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The Middlesex School Project in Estabrook Woods - Description
Briefly, the gate that opens the door to Estabrook Woods for this unneeded project is Middlesex School's proposal for a long bridge across a wetland north of Bateman's Pond. This would be on the site of and replace the existing old causeway. This new access road would commence behind Eliot Hall on the Middlesex campus. This new access would permit the more intensive development of 70 acres of upland in Estabrook Woods (in A-Land and B-Land). The bridge would be big: 300 feet long (plus 200 feet of transition ramps) and at least 24 feet wide, with sewer, water, and other utilities installed underneath. It would be decked with steel grating (like Memorial Bridge in Cambridge). Click here for current project map and explanation.
The initial development (on the 28 acres of upland in Development Area A) calls for two soccer fields with artificial turf; a sports shelter; six tennis courts; large stormwater retention basins; and a 1100' road. These initial facilities would extend 1500 feet into the Woods from the current campus. They would be only ten feet from the boundary of Harvard's ecology study area. Jeff Walker, Middlesex Class of 2001, has prepared an clear set of images on phase 1: click http://wwwalker.net/estabrookwoods/
Below is a profile showing the rice-paddy effect of the stacked facilities on the hillside. Looking north, the bridge is at the left and the top of the hill with soccer fields is at the right.
An additional 40-45 upland acres (in Development Area B) is designated in Middlesex's agreement with the town to be for future development only after twenty years (now fifteen years?). This area (which citizens fear will inevitably be developed) extends even further into the woods, to a point 2300 feet east of the current campus and only 400 feet (and visible) from the old Estabrook Road Minuteman route near the 1683 Estabrook cellar hole.
People asked. "Please, please, boil this whole disagreement down to one page. Hit the highlights."
OK, here it is-> a one page summary.