2. Source of my interest.
1. Major DCR Work to the West of Memorial Drive.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is doing what looks like quite a bit more major work on the block of Memorial Drive AFTER the end of Memorial Drive.
They change the name of the road at this point to Greenough Boulevard.
This stretch is on the north side of the Charles River, across the Charles River from WBZ TV and Radio and from Harvard Stadium. It is between the Elliot Bridge and the Arsenal Street Bridge, the fourth and fifth bridges west of the BU Bridge. The major crossroads are, respectively, Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge and Arsenal Street, Watertown. Most of this portion of the highway is in Cambridge.
Harvard’s long range plans have shown Harvard related housing facing the Charles looming above Greenough Boulevard in Watertown built into a steep hillside.
The entire stretch of Greenough Boulevard this morning had ground level protections for vegetation between the road and the river. There are none of the wooden slats and fencing around trees which exist between the BU Bridge. There is a major woodlands named Hells Half Acre just west of the Elliot Bridge which did not seem to have special protections.
A lot of work has been done on the sidewalk on the side toward the river and there appears to be either an addition being built to the road toward the Charles River, or the road has been built up.
The area is very, very busy. When I went by this morning, December 11, I did not see potentially environmentally destructive work, in place, in process or being planned.
Of course, the lack of individual tree protections could mean they intend to wipe out everything. And, in this part of the world it is always a mistake to assume "They would never stoop so low."
I would love to get further information from people more closely familiar with this stretch or with state plans.
Last night, December 10, 2015, I happily leafleted a fundraiser for the falsely named Charles River "Conservancy" at Google’s property near the Kendall Square MBTA Subway stop in Cambridge.
The main purpose was to communicate the real record of this falsely named group to people giving money to it.
This falsely named entity fought for the outrage which is imminent on the Charles River between the BU Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge.
An individual whom I leafleted informed me of major tree destruction in process on the Charles River to the west on the north side of the Charles. Last night and this morning, I checked the situation out in person, and the above is what I saw.
There are two more blocks of Memorial Drive west of the "end" of Memorial Drive. One is a second block of Greenough Boulevard. The second is named Charles River Road.
It is possible I did not go far enough out, although the work I saw is definitely so major as to communicate major work.
If anybody can give me further information, it would be appreciated. Please contact boblat@yahoo.com, or 617-283-7649.
Thank you.
