January 21, 1999

By MICHAEL HARAN

After reading the views expressed by Mr. William Schreiber ["Council should reject Neville Manor proposal," Dec. 31] regarding the redevelopment efforts at Neville Manor, I have realized that one thing is painfully clear: no amount of reiteration, information sharing or process will satisfy the few but very vocal opponents of this project.

Opponents who simply do not want to see the redevelopment completed have misstated or simply ignored the information at their disposal. So, as I resist the urge to refute Mr. William Schreiber's rhetorical assertions, I would like to offer a few of my own.

First, I am an appointee to the Neville Manor Site Plan Advisory Committee, a committee requested by the Cambridge City Council. As a proponent of the redevelopment efforts, I of course came to the first meeting of the "site committee" with my own biases and opinions. Similarly, I was not surprised that each of the other participants also arrived that day with their own thoughtful and developed positions in tow. What transpired over the following five months, however, did surprise me.

I personally came away from my service on the committee with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Fresh Pond area and particularly the issues surrounding the protection and use of the watershed. I learned the many competing demands this valuable resource faces and the many, many individuals who give their time and effort to assure that it remains an area that can be enjoyed and protected for all.

In the end, together, we learned, we compromised, and we came to understand and respect each other's opinions. By the end, we agreed. We agreed, not on everything, but on the major elements defining this project. We agreed that returning approximately half of the parcel to the reservation will expand public access to open space and Black's Nook. We agreed that protecting the city's water supply and employing best possible management practices is critical. We agreed that balancing the needs of all the Cambridge constituents was our challenge. We agreed that caring for the older citizens of Cambridge and preparing for future generations has to be a priority. We agreed that the Fresh Pond area is a beautiful and valuable asset in this urban environment. Finally, we agreed that this is an asset that should be shared by the entire community, not just those who are youthful or agile enough to walk along its paths.

Mr. Schreiber claims that more study needs to be done or that the proponents have made the facts fit their plan. That is just plain wrong. We all know that the population over 65 is growing faster than any other population. We have recently seen the Youville nursing home close its doors, with Cantabridgia following suit, leaving Cambridge dramatically low in nursing home beds. We know that assisted living is currently too expensive for roughly 70 percent of the city's seniors.

We know that the organizations involved in the redevelopment efforts -- the Cambridge Health Alliance, the Cambridge Housing Authority and CASCAP Inc. -- each has a long history serving this community and that all, by virtue of their respective missions, intend to continue this commitment into the future. We know that there are so many proponents of this project who are not so vocal, politically connected or empowered as some, but who deserve the same access to the city's resources. We also know, as Mr. Schreiber aptly points out, that sometime in the future, either for ourselves or for a loved one, we will need access to this level of health care. Do we tell that individual or family member to go elsewhere, to some other community, some other place?

I am particularly disappointed to read Mr. Schreiber's closing comment about "voting against the elderly needy." This is not and should not be about pitting one group against another, as Mr. Schreiber would assert. Rather, this is an opportunity to vote for the elderly, for open space, for the protection of Fresh Pond, for remembering what we are all about, a community that cares.

In the end, this is about creating an environment where all residents can share in the beauty that is the Fresh Pond area and share equally in its protection and its benefits. Ultimately how we care for each other will define how we care about the Fresh Pond Reservation.

Michael Haran is the executive director of CASCAP Inc., a member of Neville Communities Inc., and a member of the Neville Manor Site Plan Advisory Committee.

This article originally appeared in the Cambridge Chronicle.