CHARLES  RIVER  PARKLANDS  UPDATE
February 2001
Archives—Table of Contents

Imagine this...
Envisioning a renewed Hell's Half Acre reservation

A fair dusting of snow and a sharp wind had no effect on turnout nor dampened high spirits as 75 environmental activists and restoration professionals gathered under the auspices of the Charles River Conservancy to tour Hell's Half Acre and Greenough Boulevard on Saturday, January 6th. Mary Newmann, head of Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (BB&N), whose campus lies near the site, welcomed the group in the school cafeteria.

Renata von Tscharner, Conservancy president, set the day's agenda with an intriguing challenge -- for participants to imagine themselves as empowered to "reinvision" the site to suit a variety of needs. Among the options:

• Imagine the site was dredged and cleared, what do you envision in this area?
• Imagine that the habitat stays largely as is; what small changes would you like to see?
• Imagine you are a grade school student or teacher. What educational experiences come to mind?
• Imagine two lanes of Greenough Boulevard were closed. What replaces the road?
• What name do you suggest for the renovated area?

With these and other questions in mind, participants crossed Greenough Boulevard and walked the site which, foul weather not withstanding, was notable for its quiet, snow covered beauty. By noon, with everyone having returned to the BB&N cafeteria and a delicious luncheon buffet (including tasty Florentine’s for dessert, generously donated by Darwin’s of Harvard Square), a spirited discussion ensued as to which options will best serve future users of the site.

Talk was briefly suspended for a presentation by von Tscharner, whose illustrated talk (see "Hell’s Half Acre -- A Brief History" on page two) gave participants further insight on which to base their thinking. In order to facilitate dialog and gain agreement, if not consensus on a wide variety of opinions, participants were divided arbitrarily into four groups.

All were tasked to document and then report on their observations and ideas. Among the major findings in what by general agreement is a complex and as yet not fully defined set of planning issues, participants suggested...

• Wetland restoration, site maintenance and the continuation of limited access
• A study of traffic impact and parking, with temporary striping to facilitate pedestrian crossing of Greenough Boulevard to the site
• Assessment of safety issues
• Preservation of wilderness and habitat
• Multiple zones allowing for habitat restoration and mixed use recreation
• “Small changes” strategy, including phragmites control and pathway vegetation
• Creation of a traffic buffer zone for bike paths
• Overall focus at the site on urban ecology
• Factors contributing to renaming or fixing the current name of the site
• Potential for creation of an island sanctuary and lagoon area for recreation
• Hydrological plans to maintain the area as wetland
• Multiple uses for an MDC building currently occupied by the VFW, including education and concession
• Initiate a biodiversity study, encouraging creation of college field lab
• Agreement that a well-received program should precede physical changes
• Education: include adults and public schools
• Education: connection of site to the river and restoring riparian habitat

As you can see, a host of issues confront us as we move forward to creation of a site plan and eventual construction. But this rich set of suggestions begins to define the next milestone in the work -- the creation of a formal recommendation to the Metropolitan District Commission. We anticipate this next stage of the work will begin in March and invite your participation. We’ll be in touch as soon as times and locations of upcoming planning sessions are determined.