June 20, 2011 Michael F.

Glavin Deputy Director for Institutional Development Boston Redevelopment Authority Boston City Hall Boston, MA 02201 Re: Tata Hall Dear Mr. Galvin: Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) has reviewed the Institutional Master Plan Notification Form / Project Notification Form (IMPNF / IMP) for the Fourth Amendment to the Harvard University Allston Campus IMP for the above mentioned project submitted by Harvard University (Harvard) and offers the following comments to assist the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) with the project review. The fact that this project is being proposed under an amendment to the IMP submitted by Harvard in 1997 is problematic to start with. Not only has Harvards vision for its IMP evolved considerably from what it was in 1997, the City and the neighborhood residents, amongst other stakeholders, have also since undertaken several years of comprehensive planning that has embraced more system-wide thinking for the development of North Allston. We therefore urge Harvard and the BRA to ensure that this project encompasses the overarching goals for public access and environmental sustainability established by the larger planning framework and goes beyond the site specific scope for its infrastructure design. As shown in Fig.1, a concept sketch developed by CRWA in 2007 as part of its master plan recommendations to Harvard (http://www.crwa.org/projects/ESUD/AllstonScienceHandout.pdf), the site for Tata Hall, by virtue of its location, is critical not only for providing improved public access through the campus to the River but also for improving the health of the River itself. Given the exacerbated flooding occurring in the neighborhood, following even minor rain events and poor water quality in the River in close proximity to the outfall draining the site, the design of the site should take into consideration the entire engineered sub-watershed. In addition to exploring opportunities for off-line stormwater treatment and storage via a constructed wetland system, as part of the site landscape design and engineering, a variety of green infrastructure retrofits need to be incorporated in the design of the Project to address stormwater runoff quality, quantity and peak flow attenuation. At a minimum the project should comply with the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Nutrients in the Lower Charles River Basin and Pathogen TMDL for the Charles River Watershed. It is therefore critical that stormwater management design for the project be undertaken at the sub-watershed level and the calculations

accompanying the design be documented explicitly in the Draft Project Impact Report (DPIR).

Fig.1ConceptsketchforGreenwayconnectionfromtheresidentialneighborhoodtotheCharles Riveralongahistoricstreamcorridoroverlaidwithexistingstormdrainnetworkunderground

As part of making a successful greenway connection from the neighborhood to the Charles River and its parklands, such as that shown in Fig. 1, Harvard should improve access to and the condition of the parkland adjoining the River and the existing River crossings at the Weeks footbridge and Western Avenue. River and park access has been consistently identified as a high priority for the neighborhood, and has appeared as a regional need in various park and regional Master Plans. These improvements should be a part of mitigating the impacts of building on this last remaining piece of open space on this section of the River. In addition to the above, the height and the massing of Tata Hall need to be articulated so as to prevent the gradual canyonization of the River occurring with buildings like One Western Ave. Finally, given the renewed activity in both development and planning underway, the Chair and the Co-Chairs of the Harvard Allston Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) have requested that Secretary Sullivan re-convene the CAC. A copy of their letter is attached. CRWA hopes that the BRA will coordinate closely with the MEPA office as it scopes the DPIR for Tata Hall.

We appreciates the opportunity to comment on this Project through the Article 80 review process and look forward to working with the BRA and Harvard as the planning and design evolve. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Pallavi Kalia Mande Urban Restoration Specialist Encl. cc: Will Donham, Harvard University Edward M. Lambert Jr., Department of Conservation and Recreation Harvard Allston Task Force