Mission Hill Group Charges Harvard Uses 'unfair' Tactics to Acquire Land

Residents of the Mission Hill section of Roxbury yesterday charged the University with "unfair tactics" in acquiring land for the Medical School and affiliated hospitals.

Harvard real estate agents "are threatening the people with such terms as 'Take our price and give us your home, otherwise it will be taken by Eminent Domain, and you know you will never get a price like this,'" a statement from the Mission United Neighborhood Improvement Team (MUNIT) declared.

The Mission Hill area surrounds the Medical School and number of voluntary hospitals closely affilated with the medical School. MUNIT claims that the University--or its agents--are holding up the spectre of acquisition by eminent main to convince local property owners to sell.

Panic Atmosphere

Such tactics, according to the statement, have created a "manic atmosphere...among the people of the area." MUNIT said it had appealed tot he University to ask Eisenberg realty Company, which represents the University, to change a methods,

L. Gard Wiggins, administrative vice-president, said last right, "Harvard has agreed to make purchases at fair prices at of the discretion of the owners. The parcels will be used by the affiliated hospitals or for the expansion of the Medical School."

The affiliation between the Medical School and the private hospitals nearby is very close; together they belong to the Harvard Medical Center, an association of the Med School and seven hospitals.

MUNIT named James P. Koch '49, research associate in Biological Chemistry, as one member of the "team" that was buying properties throughout the area for Harvard. Koch last night said he has significant landholdings in the area and confirmed MUNIT's claim that he has recently sold two parcels to the University's affiliated hospitals.

Has Bought 17 Plots

However, he explained that he had bought 17 plots in the area over the past two years and that the investments "had been primarily undertaken by other members of my family." He suggested that because of his research position with the University "the local people naturally assumed that there was a financial connection." "I can guarantee that there is no such connection," he stated.

Koch reported that he still owns 15 parcels and is currently negotiating the sale of some of these remaining properties to some local residents. He speculated that the location of these plots was such that the Medical School or any of the affiliated hospitals would not want them.