Planning Board Gives OK to Revised Knafel Design

After nearly three years of planning and countless community meetings, the University finally received the go-ahead last night from a local community board for the proposed Knafel Center for Government and International Study.

The Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission (MCNCDC) gave the first formal approval for the building, voting 4-1 in favor of issuing a certificate of appropriateness for the project.

The MCNCDC--a city board with the authority to forbid construction--was meeting for the eighth time to discuss the project, which has been bogged down by neighborhood opposition.

But a complete redesign of the center by architect Henry N. Cobb in May led to new enthusiasm for the project by commission members.

The new plan proposes two four-story buildings of rounded glass and terra cotta facing each other on Cambridge Street. The buildings, which would replace Coolidge Hall and the University Information Services building, would be joined by an underground tunnel.

The new design reduced the square footage of the center from the original plans by more than 10,000 feet and the height by 12 feet.

Most residents at the meeting were still strongly opposed to having the proposed buildings near a residential neighborhood, saying it was inappropriate for the area.

"There is an established character in this area," said John Pitkin, who heads the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association. "This is in no sense complimentary."

The lone commission member who voted against the proposal held issue with the material being used for the outer walls.

"I don't think the use of terra cotta compliments the rest of the neighborhood," said Martha D. Osler.

And she said limited space and traffic congestion made the site inappropriate.

"This is a less than ideal place for this building," Osler said.

But other commission members said the location was not a problem and that the redesign made the center acceptable.

"Harvard has an edge there already," said Nancy Goodwin, referring to the buildings Harvard already owns on the site. "They are not encroaching further into the neighborhood."

MCNCDC chair John A. Moos said the building would provide a good gateway between the campus and residential neighborhoods.

"The new design defines where the institution stops and the residential neighborhood begins," he said.

After hearing thoughts from residents, the commission members went through specific details of the plan, ranging from parking and foot traffic impact to the placement of bike racks.

The commission debated several aspects of the proposal, such as the use of terra cotta for the building surface as well as landscape plans.

The MCNCDC finally decided to approve the proposal, but will create a list of conditions for the University to address at a meeting on Oct. 2. The conditions are not expected to derail the approval, however.

All of the commission members praised the University for listening to neighborhood concerns.

"The input by the community has resulted in a far superior project," commission member Tony Hsiao said.

The University must now seek approval from Cambridge's Planning Board, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the City Council.

"This is just one of many approval steps to come," said Mary H. Power, Harvard's senior director of community relations.