Harvard Takes Case to Landowners

In an effort to address the questions of Watertown residents raised by the University’s recent purchase of the Arsenal complex and the effects that the purchase will have on the city’s revenue, Harvard’s Office of Government, Community and Public Affairs this week mailed a letter to all the city’s property owners.

The two-page letter dated June 28 and signed by Mary Power, the University’s senior director of community relations, discussed the offers that Harvard officials say they are making to Watertown’s leaders in order to ensure the city’s financial security in future years.

Power said in an interview yesterday that Harvard understands there are many members of the Watertown community who are very concerned about the effect that Harvard’s purchase will have—especially given the importance that Watertown had placed upon the property for future revenue.

However, Power said that through this letter and other efforts of her office, Harvard is trying to show members of the Watertown community, who have had no prior direct relations with the University, that Harvard does care about the communities it is located within.

To that end, Power also included her phone number and e-mail address for residents to use to reach her. She said that even though residents have only just received the letter, she has already received several replies and expects many more in coming weeks.

However some leaders of the Watertown community questioned the University’s decision to send such a letter.

“Why is Harvard paying for a direct mailing to all residents instead of paying the full taxes [owed if exemption existed]?” said State Representative Rachel Kaprielian, a Democrat who represents Watertown.

Power said that it was not unusual for her office to communicate with residents of neighborhoods in Cambridge and Boston by mail.

Others from Watertown said that the letter contained information that is inconsistent with what the University has actually offered the town.

“We need Harvard to put one story on the table in clear, concise English and stop talking out of both sides of their mouth,” said Larry Rasky, the head of a Boston public relations firm representing the city of Watertown.

Kaprielian said that she was “offended” by information in the letter that she felt was misleading.

In particular, several from the town, including Kaprielian, Rasky and Watertown City Manager Michael J. Driscoll, contested the letter’s statement that the agreement “would extend out to as long as 51 years.”

While they agree that the University has presented a proposal that could be theoretically extended to that length, they said that Harvard has only been willing to promise extensions beyond 20 years based on an excess of conditions. They said that many of these conditions are unacceptable to the city and would give Harvard too great a degree of control over the city.

—Staff writer Daniel P. Mosteller can be reached at dmostell@fas.harvard.edu.