Neighbors File to Stop Construction

In a move that threatens to delay Harvard’s planned development of graduate student housing on Memorial Drive, Cambridge residents filed an appeal with the city yesterday to deny the University a construction permit.

Last December, the city’s Planning Board approved Harvard’s proposal to build a total of 328 apartments in two sites in the Riverside neighborhood—an area with a contentious history of town-gown relations. University officials said at the time that they hoped to begin building this spring.

Construction is likely to go forward at one of Harvard’s sites, the parking lots near Mather House. But the City Clerk’s office confirmed yesterday that an appeal has been filed to block Harvard’s expansion on the Memorial Drive site, until recently occupied by Mahoney’s Garden Center.

Kevin Hill, who spearheaded yesterday’s appeal and lives adjacent to the site, said the proposed buildings will obstruct views of the River and invade the privacy of neighboring homes.

“It will destroy the quality of our life,” Hill said. “Harvard’s design plans attack and punish the abutters.”

According to Les Barber, Cambridge’s land use and zoning director, when appeals of planning board decisions are filed, a construction permit cannot be issued until the case is resolved in the Middlesex County courts.

Harvard’s Senior Director of Community Relations Mary H. Power said yesterday she did not know how long the appeal would delay construction.

“The action is taken against the city, so I don’t know what course of action the city will take,” she said.

The appeal represents another bump in the road in Harvard’s lengthy quest to develop its choice parcel of riverfront land.

In 2002, neighborhood residents successfully blocked Harvard’s attempt to build an art museum on the site. But a ground-breaking deal between Harvard and the city reached in October 2003 allows the University to construct graduate student housing on its two Riverside properties in return for providing a park and affordable housing for city residents.

Power said yesterday the University would continue to support the projects, emphasizing the community benefits.

Although residents did not appeal the construction of the planned buildings in the Kerry Corner area near Mather House, several have raised objections to Harvard’s designs­ there.

Chief among their complaints is the size of the underground parking lot, which will extend beyond the boundaries of the building and destroy a number of trees. Neighbors also claim the buildings will block light and generate noise.

“These are 60, 70-foot tall trees,” said Alan Joslin, a member of the Kerry Corner Improvement Association. “[They] keep the neighborhood green and livable, so we’re going to see a fairly significant void.”

Resident Carol Bankerd called the trees the “core” of the neighborhood.

Harvard officials have told residents the University will plant new trees to replace the old ones.

Lawrence Adkins, president of the Riverside Neighborhood Association, said earlier this week that residents would continue to share their concerns over the development plans for both sites.

“Nothing’s set in stone until everyone’s satisfied, and I know that no one is satisfied,” Adkins said.

Power said Harvard has scheduled a meeting with residents within the next three weeks.

—Staff writer Natalie I. Sherman can be reached at nsherman@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Joseph M. Tartakoff can be reached at tartakof@fas.harvard.edu.