Hearing Debates Shady Hill Plan

The University's plans to build 300 units of Faculty housing on a site near the Divinity School met with opposition from two directions at a hearing before the Cambridge Planning Board last night.

Some of the score of witnesses who testified at the hearing thought the 300 units would be too much housing for the so-called "Shady Hill" site; others thought it was too little. Relatively few seemed to think Harvard's plans were just right.

A show of hands among the spectators revealed that fewer than 15 were in favor of the zoning change Harvard requested to permit it to construct the housing, while more than 35 were opposed to it.

The Planning Board reserved its judgment for a later meeting after the two-hour hearing ended. The board's report and recommendation will go to the City Council, where Harvard will have to face another public hearing. If the Planning Board's report favors the zoning, six of nine council votes will be needed for final approval of the change. If the report is unfavorable, seven votes will probably be required.

Rezoning

The University is asking that the 5.5 acre site be re-zoned from Residence A-2 (single-family residential) to Residence C-3 (high density residential). If the council grants the request, construction of two apartment towers of about 20 stories each, a 400-car parking garage, and nine town houses on the site will begin by late spring.

By current estimates, rents in the project will average $240 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, $290 for two-bedrooms, and $335 for three bedrooms. Harvard will pay 15 per cent of gross rentals to the City in lieu of tax payments on the property.

The strongest opposition to Harvard's request last night seemed to come from residents of the A-2 zoned district immediately adjoining Shady Hill. These residents-some 40-odd of them joined together as the Norton Woods Neighborhood Association-argued that the University's plans would damage the park-like quality of the area and could create a variety of traffic, sewage, and congestion problems.

Moreover. Edward J. Samp Jr., attorney for the Association, argued the zoning change would "give the University a blank check ... would permit the erection on this property of over 800 units of living accommodations." The Association supported building no more than 160 units of housing on the site.

Doty Supports

Only one member of the immediate A-2 neighborhood-Paul M. Doly. Mallinekrodt Professor of Biochemistry ? spoke in favor of Harvard's request, which he said "does generally furnish units which faculty in the 30 to 10 age range can live in."

Other witnesses, however, thought Harvard's plans didn't go far enough toward meeting the City's housing needs. "We're faced now with a choice between people and trees ... " said Chester W. Hartman '57, assistant professor of City Planning, as he introduced a series of resolutions passed by a meeting of some 10 persons.

In part, the resolutions called for one half of the Shady Hill housing to be reserved for low-income persons, and urged the Planning Board not to recommend any zoning change until after the appropriate density for the site had been determined.