Concerns about Artificial Turf et,al at Boston College

Task Force Convenes Neighborhood task force addresses Master Plan in final meeting
The Heights
Published in the Thursday, January 31, 2008 Edition of By Patrick Fouhy Organizational Project Manager

The Allston-Brighton Boston College Task Force met Tuesday night for the fourth and final time before the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) issues its scoping questions to BC. The discussion on open and academic space evoked a far more moderate response than past topics have.

In addition to preserving the open space on Middle Campus and Brighton Campus, BC looks to add green space to Lower Campus, creating a series of "linked quadrangles and pedestrian walkways."

Brighton resident Charles Vasiliades raised concerns over the future preservation of the open space on the former Archdiocese property, requesting that the orchard and wooded area along Lake Street be zoned as conservation land.

"We can't count on an institutional campus to be a public park," said Brighton resident Eva Webster, echoing Vasiliades's request.

"I'm very pleased that the orchard and woods along Lake Street are being preserved … but we have to do more to protect it," said Wilma Wetterstrom, another Brighton resident.

Residents were also concerned with the use of artificial turf on the proposed Brighton fields, including the new baseball stadium.

"We really don't want to see that much artificial turf on the playing fields," said Shelby Marshall. "The athletic fields are going to be fenced in, but we want large enough buffers around the field so we can still walk there."

Wetterstrom agreed with Marshall, citing the environmental benefits of natural open space as opposed to turf surfaces.

"All artificial turf supports is bacteria and viruses shed by kids playing on them," Wetterstrom said.

"Taking what is now playing fields and turning half of that space into artificial turf and fenced-in areas is not maintaining green space," Sandy Furman said.

No comments were aired on the benefits and necessity of artificial turf on the proposed field.

"We plan to work with the athletics department and our consultants [on having turf] and when the city issues a scope, they will most likely ask us about it," said Jeanne Levesque, the director of governmental relations for BC. "We'll be looking at the benefits of artificial turf. We know that there is a need for it as far as scheduling."Setbacks were the final point of contention. While the University plans to use natural barriers along Lake Street to provide a setback for residence halls, neighbors were uneasy with the fact that there were no barriers planned between the neighborhood and proposed fields.

Former city council candidate Alex Selvig went so far as to argue that there "should be no uses that require buffer" on the Brighton Campus.

The University also seeks to renovate Carney Hall, construct three new buildings around the Dustbowl, and build a new Integrated Sciences Center between McGuinn and Cushing Halls.

While little objection was raised to the renovations on Middle Campus, an area outside the purview of the taskforce as it lies in Newton, Leland Webster requested that the school consider building academic facilities on Shea Field rather than the proposed residence halls. The concern for many neighbors remains the potential use of the Reservoir as a cut-through between Cleveland Circle and the proposed Shea Field residence halls. Collectively, though, neighbors seemed to accept the vast majority of BC's plans for academic space.

On Feb. 5, the public comment period for the Institutional Master Plan Notification Form will end and the letter from the Allston-Brighton BC Task Force will be submitted to the BRA. The document aims to voice the major concerns of the community to the BRA. Residents will have the opportunity to send individual letters to the BRA by this date as well.

The BRA officially has 20 days to give BC its scoping questions, but Levesque said it will likely provide them within 10 days of the close of the public comment period.

The scoping questions will ask the University to examine and conduct studies on certain aspects of the plan in a more detailed manner. BC will have an unlimited period of time to respond to the scoping questions and return a letter to the BRA containing the University's response and information found from any studies conducted.

"We're going to take the time to create a good response to the scope," Levesque said. "But clearly we're trying to respond in a timely fashion, we don't want this to go on for months and months," Levesque said.

After the scoping questions are answered, the University will file the Institutional Master Plan with the BRA, which will be followed by a 60-day public comment period after the University notifies the community, Levesque said.