Candidate Forum Focuses on Harvard

Harvard’s plans to expand in the city and to build an underground tunnel under Cambridge Street were featured items of discussion in a City Council candidates forum at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School last night.

“The council likes to expand too. Everyone likes to expand. We can’t control what Harvard does, but we can control what the city does and we can try and regulate things,” said Green Party candidate Steve Iskovitz.

Iskovitz said that he was not bothered by Harvard’s plans to build an underground tunnel for its planned Center for Government and International Studies, as long as the University could construct it without disrupting city traffic.

Candidate E. Denise Simmons questioned the benefit of a tunnel for the neighborhood.

“If it doesn’t benefit us, then we shouldn’t have it,” she said. “But of course I would first investigate and talk to University officials and try and hold meetings in public places to find out what the neighborhood wants.”

Other candidates echoed Simmons’ views, with Helder S. “Sonny” Peixoto the sole candidate to say explicitly that he did not support the tunnel.

“I will not support the University’s plans to build an underground tunnel because it would cause too much disruption in the neighborhood,”Peixoto said.

When questioned about the University expansion plans’ effect on the mid-Cambridge neighborhood, Brian Murphy ’86-’87—considered one of the favorites among the challengers to grab a seat on the council—said he would communicate with University officials and see what was best for the neighborhood.

“Harvard and MIT are here to stay and are part of our community, but they have a responsibility towards the neighborhood,” Murphy said. “One of their main attractions, apart from being world-class universities, is that they are located in a vibrant city with a good neighborhood.”

While Harvard’s expansion plans dominated the discussion, the presence of large trucks on the city’s streets and a proposed new library were also frequently mentioned.

Discussing the damage inflicted on roadside trees by large trucks, candidate Ethridge King said that he would suggest a height limit for trucks, instead of stopping them from driving on the city roads.

“I suggest we have a height limit for trucks. In most neighborhoods you can do with an 11-footer,” King said.