I support the current effort to site housing for seniors near the center of town. Clearly, based on the affirmative vote to support the rezoning of the Hildreth House parcel, I’m not the only one. However, I voted against the rezoning article because I heard several serious, apparently unaddressed concerns raised at the recent Special Town Meeting. How will the proximity of the town center fire station affect seniors living in the proposed new housing? How will the additional vehicles safely enter and exit the area? How does this effort dovetail with the recently adopted Master Plan?
Peter Warren, our former fire chief, eloquently voiced the need to upgrade our 1970s-era main fire station. If it requires significant investment, why not also examine other locations for it and make its current location available to provide either more senior housing, or allow for a more spacious campus, as well as a quieter environment for residents? Let’s have that discussion now.
When the envisioning effort for Town Hall began, I raised the issue of providing pedestrian walkways to separate people from vehicles. I was told that raising that issue was out of scope. I’d like to raise it again in this context. When are we going to deal with the fact that the area around Hildreth House, Town Hall, and the nearby church favors vehicles over people? Can we please look at the impact of these developments on people, and not just focus on putting up new buildings?
I get that the senior housing effort is popular and has been in process for years, and that people are eager to see progress. Therefore, it is vital that we examine the impact of the proposed changes on the entire area, not just on the Hildreth House overlay district. These changes will affect Harvard for decades to come. We must get it right.
Paul Green
Old Littleton Road
