Oxford Street Parking Lot Tapped as New UIS Site

When Harvard approached the Cambridge community with its proposal for the Knafel Center for Government and International Study, University administrators already had a building in mind.

Some neighbors found the University's approach overbearing, and opposition to the project was strong.

This time around, Harvard is doing things differently.

The parking lot at the corner of Oxford and Hammond streets, a prime building space on the edge of campus, is now set to be the location of the new University Information Services building. But instead of approaching local residents with completed plans for the building, Harvard sought their input up front to make sure the eventual construction would fit with the character of the neighborhood.

The University agreed to restrict the height of their buildings at the edge of the residential neighborhood, a plan reviewed by the Cambridge planning board last night. This downzoning alays neighbors' main fear, that Harvard could build a 120 ft tall building right across the street from their houses, which are restricted to a height of 35 ft.

"It sets a new standard for Harvard," said John Pitkin, president of the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association. "It's not what happened with the Knafel Center."

Two years ago, a city-wide growth management commission identified five problematic transition zones in Cambridge--or areas in which the allowable height restrictions under current zoning in a certain area is incongruent with the zoning in surrounding areas.

One was Harvard's Hammond Street location and its parking lot behind Leverett Towers between Athens and Banks Street.

Harvard asked that their Mahoney Garden Center location--targeted for a new art museum by Pomidou Centre architect Renzo Piano--be added to the list.

Dr. Henry Smith, a 14-year resident of 17 Hammond Street, appeared before the planning board last night to discuss his interaction with the University about the proposed zoning.

"Harvard has been extremely responsive to neighborhood concerns," he told the board. According to Power, Harvard had over 20 meetings with neighborhood representatives over the course of two years.

Urban planning architect Dennis Carlone, of Carlone and Associates, addressed these concerns for Harvard. His presentation of the transitional area moved from birds-eye view maps to three-dimensional renderings and pedestrian-view drawings.

Carlone focused on the importance of keeping buildings on the edge of the neighborhood below what he called the 45-degree plane. This means that a pedestrian standing in the middle of Hammond Street should have an unobstructed view when looking up at a 45-degree angle.

The planning board said they will review the proposal again after Harvard and neighbors have finalized the language, hopely sending a recommendation to the city council before it goes on recess in June.

The most important project for the site is the new UIS building at 60 Oxford Street, which could break ground as early as this summer. Completion of the new building is essential for the Knafel project, half of which is set to replace the current UIS building.

"We are in the last design phase," said Ned A. Collier, senior associate at Perry, Dean, Rogers and Partners, the firm working on the project. "These are the construction documents."

Other plans for the site include moving the current 600-car parking lot underground and relocating the historic Palfrey house so that it is adjacent to the UIS building.

Collier said that as a building on the north edge of campus, the UIS building needs to attach itself to both the neighborhood and the campus.

The building, modern but rectangular, will be contructed from a light Wisconsin limestone. On the roof of a lower wing will be a garden adding "a soft top to a flat roof."

According to Scott Levitan, director of University and commercial real estate for Harvard Planning and Real Estate, the planning board needed to be cautious about sending signals without having heard public comment.

But there were signs that they approved.

"Interaction between Harvard and the neighborhood seems to have created a building that meets mutal desires," said Larissa Brown, chair of the planning board.

"Bravo," said Florrie Darwin, another board member.