CRWA in the News

‘Crimson’ plans could be boon for green push 

Allston-Brighton Bulletin, Oct 19, 2005

By Robin Kaminski 

When the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) held a public meeting to discuss planning for water, green space and infrastructure redevelopment in North Allston Monday night, Harvard University's expansion plans became a focal point in the push for urban environmental restoration.

The CRWA’s Environmentally Sensitive Urban Development Project, details an approach to building of “blue cities” which are designed to sustain and restore water resources. The three-year project will focus on three distinct urban redevelopment areas: the Harvard Allston campus; the New Charles River Basin; and the Longwood Medical and Academic Area.

Erosion, high bacteria levels, and a lack of green space surrounding the river were a few of the water-related problems impacting the Charles River and its watershed. Kate Bowditch, Senior Environmental Scientist for CRWA, said tackling urban areas is a “huge challenge” because of the old infrastructure in the city of Boston.

“We need to figure out what we can do to change the city and improve the river, open space and public health in an urban environment,” Bowditch said.

According to CWRA, a $50,000 grant was received from the Boston Foundation in March to work in the Allston area. Two other areas the grant covers - are the

North Point at the mouth of the river, and the Longwood Medical Area.

The funds will help develop an environmentally-sustainable development plan for Allston, Cambridge and Fenway/Kenmore - including Harvard University's North Allston campus.

Bowditch said storm water pollution continues to be a major impediment to restoring the river, with over two acres of parkland lost due to erosion.

“That is a huge amount of land that has been lost and it is a big problem,” Bowditch said.

A small, relatively short river, the Charles River has a total land area of 308 square miles. Approximately 80 brooks and streams feed the river, which contains 33 lakes and ponds in its watershed that are mostly manmade.

Bowditch said CWRA often refers to the Harvard University Master Plan and its North Allston Strategic Plan that is currently being developed.

“We use this of course, and reference it regularly because it focuses a lot on open space and quality of life issues,” Bowditch said.

Hoping to work with municipalities, community groups, government officials and developers, CWRA representatives said they would like to create an example of how urban design and development can enhance the community and the environment, focusing particularly on water and open space issues.

Bowditch said there is space for “tremendous improvement” for the area.

“Green tends to not have enough blue in it – we are really changing the way we deal with water in urban waters,” Bowditch said. “That is what we are really talking about tonight.”

Street flooding, park erosion, polluted discharges, overloading of combined sewer systems and infrastructure development problems were a few of the water-related issues associated with the river.

“We created all of the problems on our own over time. Our goal is to make things work the way nature would have had them work before the city was built,” Bowditch said.

Maps detailing the Allston area in 1903 and today, depicted changes in the river, along with massive development of the neighborhood.

Bowditch said there will be another community forum in three to six months, regarding specific examples of CWRA’s plans.

Formed in 1965 in response to increasing public concern about the environment and the declining condition of the Charles River, CWRA has worked in major cleanup and watershed protection efforts, along with working with other citizen groups, and local, state, and federal officials.

“CRWA continues to meet with Harvard University's planning team, including Cooper, Robertson & Partners, regarding the issues covered last night. Harvard seems to be initially receptive to this ideas and we look forward to continuing to refine the larger objectives as planning continues,” Ariel Dekovic of CWRA said following the meeting.

Kevin McCluskey, director of community relations for Harvard University, said during the meeting that he didn’t want residents to have the impression that CWRA’s ideas weren’t something Harvard was already considering.

“I don’t want people to think, ‘why isn’t Harvard thinking of that’ or that we aren’t actively considering this,” McCluskey said. “We are in fact thinking of this, along with the important part of how the older campus and the new Allston campus will come together with the river. The ideas have all been part of the strategic vision and they will remain around the master plan.”.