Newsletter #10, November 29, 2021

Alewife Study Group (ASG) Community Meeting

Sunday, December 5, from 4:00 to 5:30pm, on Zoom

• Register at alewife.org to receive the Zoom link and other info

• Learn more about the IQHQ development. Voice your hopes, concerns, thoughts and ideas.

• Updates, and next steps for community participation, on:

  • Contamination and RAM plan

  • Flood storage and stormwater control

  • Trees, Ecosystem and Sustainability

  • Traffic and parking

  • Community benefits and public access

  • Permits and construction

• Questions and Answers

• Small group discussions and then report backs

• Closed Captioning provided

• ASG will not repeat most of the updates IQHQ presented at their November 17 meeting.  The video and presentation slides of that meeting will be posted at iqhqcommunityprocess.com

Conservation Commission (ConCom) – IQHQ Notice of Intent (NOI) Continuation Meeting Monday, Nov. 29, 7:00pm, on Zoom

IQHQ will present updated plans for their NOI and responses to previous comments from the ConCom and community members.  The last ConCom meeting, on October 25, was one of the most highly attended ever.  ConCom was impressed with the level of collaboration between IQHQ and the community.  ConCom voted to keep the review open and continue to allow public comments.

ASG has met with IQHQ a few times since the last ConCom meeting, and we are expecting a few more changes in IQHQ’s plans that are not yet shown in the documents they have submitted to ConCom.

The goal is to address flooding and stormwater issues while minimizing both the disruption of asbestos-contaminated soil next to the youth sports fields and the loss of trees.  Cambridge has highlighted Alewife as the area of the city most vulnerable to extreme flooding from climate change, and one of the six areas in the city most vulnerable to extreme heat, also from climate change.

ASG would like to see some of the land in the southwest corner of the Jerry’s Pond area, toward the intersection of Rindge and Alewife Brook Parkway, used for flood storage.  Some of that area is still paved from a former restaurant.  Removing some or all of that pavement could benefit the ecosystem.  Using some of this area for flood storage could save more trees in the northern “development” area west and north of Russell Field.  The soil in the southwest area is less likely to be heavily contaminated with industrial waste than the soil in the development area.

Additionally, ASG is concerned that the stormwater drainage from the new buildings does not meet the standards the City uses for new developments, and IQHQ currently plans to ask for a waiver.

Good attendance, even if you don’t speak or turn on your camera, will continue to show community interest.  ASG will be requesting that the community has a chance to review and comment on the final plans before the ConCom approves the project.

Click here to register for:  ConCom November 29 Public Meeting

For more information about ConCom and IQHQ’s NOI, see the ASG October 24 Newsletter

MEPA Virtual Public Meeting about IQHQ’s Environmental Notice Form (ENF) Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 1:00pm on Zoom

The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) will discuss IQHQ’s Environmental Notice Form (ENF).

MEPA’s ENF process is required because the IQHQ site will have traffic implications for MassDOT, including that IQHQ will need a permit to use the Alewife Brook Parkway access road.

The public, virtual meeting is a chance for MEPA and the public to learn about the project, existing conditions, what is proposed, potential impacts, measures that have been taken to avoid or minimize impacts, and potential mitigation measures

MEPA review is not a permitting process, but rather a chance for public study, disclosure, and development of possible mitigations.

To attend the Dec. 1 virtual meeting, click on this  Zoom link.

Meeting ID: 872 9813 4029 Passcode: 962919

Written public comment will be accepted until Monday, Dec. 13.

To view and comment on IQHQ’s ENF, click here.  Then, select the publication date “Nov 10, 2021” from the drop down. and scroll down to EEA #16473 – Alewife Park.

Update about Release Abatement Measure (RAM) Plan

Haley & Aldrich, IQHQ’s Licensed Site Professional (LSP), submitted  their Draft RAM Plan in late September.  The RAM is a plan for how to protect everyone from exposure to any hazardous materials during and after construction. Much of the 4600-page Draft RAM Plan looked pretty good to ASG, but there were three crucial areas that need tightening:

1) A fuller picture of the industrial history of loose asbestos fiber used in manufacturing at 62 Whittemore Avenue.

2) An assurance that tenting and venting will occur across the whole site wherever and whenever the top six inches of “Protective Cover” is disturbed.

3) Stricter air monitoring and reporting standards.

ASG requested specific changes in these three areas. To see these requests and ASG’s reasoning in our three response letters, submitted to H & A on Nov. 15, 2021, go to: http://alewife.org/category/asbestos/

Next Steps:

Haley & Aldrich is required to respond to all public comments, including ASG’s, on or before December 22, 2021. Stay tuned!

ASG Newsletter

ASG will send email updates about once a month during this busy time in the development of the IQHQ site.

Click here for previous ASG Newsletters

Anyone can sign up for this newsletter by completing the Contact Form at the bottom of the ASG home page: alewife.org  We also welcome your questions, comments, ideas, and offers of help!