Allston Residents, Environmentalists Convene to Discuss Impacts of Harvard Development | News thecrimson.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thecrimson.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Boston Water and Sewer Commission chief engineer John P. Sullivan justified the BWSCâs plans to proceed with the controversial Harvard-funded North Allston Drainpipe Expansion Project in a virtual meeting with local politicians, Allston residents, and University representatives Monday.
Harvard has pledged to foot the estimated $50 million bill for the drainpipe expansion, which the BWSC said will enlarge the width of some existing pipes, add two water filtration machines, and direct stormwater through a new outfall into the Charles River.
This meeting comes after Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen A. Theoharides certified the BWSCâs environmental notification form in March, which drew scrutiny from local residents and environmentalists concerned about construction and water quality impacts.
A statewide organization hosted a town hall on Thursday in support of two bills in the Massachusetts House to reform Payment in Lieu of Taxes programs.
Massachusetts Action for PILOT, a coalition of local advocacy groups focused on reforming PILOT, invited elected officials and residents to discuss H. 3080 and H.D. 2068, the two bills intended to reform PILOT.
Inspired by Boston’s current program, H. 3080 would create a local option for municipalities to adopt and enforce PILOT payments in which privately held non-profits with more than $15 million in land such as Harvard would be required to contribute 25 percent of the property taxes they are currently exempt from.
Proposed Massachusetts House Bill Would Make PILOT Payments Mandatory for Havard, Other Institutions | News thecrimson.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thecrimson.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.