Bio Pond devotees worry about Life Sciences building encroachment
BY Susan Phillips
Special to the University City Review
Although the University of Pennsylvania recently completed restorations on the Bio Pond, some students, staff and residents are still concerned that new construction will harm the surrounding Bio Pond garden. On Friday, a group of about a dozen students, staff and community residents, along with a large puppet, gathered at the Bio Pond garden, located south of Woodland Walk and east of 38th Street. Carrying signs that read Save the Bio Pond Garden the group walked to College Hall to present a letter to University Provost Bob Barchi. After presenting the letter, Provost Barchi and staff member Nancy Nicely unexpectedly met with the garden enthusiasts to discuss their concerns.
The Bio Pond and the surrounding garden is a little oasis of sanity said one community resident who has been visiting the garden for over ten years. You can go there and find places where you do not see a wall and thats very valuable for the community, students and staff."
Patty Sanchez, a graduate student in microbiology, questioned why Penn would build so close to the garden in which they just invested money for the pond. Its very peaceful, she said, you dont see buildings, a new building will block the sun.
The University plans to build a new Life Sciences Building in an area west of the garden bordering 38th Street. The construction of this new building requires removing two existing buildings (Kaplan and Mudd) as well as the greenhouses that now sit on the western edge of the garden. Construction of the new building will occur in two phases. The first phase will remove the greenhouses and the second will remove Kaplan and Mudd. Barchi said the construction plans are not yet finished but that construction will begin in six to nine months.
Anne Dixon, a gardener at the Bio Pond, worries that the new building will shade out many of the flower beds and that the process of construction will destroy root systems of large trees and affect other plants. Im not against the [biology] department having a building, Dixon told the UC Review, but Im against it being in the garden, they could put it someplace else, they could even build it over 38th Street.
The Bio Pond garden originally served as a medicinal herb garden for the medical school and at one time extended to the Woodland Cemetery. Last summer, the century-old biopond was drained and a large donation from Dick and Jeanne Kaskey allowed for its recent renovation. Flagstones have replaced the former muddy woodchip paths and young ducklings have already taken up residence. Its great that the Kaskeys donated money to restore the pond, said Dixon, but people should be aware that the garden is in danger.
University Provost Bob Barchi, however, responded that Penn has been very careful about the placement of set-back lines and construction lines. They are not going to intrude on root structure, he added, the building will be terraced back to where sun-lines are preserved. When asked about the effect shading will have on the garden, Barchi said that due to the terraced nature of the new building, shade will only affect the area of the garden adjacent to the building. We will be changing some of the plantings [to those] that can tolerate shade, he said.
