Neighbors Opposed To City Hall Renovation

Neighbors opposed to a proposed renovation of City Hall will meet tomorrow with city officials to discuss their concerns, according to members of the neighborhood group.

Concerned Neighbors of City Hall formed last month to protest certain alterations to the City Hall building which the members insist will deteriorate the quality of the neighborhood, according to Pamela Maus, one of the group's leaders.

The neighbors, who are mostly residents of Bigelow Street, are objecting to the planned removal of green space to make room for an expanded parking lot and the installment of air conditioning units behind City Hall, Maus said.

The city also plans to improve handicapped access by re-landscaping the rear entrance and by adding elevators.

In a petition signed by 107 residents, the group said they support the needs of the handicapped but are concerned with the specific alterations proposed by the city.

City Manager Robert W. Healy did not return repeated phone calls last week. But Maus said the group would meet with Deputy City Manager Richard Rossi tomorrow.

The City Council has requested the city manager to halt the renovation plans until the city meets with the neighbors. The Cambridge Historical Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeal, both of whose approvals are required before construction may begin, have suspended their decision on the renovation until after tomorrow's meeting.

In interviews this week, neighbors said they were upset with the fact that their concerns were not taken into account.

"We didn't appreciate City Hall doing this without consulting us," said Jodi F. Levitan, a member of the group.

But the petition and work of the highly-organized group have caused City Hall to sit up and take notice, according to Henry R. Irving, a nearby resident.

"The community on Bigelow Street made City Hall pay attention to our concerns over peace and quiet on the street and over parking issues," Irving said. "There will be much more compromise than City Hall originally planned."

Complaints

If the air-conditioning system is installed as planned, it will continuously generate irritating levels of noise, Levitan said.

Maus said city employees could simply use a city-owned parking garage on nearby Green Street.

According to the group's petition, because of "the dearth of public green space in our neighborhood," the city should only add the parking spaces as a "last resort."