Thursday, July 8, 2010

ARA update

So the Amherst Redevelopment Authority met again last night and started with an Executive Session to discuss land acquisition. While I can't go into the details of that privileged aspect of the meeting, I can say the update was good news and that the "Gateway" urban renewal project is coming along faster than I anticipated.

When Umass turns over the 1.83 acre undeveloped parcel (formerly Frat Row) things will then kick into high gear. Although that is going to require the okay of the state legislature.

One of the many advantages of having a powerhouse senator like Stan Rosenberg is he can shepherd that kind of legislation.

My previous report (liveblogged no less)

10 comments:

  1. "Amherst Redevelopment Authority":

    isn't that a triple oxymoron, i.e. three words that should never be uttered in the same phrase?

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  2. Yeah, good point.

    The neighbors are already circling the wagons and in addition to the state legislature okay (which I'm sure will happen) for the land donation there is also that problem of getting two-thirds of Amherst (anti-development) Town Meeting to approve a zoning change.

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  3. I'm sure that you can manage to alienate the other third in your usual manner.

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  4. No worries...I'm no longer in Town Meeting.

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  5. The anti-development spirit in Town Meeting is like a reflex. It's not something that Larry Kelley has any impact on. It will be there whether or not he says anything.

    There are many things to blame on Larry. This is not one of them.

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  6. "There are many things to blame on Larry."

    I laughed for half an hour on that one.

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  7. I predict this one will muster 2/3 - it'll have broader
    support because it's reasonable RE-development near the town center, not farmland sprawl on the outskirts.

    - YKW

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  8. So Larry, why (and how) is the University "turning over" this land to the town? Does this have anything to do with the partnering that Larry Shaffer has been trying to champion with UMASS during his tenure as town manager or is this circumstance totally unrelated?

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  9. Actually they are turning it over to the ARA and we work with them and the town to get a private developer to build a mixed use project (housing and retail) that will be on the tax rolls.

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