Reports: Executive Director’s Reports

January 18, 2007

  1. Zoning - There will be a public meeting in the North End on Jan. 25 to discuss the possibility of extending the GCOD into portions of that neighborhood. There will probably be meetings soon after in other study areas that were designated when the GCOD was adopted. The GCOD continues to be handled well by the Zoning Board of Appeals. No variances from the requirements have been sought. The Board looks to us and to BWSC for input on all cases.
  2. City Council - The City Council held an oversight hearing on the groundwater issue in December. I served as part of the panel to both brief councilors and to answer questions. The hearing, chaired by Councilor Feeney, went very well.
  3. Public Improvement Commission - I reviewed a draft of the PIC’s regulations for recharge systems under public ways. They looked very reasonable. I would expect them to be adopted shortly.
  4. State Building Code - The comment period on the proposal submitted by Citywide GET has ended. It is unclear when a final decision on whether to accept the modifications will be made.
  5. BWSC - Work continues on the BWSC project to rebuild/reline the Back Street sewer. We have been monitoring for changes in groundwater levels along the route as well as to make sure there is no damage to our wells. To date all has gone well. BWSC has also identified a potential problem in the North End that may have had an impact on groundwater levels. They are still considering how best to proceed.
  6. DCR - I have been invited to attend the subcommittee meetings for the Storrow Drive tunnel project to make sure that groundwater impacts remain in the forefront. The Charles River Watershed Association has been very helpful in raising the issue at the Landscape Subcommittee.
  7. MBTA - We are monitoring the impact of the recharge wells that the T has installed at Cazenove and Berkeley Streets. As of our most recent readings, our data loggers show a significant increase in groundwater level only at the corner of Berkeley and Chandler Streets; however, John Sullivan told me that it took some time for levels to begin to rise after they installed the wells on St. Charles Street, so this may not be unusual. On another project, the T will install the required groundwater observation wells at agreed locations near the Arlington and Copley Station projects this spring.
  8. MTA - The repairs at Harrison Avenue appear to have had a positive impact on nearby groundwater levels. We should be able to better confirm this in our current set of readings.
  9. MWRA - The repairs to the East Boston sewers were completed on Dec. 19. Hopefully we’ll see an improvement in the readings currently under way.
  10. 303 Columbus Avenue - The wells that the project is monitoring don’t show any negative impacts on groundwater levels. They expect to install the monitoring well in front of 321 Columbus Avenue this week.
  11. Columbus Center - Columbus Center will be starting some preliminary work along the Turnpike shortly. It will probably be March or April before they get to the point where they will install the wells along the Turnpike.
  12. The Clarendon - The project has begun demolition work on the post office. Construction should start fairly soon after that is completed. We have received our $75,000 community benefits funding from the project.
  13. Website - Traffic on our website was higher than I expected in December, with all of the metrics increasing. January has been a little slower, but still busy.
  14. Potential Research Projects - Jim Lambrechts is developing a revised proposal for his proposed research project on an alternative method of repairing foundations in lighter buildings. Jim and I met with researchers from Northeastern and BU to discuss the use of acoustic technology to potentially determine cut off elevations and possibly even pile condition without the need for a test pit. I expect a proposal shortly.
  15. Press - There are new articles from the Boston Courant and the Back Bay Sun posted on our website.
  16. Comment Letters - I filed comments on Wilbur Place, Northeastern Residence Halls I & K, and 179 Lincoln Street. All are on our website.