University Criticizes Ordinance

The Cambridge City Council last night took a preliminary vote in favor of an ordinance that would allow area residents to control construction and demolition within their neighborhoods--despite a protest from Harvard.

The ordinance, which may formally be enacted later this month, would allow the city council to designate neighborhoods as "conservation districts" and appoint a committee of four residents and one city official to review all plans for construction, demolition, or major renovation of building exteriors. If the panel disapproved of any plans, it could postpone them indefinitely.

"We have the support of virtually every neighborhood group in the city, Councilor David Sullivan said yesterday.

But Louis Armistead, Harvard's assistant vice president for government and community affairs, last week called the ordinance "loosely drawn" and "too arbitrary" and said that while in principle Harvard was not opposed to conversation, the ordinance might "somewhat constrain" the University's actions.

"I would like to see some changes in it so it would become something we could support." Armistead said, adding that he did not have any specific proposal for amending the ordinance.