The powers that be have asked for an analysis of the Metropolitan District Commission on the Charles River.
Here is my submittal on June 21, 2021
RE: ABRIDGED Analysis of the DCR on the Charles River
ma-dcr-commission@donahue.umass.edu
Gentlemen / Ladies:
I would suggest that perhaps the best way to keep track of DCR problems on the Charles and elsewhere in Cambridge is to post yourselves to receive notice of postings on the Charles River White Geese Blog at www.charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com.
Our reports since 2005 have numbered 1622, and a very significant percentage bemoan outrages toward resident animals, toward the trees, and toward the Charles River by the DCR.
A little over ten years ago, the legislature took action on the problems on the Charles. They destroyed the Metropolitan District Commission and replaced it with the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Transportation.
I think the responsible thing to do is to finish the job of the legislature and transfer full control to the Department of Transportation. MassDOT is not perfect, but it constantly looks like the adult in the room when dealing with the DCR and the City of Cambridge.
Any reference here to DCR before the transfer should be read as the MDC. The “planners” transferred to the DCR with their destructive plans and have been busy destroying, destroying, destroying.
Here are a few of my detailed presentations on the outrages:
1. Memorial Drive Destruction, Final Cut, posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTplCCEJP7o. This is my 29 minute video reporting on the outrages achieved between the BU and Longfellow Bridges in January 2016. A significant portion includes analysis of forthcoming destruction at Magazine Beach and harm to the 40 plus year resident and popular tourist attraction, the Charles River White Geese.
I have not been as close to the outrage on Birmingham Parkway, but my impression is that it was probably worse.
Please note that the City Manager so roundly condemned in the video was the predecessor to the current City Manager. In his prior years as Assistant City Manager he managed the outrages inflicted on Magazine Beach in the late 2000's and the wanton destruction of 3.4 acres of the Alewife Reservation in about 2012.
2. My 52 page detailed analysis of DCR’s planned destruction of 54 (now 60 and growing) mostly excellent trees on Magazine Beach. The plans which were filed with the Cambridge Conservation Commission are matched up with photos of the mostly excellent trees the DCR and Cambridge want to destroy. This record is linked on the Charles River White Geese page at http://www.friendsofthewhitegeese.org/ar.htm.
A lot of my information was obtained in meetings of the Cambridge Conservation Commission. That situation has been corrected. I seem to have been removed from the mailing list for their agendas. I recently requested reinstatement to the mailing list in writing. I still seem to in the censored status. Reality is not encouraged when dealing with the environment in Cambridge.
3. Summary of situation during 2019 election: https://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/city-council-destruction-of-cambridge.html.
The poisons mentioned that were rerouted into the Charles River by a favorite of the Cambridge City Council were introduced into the environment during the management by former Cambridge City Manager Rossi when he was assistant.
There is at least one DCR sign bragging that expensive drainage installed during the Rossi management to drain off poisons would see drainage of the introduced poisons into the Charles without the. So naturally that Cambridge City Council favorite, with DCR / Trump moneys blocked the drainage.
The DCR with Cambridge funding is paying for some boondoggle to clean up the resulting algae infestation. There has been no discussion of ending the poisons being dumped.
4. Developer Hated NON PAID FOR Vegetation Thrives on Charles River. Charles River Poisoner Paid Off by Cambridge City Council, https://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/developer-hated-non-paid-for-vegetation.html. With photos and details on pay off, planning for preliminary work on the destruction of the excellent grove across from MicroCenter.
I have attended as many of the MassDOT advisory committee meetings on the I90 rebuild as I have been aware of. In one key comment, the DCR gave its lovely plans for the new open space on the river, but refused to disavow use of poisons on my direct questioning.
Here is an analysis of DCR and Cambridge / City Council “trying” to clean up the Algae blight resulting from the Charles River Poisoning WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THE USE OF POISONS, recorded in the City Council records at http://cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=2403&Inline=True, pages 74 to 78, March 26, 2021:
5. City Council claims of concern for the Charles belied by the City Council's record, the poisoning of the Charles, massive vegetation & animal harm, and sought outrages in the I90 Rebuild, http://cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=2317&Inline=True. Pages 182 to 214 of the official record of this letter to the Cambridge City Council.
6. The 40 year resident Charles River White Geese seen in their last undestroyed food, PS on I90 / GLA. City Council Record: http://cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=2422&Inline=True, pages 237 to 241.
Destruction of resident animals started in 1998 or 1999. Before that, the DCR bragged of the Charles River White Geese. Now pretty much anything which could be warped into doing harm is so warped.
7. Fraudulent Massachusetts / Cambridge, MA "Hearing" on "Memorial Drive Phase III" https://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2019/09/fraudulent-massachusetts-cambridge-ma.html. This hearing was advertised as going as far east as the BU Bridge. SLIDE presented during the hearing redefined the area to include the Wild Area, the excellent woods east of the BU Bridge on the Cambridge side.
8. Analysis of joint DCR / Cambridge plans for the Grand Junction before a special city committee appointed on the subject had extended “information” posted. BUT plans between Memorial Drive and the Charles River were kept secret in spite of extended planning there, which included plans for massive destruction as part of the January 2016 outrage, which did not go through.
“A Provate Interstate Off Ramp Sold as a Bike Path with major harm to Cambridge” in City Council records at http://cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=2394&Inline=True, pages 131 to 161.
8. Most recent post on the Charles River White Geese Blog, Cambridge City Council considers rewriting the functioning of the City of Cambridge. III. Major transportation "planning" problems. https://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/. Blog, June 16, 2021,
The DCR and Cambridge have, for years been determined to destroy the excellent woods east of the BU Bridge on the Cambridge Side. What varies is the excuse (as in the prior item). The longest going excuse has been to put in a subway line, the “Urban Ring.” I have been working on it since the early 80's. As recently as the mid 2010's, the Cambridge City Manager reaffirmed interest in the “Urban Ring” to MassDOT as part of a letter on South Station Expansion.
Trouble is that both Cambridge and the DCR have pet terms which they use as lies through having special definitions. Section 6 of this report connect my analysis of the ongoing project at Landsdowne (formerly Yawkey) Commuter Rail station to this continuing fight for destruction of trees and animals.
Cambridge and, I assume, the DCR has a secret definition of the “Urban Ring” which differs from the definition used in the rest of the world. The rest of the world, including MassDOT thinks there are two alternatives, the one that Cambridge wants and the one which I initially proposed in 1986 and which was formerly made an alternative in 1992.
This 20 year plus lie from Cambridge bureaucrats and, presumabily, the City Council has been that the only alternative under consideration is the one that Cambridge and the DCR want, which would inflict destruction, at minimum of that excellent woods. Most of this post provides detailed photographs, in the middle of construction of the new project which is going up on top of Landsdowne Station.
This project is impossible in the world of Cambridge and the DCR because the only route that exists for the “Urban Ring” in their world would move Landsdowne Station half a mile. Thus the project could not be going up where it is going up because the station is being moved. By no coincidence, I informed the developer of Cambridge plans associated with a show and tell by him at Fenway Park. He was shocked. Not that long (as these things go), Landsdowne Station was expensively upgraded by the state.
The analysis with many photos is posted at https://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/. Most of the analysis goes into detail on the ongoing project and station with many photos. Section 6 goes into details on how this massive project (which cannot exist as far as Cambridge and, I presume, the DCR are concerned) fits into the “Urban Ring.”
A lot of photos are included in all this material, especially the last one. Enclosed for your benefit is one photo of the largest building completed (externally at least) so far, showing the station which cannot possibly exist under it. Double clicking is the best way to view it.
I repeat, I think the responsible thing to do is to finish the job of the legislature and transfer full control of the Charles River to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. MassDOT is not perfect, but it constantly looks like the adult in the room when dealing with the DCR and the City of Cambridge.
