ALLSTON—Harvard's planning to move its School of Engineering and Applied Sciences to its expanding footprint in the neighborhood: "The school would relocate to the planned science center complex, which is expected to be completed by 2017..." [Boston.com]
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CAMBRIDGE—About that extra affordable housing and money developer Forest City is giving re: Central Square: "This scenario could lead itself to raising some eyebrows and appear that the developer is attempting to 'pay-off' the city and the board in an illegal contract zoning transaction. While in theory this is illegal, it is very easy for a city to overcome a challenge based on a claim of contract zoning. Municipal planning board actions carry a presumption of validity and as long as the rest of the process is done according to statute, the zoning action will be upheld." [Jonathan Berk]
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BOSTON—Jonathan Curley wants you pet lovers to know this: "In some respects, if a Boston resident is on the fence as to buy or rent, needing a pet friendly place to live could tip him or her over to the buying side. On average about 80 percent of Boston apartments for rent are not pet friendly. On the flip side approx 80 percent of for-sale condo listings are pet friendly – at least to some degree." [Charlesgate]
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D.C.—As Boston tinkers with the idea of many public taps, a cautionary tale from the nation's capital: "Massachusetts residents may lean green, but the effort by DC Water suggests that alone is not always enough. In nature, water may seek its own level. In commerce, reversing the public thirst for bottled versions of it may require a push from public officials and policy makers." [CommonWealth]