2. Public Presentation on Hines Project, 165 Cambridgepark Drive.
3. Context, summary.
1. Materials concerning Alewife.
Last night, August 29, 2012, I attended a meeting sponsored by the North Cambridge branch of the Cambridge Machine concerning a project planned for 165 CambridgePark Drive, directly abutting the environmental destruction and animal killing achieved in the Alewife reservation by Cambridge and their friends in state government.
A lot of materials are on line, accessible from http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/zoninganddevelopment/specialpermits/specialpermits.aspx.
Unfortunately, the specific submissions are not downloadable. So it is a matter of going down the list and clicking on the project.
PB272, 165 CambridgePark Drive, Plans, page 4 (marked page 3) provides an excellent map of the area, including the massive environmental destruction by Cambridge and the DCR directly north of the project.
The following is a copy of a photo of a model of the project and the 160 CambridgePark Drive project from a view above the destroyed part of the Alewife Reservation. It is taken from an email by the North Cambridge Machine front organization. The proposed construction for 165 is nearer. The proposal for 160 is across the street behind 165.
These buildings are massive and irresponsible, but that is not the fault of the developers. It is the fault of an extremely irresponsible city government’s bad zoning, with major assistance from the participants in the Cambridge Machine.
2. Public Presentation on Hines Project, 165 Cambridgepark Drive.
The developer, the Hines people, incorrectly described the environmental destruction behind 165 CambridgePark Drive as flood protection. I corrected them and put things in perspective.
The acres of totally wasteful destruction of virgin woods and animals by Cambridge and the state was accomplished last October and November.
My photos of the destruction appear at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cambridge-pols-destroy-alewife-photo.html.
Photo number 6 featuring one lone not destroyed tree probably shows 165 in the background.
Photo number 7 shows 160 as it is now, an undeveloped parking lot.
When it comes to the Cambridge Machine, it is always impossible to tell the knaves from the fools.
My exchange at the meeting was primarily with the individual who most looks like a knave. There were two other people in the room who could be victims. They spent a lot of money chasing their tails trying to stand up to this project. The Cambridge Machine tries to get as many people as possible chasing their tails.
I specifically stated that the great problem in the area is the Machine yelling at developers rather than yelling at the people responsible, the Cambridge City Council.
I condemned the Machine for its non stop yelling at the developers and ominously significant silence toward the highly destructive AND RESPONSIBLE Cambridge City Council.
There are two options at Alewife.
The abutting North Cambridge needs flood protection. Cambridge and the state have accomplished acres of destruction of magnificent trees and animals, lying that they were providing flood protection.
Cambridge and the state are providing protection against the worst possible storm in any two year period. The neighbors need protection against the worst possible storm in any 100 year period.
That protection can either be gotten by government underground construction of flood protection as part of these two projects and under the massive parking lot which extends under the parking lot behind 160 and runs to a railroad right of way on the south and Alewife Brook Parkway on the east.
The stalling and con games of the Cambridge Machine are taking away the use of 160 and 165 for flood protection because if the buildings get built without flood protection, they will be there.
That leaves a much smaller area, the large parking lot, and the rest of the Alewife reservation.
I condemned the Machine’s representatives because by refusing to talk with the Cambridge City Council to get the needed flood protection in responsible locations, they are fighting for massive if not total destruction of the Alewife Reservation.
The individual who looks like the local knave responding with a script from central casting.
He did express his distress that there was no retail in the project, also part of the script. Retail, retail, retail. The project can see two good sized shopping centers on the other side of the railroad tracks. The machine wants retail, retail, retail and lies about which side it is on.
Also present was a member of the falsely named “Friends” of Alewife Reservation which fought for and achieved the totally avoidable destruction. Usual tactics, tell people to look at everything else and lie that you are concerned. He spouted nicely.
3. Context, summary.
Richie McKinnon, the rather clear developer of 160 CambridgePark Drive was present.
He has had medical problems. He looked very good.
As I left, he was talking with the Hines people.
The situation at Alewife is that the local front for Cambridge Machine is about as low as you can go.
They are fighting for outrageous, totally avoidable environmental destruction in a community which opposes that environmental destruction, and lying about which side there are on.
The strongest hope is for responsibility from the developers. Both developers are also building north of the Alewife reservation. The beautiful Alewife reservation is a major selling point for all of their projects. I made it very clear what the situation is.
They have seen people turned out by the lies of the Cambridge Machine that the Cambridge Machine is defending Alewife.
The situation in Cambridge is so sick that the developers are frequently more responsible than the people who claim they are defending the city.
It comes down to numbers. The Cambridge Machine has won major, totally avoidable, destruction in the Alewife Reservation and is fighting for further, probably total, destruction of Alewife, lying about which side they are on.
Is it worthwhile for the developers to stand up to the Machine?
