City must put brakes on institutional expansion

THANK YOU for your detailed coverage of Harvard University's decision to slow down and maybe stop construction in Allston-Brighton ( "Dread is rising in Harvard's hole," Metro, Feb. 23; "Allston residents blast Harvard officials," Metro, Feb. 24). Nobody can blame Harvard for the current economic crisis, but we must all learn from this sad episode. Institutional expansion, a phenomenon so predominant in Boston, might have some advantages, but it also contains risks. Allston-Brighton is now left to bear the brunt of the negative effects of Harvard's land banking. Properties are left vacant while the city and the neighborhood are deprived forever of tax revenues.

Still, Harvard refuses to commit to stop purchasing property in Allston-Brighton. Nearby Boston College, which is further expanding into Allston-Brighton, also refuses to stop buying property in the neighborhood. The city might not be able to prevent land banking by large institutions, though such a process often occurs through secret dealings or under the cover of a third party. But city agencies can and should stop rewarding such bad behavior, and should exert more leverage on behalf of residents by denying zoning variances and operating licenses to these institutions.

LISA LIEBERMAN
Brighton