Environmental group cites hawks as reason to halt development

By Brock Parker, Globe Correspondent

A local environmental group is citing the popular red-tailed hawks nesting on a Cambridge high rise as a reason to halt a major apartment project in the middle of a nature reserve on the Belmont-Cambridge line.

Ellen Mass, President of the Friends of the Alewife Reservation, said the two adult hawks and three fledglings nesting at 185 Fresh Pond Parkway are only a mile from the reservation and a common habitat for hawks. See a photo gallery of the hawks here.

But Mass said the fragile ecosystem could be disturbed if a plan moves forward to build a 299-unit affordable housing complex on land surrounded by the 120-acre Alewife Brook Reservation.

Last week the state Department of Environmental Protection signed off on a ruling that clears the path for Pennsylvania developer O’Neill Properties Group to build the apartments in the Belmont Uplands. The state agency found that O’Neill Properties Group had taken adequate steps to mitigate any damage to surrounding wetlands and prevent nearby Belmont neighborhoods from being hit with flooding and sewer backups.

Mass said Friends of the Alewife Reservation were devastated by the state’s decision, but the group has found hope in the plight of the hawks nested high above the Fresh Pond Parkway.

The hawks have drawn droves of onlookers to the Fresh Pond area in recent weeks, including many bird enthusiasts armed with high-powered camera lenses to photograph the urban nest.

“The hawks have really lifted our spirits tremendously,” Mass said.

Mass said Friends of the Alewife Reservation are trying to get fans of the hawks and the reservation to attend a Belmont Selectmen meeting on Monday, June 7 at 8:15 p.m. when the development will be discussed. Mass said she’s hoping a large showing will encourage selectmen to strongly back Belmont’s Conservation Commission, which has opposed the project.