Reports: Executive Director’s Reports

May 14, 2007

  1. City-State Groundwater Working Group - The Working Group met again on April 26. Attendance remains excellent, with all groups showing continued cooperation.
  2. City Council - The City Council held an oversight hearing on the groundwater issue on May 8. My prepared testimony is on our website. Also testifying were Jim Hunt, John Sullivan, Scott Darling of the MBTA, Gordon Richardson of Citywide GET, and several individuals from the South End. The tenor of the meeting was generally positive, although with a request that I once again provide a map with my newsletter. There was also some request for an overall plan to comprehensively attack the issue. I also met with Councilor Arroyo on May 3 to update him on the groundwater issue.
  3. BRA - I was invited to an update on the BRA’s new computer system for tracking projects. We will have access to the system to enter comments and to follow various aspects of the progress of the projects we’re concerned with.
  4. Zoning - The Zoning Commission voted to extend the modified Groundwater Conservation Overlay District to the Bulfinch Triangle, North End Waterfront, and Fort Point Channel neighborhoods. It is now in effect in those areas.
  5. BWSC - The work on Back Street will be completed except for paving by the end of August. The video survey of low sewer pipes is about 2/3 complete.
  6. DCR - DCR is scheduled to return to the Technical Advisory Committee of the City-State Groundwater Working Group on May 21 with an updated plan for recharge as part of the Storrow Drive tunnel reconstruction project.
  7. MBTA - The MBTA will be contracting with the Trust to install two additional observation wells very close to the Southwest Corridor structure on Cazenove and St. Charles Street. They want to use these to understand whether a significant groundwater flow extends along the structure or if the flow is primarily toward the area between Arlington and Berkeley Streets. This will help in deciding the best long term solution to install.
  8. MTA - The MTA has inspected its structure near Prudential, but has yet to find any leaks there.
  9. Budget Request - The Mayor has included funding for the Trust at last year’s level plus an allowance for inflation in his budget request, as promised.
  10. East Boston - Jim Hunt, Nancy Grilk, and I met with Councilor LaMattina and a group of East Boston residents on May 11 to discuss the groundwater problem in that neighborhood and potential next steps. We will probably meet again soon with the Councilor to discuss the potential extension of the modified GCOD to affected areas of East Boston.
  11. The Clarendon - The promised report on groundwater levels in the area and why they are low has been completed by Haley & Aldrich and is in review by the Beal Companies. I expect to receive it shortly.
  12. Website - Traffic on the website in April was at near record levels. May has seen a slight drop, but continues at high levels.
  13. Research Projects - Work in the Northeastern University testbed for our project on remote sensing is to be done this week. Assuming that the results are positive, we will be proceeding to a field test. I signed the agreement with Wentworth for our project on alternate methods of foundation repair. Jim Lambrechts and Christian hope to jointly select the student who will be assisting on the project this week. Work is to take place over the next two semesters, with completion in January.
  14. Press - There are new articles from the Boston Courant and the Back Bay Sun to be added to the site.
  15. Comment Letters - I filed on the GrandMarc at St. Botolph project. The letter is posted on our website.