop in the neighborhood I could see anyway. If true, at this point I need to take the bus to get to the shuttle and nothing has been gained here so far I'm afraid

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  2. Harry: Excellent presentation, a solid analysis of the Harvard "watch the birdie Institutional Master Plan". It is great to see somebody with your know how and gumption standing up for the neighborhood. The community group runs the real risk of being a rubber stamp for the University and the BRA.
    In terms of the appearance of conflict of interests I am not sure that it is a good idea to have BRA employees sit on the committee. Your efforts to raise the community benefits discussion above the usual somewhat tawdry maneuver of throwing a few bucks at favored groups to placate the locals is a path worth pursuing.
    The University has a large development apparatus that has to keep busy so sometimes they just spin their wheels. They have plenty of venture capital to subsidize their operations.
    The achievement of owning both the old Charlesview property and the new Charlesview property is a testament to the savvy ways of John Harvard.
    Maybe you might get just community members together and develop a community vision for the neighborhood rather than be always only reacting to the BRA/Harvard tag team.
    The way that the proposed road "Stadium Drive" disappeared in the new IMP and the neglecting to mention the new dormitory for grauate students seems disingenuous on the University's part. This is a critical design issue for the neighborhood and the moving of cars away from where the people live and pay taxes. It should not be left to construction mitigation discussions. If you don't get the road in the plan now you won't have a another chance. The University seems to be using 50 years as a short term vision and a 100 plus years for the longer planning thinking. For a 400 year old institution that is not unreasonable. For the present BRA they have a 4 month window before the new order moves into the 9th floor.
    The neighborhood is lucky to have you and Brent Whelan in the clinches.

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  3. Anonymous10:54 AM

    what BRA employees on the Committee? Linda Kowlacky or Gerald Autler sit at the table but are not on the Committee. No one on the Task Force works for BRA, although some work for City in different departments.

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    Replies
    1. I do not respond to anonymous
      sorry
      Paul

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