COOP DRAWING

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

As you are undoubtedly aware, the Coop has recently sent members a letter describing the need for its proposed addition, along with a sketch of the anticipated appearance of Palmer Street with the new building. The same rendering appeared on the CRIMSON front page recently.

Many questions could be raised over this action of the Coop: are members, even those who do not endorse the design of the new addition, paying, indirectly, for the letter; what influence will the letter have upon deliberations of the Cambridge Zoning Board of Appeals; etc. (see the Coop letter for more issues). However, my concern is whether the proposed additions will, as the Coop letter states, "greatly improve the appearance of the area [Palmer Street]."

I do not wish to participate in any debate on aesthetics of the Coop architecture, but feel it is important to point out that the architectural rendering provided by the Coop is grossly distorted, making reasonable judgments impossible. To wit, Palmer Street is made to appear broader and lighter than would actually be the case. In the Coop rendering, Palmer Street, curb to curb, is shown as 5.5 times the width of the West sidewalk, preserving present building and curb lines. Actually, by measure, Palmer Street is 3.3 times the sidewalk width (205/54 inches. The effect of this distortion is to make the street appear to be about 25 feet, curb to curb, instead of its actual 17 feet.

Perhaps a more accurate rendering would help those concerned with aesthetic matters (hopefully including members of the Coop's Board of Directors) to make more valid judgments. Dougias Porter   Assistant Professor of Education