Harvard asked that their Mahoney Garden Center location--targeted for a new art museum by Pomidou Centre architect Renzo Piano--be added to the list.

Dr. Henry Smith, a 14-year resident of 17 Hammond Street, appeared before the planning board last night to discuss his interaction with the University about the proposed zoning.

"Harvard has been extremely responsive to neighborhood concerns," he told the board. According to Power, Harvard had over 20 meetings with neighborhood representatives over the course of two years.

Urban planning architect Dennis Carlone, of Carlone and Associates, addressed these concerns for Harvard. His presentation of the transitional area moved from birds-eye view maps to three-dimensional renderings and pedestrian-view drawings.

Carlone focused on the importance of keeping buildings on the edge of the neighborhood below what he called the 45-degree plane. This means that a pedestrian standing in the middle of Hammond Street should have an unobstructed view when looking up at a 45-degree angle.

The planning board said they will review the proposal again after Harvard and neighbors have finalized the language, hopely sending a recommendation to the city council before it goes on recess in June.

The most important project for the site is the new UIS building at 60 Oxford Street, which could break ground as early as this summer. Completion of the new building is essential for the Knafel project, half of which is set to replace the current UIS building.