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Agree On A Pavilion Site

Aaron Michel’s Jan. 15 opinion piece on Boston University’s proposed sailing pavilion was right on the money. He questioned why the University couldn’t compromise with the community and settle on a reasonable site only a couple of minutes away from the huge swath of land for which BU has stubbornly advocated against the wishes of much of the surrounding community. It seems like a no-brainer. I, and many of my friends who use the Esplanade, would be very upset to see a pavilion placed on that large area of land. The suggestion made yesterday by James Baldwin in his opinion article that a pavilion would blend in with the scenery is obviously patently ridiculous. Does the BU Boathouse “blend in” with the scenery around it? No way! It stands out like John Silber at a fraternity party. Of course, Mr. Baldwin wants to end the sailing pavilion controversy without a resolution that is acceptable to all parties. He works for the BU sailing program. There are few people more likely to have a skewed perspective on the sailing pavilion controversy than him. The fact is there is a legitimate desire throughout the community and among many BU students to find a middle ground on this issue by settling upon a compromise site, such as Site 5. That is why the Alliance of Boston Neighborhoods, Bay State Road Civic Association, Beacon Hill Civic Association, Boston Green Space Alliance, Boston University’s Environmental Student Organization, Charles River Conservancy, Conservation Law Foundation, Environmental League of Massachusetts, Esplanade Association, Massachusetts Audubon Society and Neighborhood Association of Back Bay are all working together to find a solution that works for both the public and for BU.

The current sailing pavilion does need to be moved, but Mr. Michel is right. This is a major commitment of both a long period of time (at least 25 years — equivalent to ownership of the pavilion site) and extraordinarily valuable land. Let’s make sure that it gets placed in a location (like Site 5) that everyone can agree upon, rather than a site that only BU sailors and BU employees like Mr. Baldwin want. I encourage you to find out more about this issue by taking a look at the comprehensive coverage on the Charles River Watershed Association’s website at www.crwa.org.

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