Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang on Friday formally rejected a proposal to permanently fence off 2.3 acres of Magazine Beach, calling the plan by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) “not a viable proposal.”
In a letter to Stephen Estes-Smargiassi, the MWRA’s interim executive director, Huang said the agency had never informed city officials that a proposed underground sewer storage tank would require the permanent loss of recreational space. He criticized the agency for failing to communicate the full implications of the proposal presented to residents Monday at the Morse School. “Despite the fact that we have been working collaboratively with the MWRA over the past five years, we had not been notified of these plans prior to the meeting,” Huang wrote.
Huang also said the city does not believe the area’s permanent closure will receive support from either the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, which owns the park, or the state Legislature, which would need to approve the use of protected parkland under Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution. “We firmly believe this simply is not a viable proposal,” he wrote.
The proposed project would construct a 10.1-million-gallon underground storage tank beneath the park’s playing fields as part of a broader $1.3 billion regional effort to reduce combined sewer overflows. Much of the region’s sewer infrastructure dates back to the 19th century, when sewage and stormwater were commonly carried through the same pipes. During heavy rainfall, these aging combined systems can become overwhelmed, discharging a mixture of sewage and stormwater into nearby waterways.
According to MWRA’s presentation Monday, the tank would have a permanent footprint of approximately 2.3 acres, while another six acres would be used for construction staging during an estimated six years of work. Although the presentation materials simply state “Permanent footprint ~2.3 acres,” MWRA officials told residents at the meeting that the area above the tank would have to remain fenced off permanently, according to Huang’s letter as well as elected officials and residents who attended.
The earliest reference to an underground sewage storage tank at Magazine Beach that Cambridge Day could locate appeared in a presentation at the MWRA Board of Directors meeting on Feb. 4, 2026. That presentation also listed a “Permanent footprint ~2.3 acres” but did not specify that the footprint would entail the permanent loss of recreational space.
Representatives of MWRA, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the City of Cambridge did not respond to requests for comment by publication time.
Residents react
The proposal prompted near-unanimous outrage among some 20 residents in attendance, who objected to both the years-long disruption of recreational activities and the prospect of permanently losing access to a portion of the park.
“We suddenly realized that they were describing a permanent removal of almost all the open space of the park from public access,” said Steven Miller, a board member of the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association. “At that point, you could see everybody’s eyes suddenly double in size, and their jaws dropped.”
Miller said the permanent loss of public access only became clear after residents began questioning MWRA officials about what would happen to the land above the tank. “It was not clear from the slides, and it was only because people were asking questions that we suddenly had this bombshell dropped on us,” he said.
The revelation brought the presentation to a halt as residents peppered officials with questions about alternative locations and other construction projects already planned for the neighborhood. “In fact, we never got past that slide,” Miller said.
Another Cambridgeport resident, 25-year-old folk musician Cooper Smithson, is taking a more musical approach to opposing the proposal. Although he did not attend Monday’s meeting, Smithson said he was shocked to learn of the plans afterward and wrote the song “ Who Needs Magazine Park” in protest, which he plans to perform at an Oct. 17 concert organized by Camberville Folk.
“It’s too expensive to build a tank under private lots / On BU just across that river, so we’ll bear the cost in Cambridge,” Smithson sings in the song. “And don’t get me wrong, now, I want the Charles to be clean / But from what I have seen, there’s no need to dig up Magazine.”
Smithson, who has rented in Cambridgeport for more than two years, said he regularly visits Magazine Beach to walk, relax and play guitar. He emphasized that the park serves residents across income levels, particularly renters and students who may lack access to private outdoor space. “Cambridgeport is not West Cambridge where everyone has, you know, half an acre behind their house,” he said.
Political opposition mounts
State Rep. Mike Connolly, whose district includes Magazine Beach and who attended Monday’s meeting, said the proposal would be “dead on arrival” at the state Legislature. Connolly said he would vote against legislation to authorize the permanent loss of protected parkland. The project would need approval from two-thirds of both chambers of the state Legislature. Connolly said he has been working with state Sen. Sal DiDomenico, Cambridge officials and other stakeholders to oppose it.
Connolly accused the MWRA of a “disingenuous ploy” by presenting residents with a “manipulative” choice between protecting their park and pursuing ambitious environmental goals. He and other environmental advocates have pushed for stronger protections in the MWRA’s Draft Updated Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control Plan since it was released in April.
The proposed 10.1-million-gallon tank at Magazine Beach is intended to eliminate overflows during a typical rainfall year in 2050, projected to be more intense than now. But that standard would still allow sewage discharges during heavier storms. “Typical year sounds good, but it still means very regular overflows,” Connolly said.
Connolly suggested MWRA’s presentation could discourage residents from supporting stronger environmental protections by making the permanent loss of parkland appear to be the price of reducing sewage discharges. “If you say to residents, you know, we can go a little better on our rivers, or we can destroy Magazine Beach,” he said, “I think immediately most people will say, ‘Well, I don’t want to destroy Magazine Beach.’”
What happens next
Huang and Connolly have called on MWRA to explore alternatives that would preserve public access to Magazine Beach, including relocating the tank to nearby parking lots or MIT-owned property, or redesigning it so recreational space could be restored above the underground facility. Both pointed to existing sewer infrastructure projects where public space has been preserved above storage tanks.
Residents have until Oct. 30 to submit comments on MWRA’s draft plan, including the proposed location and design of the Magazine Beach tank.
Steven Miller described Magazine Beach as “the crown jewel of the whole neighborhood,” a gathering place for Cambridgeport and Riverside residents who come to play sports, picnic, watch birds or simply enjoy the Charles River. He recalled how community advocates spent years working to restore the park after decades of neglect, efforts that continue today with an ongoing improvement project expected to be completed later this year.
“We spent too long and put too much of our energy into making it the wonderful place it is, and we don’t want to lose it again,” Miller said.
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