"Citizens should have the power to determine how they want their neighborhood to look," Carlson says. "We should be able to shape how development happens."

After tomorrow's meeting, residents will also elect officers for the Riverside Neighborhood Group, a newly formed organization intended to present and protect neighborhood interests.

Harvard officials say they hope the renewed discussions will allow them to present their thoughts on the museum after a halt in discussions for the last several months.

"I think it's important that we shed some light on real and perceived impacts and what this museum project will be, because I think there may be some misunderstanding," Harvard's McCready says.

And McCready adds that Harvard will try to coordinate its own ongoing efforts in developing the museum proposal with the different interests of the city by continuing independent studies on issues such as traffic impact, making its results available to the study committee and residents.

"Our hope is that the two processes-both Harvard's to talk about impact, and the process to talk about the whole neighborhood-can work together," McCready says.

The Debate

While Harvard hopes to continue discussion, many residents have stated they want no further development in the Riverside neighborhood, and that they hope Harvard would consider leaving the land as it is.

A sign hanging from a third story window of a residence directly behind the Mahoney's Garden Center reads, "No Harvard Buildings Here--Save Our Neighborhood."

Some residents have proposed that the University take its plans for an art museum across the Charles River to its new land holdings in Allston.

But University officials have repeatedly said that there is no plan to leave the space for Mahoney's.

"There are no thoughts of abandoning this site," McCready says. "The thing that folks are going to have to get used to is that we're not talking about the museum or nothing, the museum or the status quo. We're talking about the museum or something else," he says.

The University's stance has mobilized a group of citizens who are concerned that any Harvard building will cut off open space and access to the Charles River in a way the current low-lying Mahoney's greenhouses do not.