Conference 7.286::digital

      I had heard that the Mill was 200 to 300 people over its 
    intended population and that was one reasoning the parking
    here was so bad.  With DECworld in progress, the parking
    crunch here has eased somewhat.
    
    Greg
    

Re .1:

Is that the intended population of computer employees, or wool mill
operators?
				/AHM

    	RE: .0
    
    	PROBABLY the LTN-1 facility, having just come from there, I
    would not be a bit surprised. Also, knowing what the town of Little-
    ton HAS been like in the past, I also would not be a bit surprised
    that they'd cite us for being overcrowded (which we were, but...).
    	See, Littleton is a funny place. Did you know that, according
    to one FAIRLY reliable source, the reason why LKG couldn't (at first)
    get a helipad was ''because the town counsel didn't use one in his
    daily business'', so we couldn't either? I believe we beat the rap
    on that one by building the helipad on the LKG site, but actually
    it is over the town line in Westford... or so I've understood it
    last I asked. Apparently the town of Westford isn't quite so  strict
    about such things, if they're presented reasonably.
    	I also seem to recall that there were major stumbling blocks
    in getting LKG built as well, AFTER construction started up; some-
    thing about the requirements for septic systems' distance from well-
    heads being changed an extra 1000' AFTER we'd started building,
    and lots of flap about soil runoff into the street sewer system
    while construction was going on (I can understand this somewhat,
    but from what I recall of when this was happening, the town was
    really making themselves obnoxious).
    	Anyone happen to know why the XRE Corp's sign changes at diff-
    erent times during the evening? 'Cuz the town said they don't want
    that bright light shining after 10 PM, and to make things worse,
    they have to DIM IT after sundown or 7 PM, one of the two.
	And this was BEFORE we moved into town...
    
    	Anyone care to comment on whether it's gotten any better there
    lately?
    
    	FWIW.
    
    	Gerry Hafner

    re .3:
    
    The reason for the light dimming is a bylaw. We have a similar one
    in Harvard. About ten years ago, many of the towns local to Harvard,
    Mass., passed similar bylaws. The purpose was (and remains) to protect
    the skylight around the astronomical observatory located in Harvard.
    It turns out that Harvard is the center of a relatively dark area
    between Boston, Worcester, and Fitchburg. It is one of the few dark
    zones within reasonable distance of Cambridge and our observatory
    is part of the Harvard College Observatory. Although most visual
    astronomy from the college is done in Arizona these days, the
    observatory is still in service. The primary activity today is the
    SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence), which is radio
    rather than light. There is at least one active astronomer using
    the observatory.
    
    So, you see, sometimes apparently strange rules have a rational
    basis....

>I believe we beat the rap on that one by building the helipad on the LKG site,
>but actually it is over the town line in Westford...

WHAT helipad at LKG?

(John Covert, LKG1-2/A19)


You're probably thinking about:

	1. The satellite dish
	2. What will happen if LKG ever DOES get a helipad.

/john

    RE: .-1
    
    	Correct, here in LKG we have the lights for "the helipad" but
    	Littleton won't let us land here.. The dish is in Westford cuz
    	Littleton was afraid of mutant babies from the "rays coming
    	down from space"...
    
    						mike

      RE: .2
    
      I heard that the Mill had more people than the occupancy permit
    allowed.  Apparently, you are allowed only so many people per parking
    space.  Since expansion of the Mill parking lots is apparently highly
    constrained, the only way to solve this problem would be to reduce
    the number of people in the Mill.  Along those lines, I heard today
    that DEC is contemplating purchase of the Data Terminal Systems'
    HQ near the Acton border.
    
    GLO
    

    
         The Data building (last word I hear before coming out to VRO3)
    will be leased if not allowed for purchase by DEC.  That unfortunately
    has no place to confirm it but the way the rumor mill (no pun
    intended) has been spinning it looks like it might just happen!
                                      
                                Debbi

    Mill Facilities just put their foot down and said it was a no no
    to have mill rats doubling up in their cubes.