1. Introduction.
2. The latest position of MassDOT.
3. Analysis of this nonsense.
4. “Public Meeting.”
0. Photos.
[7/11/13, 6:00am] The below was sent to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation as objections to the planned destruction of the excellent grove of trees on the ramp from Memorial Drive in Cambridge, MA, USA to the Boston aimed side of the Longfellow Bridge across the Charles River.
Photos were not included because this is the most recent of many posts. I am adding photos for the benefit of people who have not been part of this conversion.
This is the excellent grove before the start of destruction.
This is the excellent grove on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 during the removal of the second tree from this Cambridge grove for the benefit of Boston.
1. Introduction.
I have just received the following “explanation” for the destruction of the grove of trees on the access ramp from Memorial Drive to Longfellow Bridge toward Boston from Ms. Boundy of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
2. The latest position of MassDOT.
Dear Mr. La Trémouille:
I am responding to your recent inquiry regarding the preliminary work activities currently underway as part of the Longfellow Bridge Rehabilitation Project.
As part of the rehabilitation of the historic Longfellow Bridge and construction of a new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant pedestrian bridge across Storrow Drive to the Esplanade, several trees must be removed or transplanted. MassDOT's Design Build team is transplanting eight trees on the Boston side of the bridge and nine on the Cambridge side. These trees are marked with green ribbon. Transplanting will be completed by the end of June. Tree removal will begin after the 4th of July. Trees that will be removed during Phase 1 of the project are marked with a yellow ribbon and paint. Trees that will be removed in a later phase are marked with a yellow ribbon only. Please refer to the attached Tree Protection and Removal Plan for details.
The tree protection and removal plan has been presented at public meetings and hearings during the previous phase of the project, including general public information meetings and hearings for the Environmental Assessment, Environmental Notification Form and Notices of Intent. For a complete list of meetings held for this project, please visit the project website at www.mass.gov/massdot/longfellowbridge . Every effort has been made to minimize the number of impacted trees through careful design. A landscape architect and a certified arborist are part of the project team.
If you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to reach out to MassDOT.
Best,
-Stephanie
3. Analysis of this nonsense.
So trees which are part of an excellent, grove are being “transplanted” to beautify a new footbridge and devastate Cambridge.
This follows on the prior explanation for this outrage, to “naturally” drain water off the Cambridge end of the Longfellow Bridge and expands on the bizarreness. The “natural” draining is an engineer’s toy whose value is totally destroyed by the realization there are sewers in the area, from Cambridge and from the regional system. Drainage should go in the sewers. It is a totally bizarre excuse for destroying this excellent grove.
Those sewers are where a responsible agency would be draining water off the Longfellow Bridge.
As far as this nonsense about handicapped compliance goes, the translation is that they are robbing Cambridge to improve Boston.
This is a political argument. It recognizes the reality that Cambridge has a massive organization that runs around spouting praise for pretty much every environmental outrage done by city and state in Cambridge. They sound great, but they are totally irresponsible, as is this latest excuse.
Interestingly, the Cambridge Machine spouted this nonsense not that long ago. They neglected to mention that the trees being moved are benefitting Boston at the expanse of Cambridge.
MassDOT is robbing Cambridge to beautify Boston, and bragging about it.
Then, we get the same old argument that MassDOT is not responsible for irresponsible behavior by MassDOT. It is the public’s duty to keep MassDOT from being irresponsible. This is what bragging about notices buried somewhere translates to.
This is another standard piece of nonsense spouted by Cambridge pols. It has no more validity coming from MassDOT than it does coming from the local pols. Those local pols stay in power because of the massive Cambridge Machine running around lying about them, loudly calling very destructive people holier than thou. This argument is one of the more cynical lies.
Outrageous.
A copy of this posting will be directly emailed to Ms. Boundy with the request that she make it part of the public record at the meeting this evening. I am writing this response from a Starbucks in Hanover, NH, about half a block from a location in Dartmouth College where I have an important meeting associated with my work. I have to work, and I have a short notice commitment here. It is very distressing to miss this important meeting in Cambridge, but feeding myself is necessary.
4. “Public Meeting.”
The “public meeting” is from 7 to 9 pm this evening, July 10, 2013 at 45 Carleton Street, #111 on the MIT Campus about half a block from the main portal to the Kendall Red Line station. This reply demonstrates bad faith. The fact that this reply was, at least in part, spouted by the Cambridge Machine shows just how bad the bad faith is.
