Letter to the Editor: Magazine Beach plan is problematic for the Charles River Watershed Association too. (Cambridge Somerville Independent)

We’re grateful to the Cambridge Somerville Independent for publishing our Letter to the Editor in response to MWRA’s recent proposal to take away Magazine Beach sports field for a stormwater tank:

The Charles River Watershed Association shares many of the community’s concerns and questions about state plans for Magazine Beach (“MWRA staff shocked residents with a proposal to take away Magazine Beach sports fields over a stormwater tank,” Oct. 8).

First, we echo state representative Mike Connolly’s frustration regarding the proposals there and call for accountability from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. The association has been involved in the joint MWRA and Cambridge Combined Sewer Overflow planning process since 2022, and public communication and engagement have been consistently inadequate. Our public officials can and should do better.

Second, we join residents in demanding clarity on the Magazine Beach proposal. The claim that land over a buried storage tank would need to be fenced off permanently for security reasons defies common sense and current practice. Across our watershed and the country, it is common for storage to be installed beneath parks and roadways in coordination with improved public amenities and access. If, for some yet unarticulated reason, this is not possible at Magazine Beach, why is permanent aboveground fencing and restricted public access not addressed and justified in the official proposal?

Taken from page 12-42 of the Draft Updated Long Term Control Plan; table details both construction impacts and long term impacts.

Finally, although it may not have been shared at the meeting, viable alternatives to the proposed storage tank do exist. A joint plan developed by the MWRA and the City of Cambridge would both eliminate CSOs and significantly reduce the footprint at Magazine Beach.

The "25-year Tunnel" would eliminate CSOs through a deep underground tunnel extending from Boston to Cambridge, similar to the infrastructure constructed to eliminate CSOs along the South Boston beaches. This solution would not only virtually eliminate CSOs into the Charles, it would also reduce stormwater pollution. We urge the MWRA and Cambridge to invest in infrastructure that fully addresses the CSO problem while distributing storage across Boston and Cambridge to minimize local impacts on parkland.

For information about the control plan process, please review our fact sheet and join us in advocating for an effective, responsible solution for Cambridge and the lower Charles River.