Description
I am a resident of Tempo at Alewife Station, at 201 and 203 Concord Turnpike. This fence, which gates the main pedestrian walkway to exit the grounds, was closed and locked on 9/16/21 by the Bulfinch property management team, which operates the adjacent Discovery Park business park. To my knowledge, they now have a closed fence that encircles the entire Tempo at Alewife property and have locked it so that no pedestrians can access the Discovery Park sidewalks and the Alewife reservation, which leads to the Alewife MBTA station. As of this weekend, there was an open gate in the fence on the side of 203 Concord Turnpike facing west (away from Discovery Park and hundreds of feet from 201 Concord Turnpike), but we have been informed that this gate is under their control as well and that they could lock it at will.
The only other pedestrian exit from 201 and 203 Concord Turnpike is to walk along the sidewalk which runs along Route 2. The sidewalk has no border, or even shoulder, protecting it from the highway speed traffic on Route 2, which has no lighting and is currently under construction. It is clearly not designed to handle the hundreds of residents at 201 and 203 Concord Turnpike, as well as the Vox on Two apartment complex at 223 Concord Turnpike, most of which commute through the Alewife MBTA station.
Discovery Park clearly has an obligation to maintain public access to the public roads, sidewalks, and parks that lie within it. As of today, they have apparently informed the Community Manager here at Tempo at Alewife Station that this is because our residents have not been picking up their dog waste. The result of this petty disagreement is being taken out on the people who live here. I am not sure if this fence--which is labeled "Emergency Exit Only" despite being locked at all times and which no resident would have the keys to unlock in the case of an actual emergency--is actually legal. But we need some info from the Cambridge city government on what the pedestrian walkways are supposed to be, and how to make them safer than to have hundreds of apartment residents walking along a congested highway every morning.
Thank you for your time,
John Daristotle
201 Concord Turnpike
Cambridge, MA 02140
12 Comments
City of Cambridge (Verified Official)
anonymous (Registered User)
But individuals should pick up after their dogs--very unhygienic
John (Registered User)
Αναγνωρισμένο Public Works - VB (Compliance Officer) (Registered User)
MP (Registered User)
John (Registered User)
Public Works - JF (Engineering) (Verified Official)
Inspectional Services - AT (Admin) (Verified Official)
John (Registered User)
anonymous (Registered User)
This should be expedited and fixed ASAP.
Soon it will be winter with snow & ice on the sidewalk w no border or curb - and pedestrians will be slipping off & under the vehicles traveling along Rte 2.
It might even be an eminent domain issue for safety sake---never minding the zoning/permitting commitments.
Again, I recommending informing the City Manager DiPasquale (he is actually the unelected mayor of Cambridge), the Mayor Siddiqui as well as City Councilors.
Otherwise it could go on & on like the rat problem in the city which was a problem everyone ignored until it became the colossal problem it now is.
John (Registered User)
Κλειστό Inspectional Services - DP (Inspections) (Verified Official)