CORRECTION APPENDED

Three panelists questioned the integrity of Harvard’s stated goals of environmental and social sustainability in its expansion into Allston before a crowd of two dozen students last night in Emerson Hall.

Barbara Jaehn, a community activist with the Allston-Brighton Neighborhood Assembly, challenged Harvard’s sense of fair play in making development decisions about the University’s expansion.

She said community residents have no bargaining power with Harvard and feel overwhelmed.

“What does a 600-pound gorilla do?” she said. “Anything it wants.”

Jaehn compared Harvard’s methods to “fog and night” tactics—referencing a Nazi directive to imprison political activists—and said Harvard seeks to distract the community from taking action by engaging them with empty dialogue.

“I feel like a fool, because I still come out. I still try to make a difference,” she added.

Harry Mattison, a member of the Harvard-Allston Task Force—the mayor appointed body of residents that meets with the University regularly to—spoke on transportation issues.

He questioned the sincerity of Harvard’s stated goal that only 40 percent of transportation on its Allston campus would come from “private autos.”

Mattison quoted Harvard figures showing that 72 percent of current University employees in Allston drive to work.

He argued that several Harvard proposals—such as widening the Weeks footbridge to allow for shuttle service—will do little to change the trend.

Mattison also said Harvard has no plans to improve transit access between Allston and more distant communities.

Harvard eventually expects 15,000 additional people to work on the Allston campus.

Panelist Tamara Daly, a graduate student at the Harvard School of Public Health, said the University would provide Allston with some benefits. Green areas on the new campus, she said, would help reduce both community obesity and greenhouse gas emissions. [SEE CORRECTION BELOW]

Last fall, the University entered into a voluntary—and legally binding—agreement with the state to keep the greenhouse gas emissions of its new science complex at 50 percent below the national standard while other future projects would be capped at 30 percent below the standard.

But Daly said she still worries about the loss of neighborhood character.

“We need to guard against gentrification,” he said. “Otherwise, we are going to push out the very people this is designed to help.”

However, the panelists agreed that Harvard will move ahead as it pleases, adding that the best they could hope for was more involvement in the planning process.

Audience members echoed the panel’s sentiment. Community activist Joan Pasquale pressed Harvard students to speak out on behalf of Allston, calling them the “heart, blood, soul and veins” of the University.


CORRECTION

The March 4 story, "Residents Question Allston 'Green' Plans," misstated the school that panelist Tamara Daly attends. She is a graduate student at the Boston University School of Public Health, not at Harvard.