Park plans at their fingertips

Harvard asks neighbors about science complex

Harvard's Maile Takahashi (left) spoke with Quinnie Lin of Allston, Thomas Ho of Brighton, and Chandler Rosenberger of Allston about development plans in Allston. (ROSE LINCOLN/HARVARD NEWS OFFICE)

Larry Cummings had a decision to make.

He rubbed his chin and turned to talk with his wife, Eleanor, as they stood looking at the poster, one of more than two dozen on display.

The two Eatonia Street residents had come to terms some time ago with the fact that Harvard University will build a big science complex in their neighborhood. Now they were trying to decide which kind of landscape they wanted for the 1-acre park that Harvard plans to build and maintain behind the Honan-Allston Branch Library.

The project is part of a $25 million agreement on community benefits that university and city officials worked out with members of the Harvard Allston Task Force this year in conjunction with the Harvard Allston science complex, a four-building center for stem cell and related research that is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

Another part of the agreement makes its debut on Wednesday, when Harvard hosts a farmers market at the corner of North Harvard Street and Western Avenue. The open-air market, proposed by residents during community meetings, will offer local produce and baked goods once a week through the end of October.

As Cummings studied the poster, he said the site of one particular brick-and-gravel setting looked "too congested" for a park. Instead, he peeled off a small, blue sticker from a sheet he was given on the way into the session and placed it next to some small shrubs and mulch marked as "soft" scenery.

"I just think it's beautiful, the way it's designed," said Cummings, who has lived nearby for 30 years. "It looks so relaxing."

Cummings was one of more than 400 residents who showed up early this month to a picnic that Harvard organized in lieu of the regular task force meeting.

In addition to sampling hamburgers and hot dogs, the guests had a chance to weigh in on the park's design by placing stickers on different aspects they thought the park should possess, ranging from the soil selection to the formality of its layout to adding a potential historical or literary theme.

Along the lines of a "park-by-committee," several comment boards were also set up throughout the area, inviting residents to scribble ideas that had not been included already, such as restricting an area of the park specifically for dogs or adding tennis courts or an open amphitheater.

"We agreed that the best place to start was getting everybody's voice in the room, everybody's ideas up on the board and starting to sort through them," said Kathy Spiegelman, chief planner of Harvard's Allston Development Group. "Having transparency in the process, that goes from every idea you can possibly think of to the perfect ideas that the city and community are likely to endorse."

Harvard president Drew Faust noted that the site of the project, known as Library Park, had a different purpose that is still fresh in the memories of many residents.

"I've heard some great stories about how some of you used it when you were children and it was the cement factory, with piles of sand that were fun to sled on," Faust said. "I think what we have to look forward to is a wonderful space that we will all use in somewhat different ways, but I think highly enjoyable ways as well."

Harvard has committed about $3.5 million to building the park, Spiegelman said, as well as a 10-year plan that contributes about $220,000 annually toward its maintenance.

"It's going to be a long process," said task force chairman Ray Mellone. Using the stickers, he said, was "just a way to get it down to the grass roots."