Tenants Confront Council

Seven residents of two multi-story apartment buildings on the corner of Harvard and Trowbridge Streets charged their landlord of harassment at a Cambridge City Council meeting yesterday.

The tenants alleged that noise from the construction commissioned by the landlord for the backyard made living in the apartments unbearable. Residents also asserted that common living spaces were "not cleaned."

City Councillor Jonathan S. Myers, who said he had received numerous calls from the tenants, said that the issue was not one of conflict between landlord and tenant but "a matter of basic human decency."

Myers asked the council to investigate possible health code violations and to insure the work was being done "within the letter of the law."

The construction, which involved clearing the backyard of trees and grass and replacing it with gravel and pavement, was one of many projects in the past three months the landlord authorized. Many of the tenants believe that the construction is an attempt to force old tenants to leave in order to find new tenants willing to pay higher rent.

Tenants said that the construction started without warning in May, and that they had made repeated requests to meet with the landlord and were refused. Two meetings with the landlord's lawyer were also canceled, the tenants said.

Residents refused to divulge the name of the landlord under direct questioning from Councillor William H. Walsh, who said that the council had no right to "strong arm" a property owner with "comprehensive inspections."

Tenants complained that crews with bulldozers and sledgehammers began work early each morning and continued sometimes until 6 p.m.

Larry H. Levin, who said he suffers from an anxiety disorder, said that the noise from the bulldozers, sledgehammers and cursing construction workers prevented him from opening his windows and talking on the phone on many occasions as well as forcing him to stay at a friend's house on many nights.

In addition, Levin, a professional masseur who works out of his flat, has been unable to conduct business since the construction began.

According to complainants, the paved-over backyard may be used as a parking lot, which would be illegal under zoning restrictions.