STATE REQUIRES BU TO REASSESS PLANS FOR ESPLANADE PAVILION

Watchdog Group Commissions Independent Evaluation of Alternative Sites

Newton, MA, July 5, 2001…State Secretary of Environmental Affairs Bob Durand has notified Boston University (BU) that it must prepare a complete environmental impact report for its proposed new sailing pavilion on the Charles River Esplanade.  The full review, including an analysis of alternative locations, will provide expanded opportunities for public comment on the university’s proposal to lease a sizable parcel of prime public parkland for the next 20 years.

Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA), a leading advocate of the expanded review, applauded the Secretary’s decision.  “The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) has signaled that site selection for the sailing pavilion cannot be a private decision between the university and the Metropolitan District Commission,” said CRWA’s Counsel Margaret Van Deusen. “The public now can play its rightful role in determining how the Esplanade is used.”

In addition to requiring draft and final environmental impact reports, EOEA is requiring BU to obtain a number of environmental permits, provide land of equal resource value to compensate the public for lost parkland, and evaluate the visual impact of proposed construction on the nearby historic district. 

BU must also analyze options for building a more compact facility on a smaller parcel of land than its preferred 1.45-acre site and address the impact of its facility on pedestrian traffic, informal recreation, and views from both sides of the river. “These are key factors in appropriate site selection,” Van Deusen noted.  “They go well beyond what the university originally was willing to consider.” 

To ensure that the public interest is served in the review process, CRWA will conduct an independent assessment of possible sites.  The environmental non-profit organization has commissioned Beals and Thomas, Inc., a highly regarded environmental consulting firm, to evaluate potential sites, including the four that BU must study.  The recommendations from this independent assessment will reflect criteria that are most protective of the public interest.

CRWA and Conservation Law Foundation jointly submitted comments to EOEA in favor of a comprehensive environmental report.  Founded in 1965, CRWA is dedicated to protecting the health, beauty, and accessibility of the Charles River.