Miss Emily and Lavinia
Although I'm sure it will not stop NIMBYs from attending the December 3 Planning Board meeting for one final pot shot at 1 East Pleasant Street, a five story mixed use (but mainly residential) development that will rejuvenate the north end of downtown, the last potential stumbling block seems to have been surmounted.
At last week's Historical Commission meeting the guardians of Amherst's historic past did not vote to oppose the (temporary) destruction of the Amherst Community History Mural attached to the Carriage Shops rear wall overlooking sacred West Cemetery.
Mike Hanke, Chair Amherst Historical Commission
Of course the mural will be reborn via the original artist, David Fichter and a crew of professionals to assist, unlike the original that used citizen volunteers. And this time he will not have work around ugly air conditioners jutting out from his "canvas".
The destined for demolition Carriage Shops abut West Cemetery to the south
Since Miss Emily was a bit of an introvert in her later life she would probably be amused at the turnout the Planning Board hearings have generated over the past four sessions on this age old controversy concerning growth and renewal.
Amherst Community History Mural (The sun also rises)
24 comments:
Dickinson and Hemingway? (see caption of last picture.) Now there's an odd couple.
He would have shown her the good time she never had (which might have resulted in even more poetry), and she might have stopped him from cleaning his gun.
Rejuvenate? How does dislocating many long standing business and parking rejuvenate anything. I would use the words destroy and ruin.
Right! Net loss of HOW many parking spaces ???
So crazy that this can be allowed...
Well if NIMBYs had not torpedoed the original LARGER downtown parking garage ...
How refreshing it is to hear the title 'Miss' used in conjunction with Dickenson. A rarity in these days. Almost as rare as Mrs.
Parking spaces?!?!? Shouldn't all you granola crunching hippies be walking or riding your bikes if you need to go into "town?"
If Bertuccis didn't have it's own parking lot would you park in the downtown lots and walk there? Good luck to the commercial tenants of Arch trying to survive under those conditions. If you had to carry anything heavy out of one of the units are you going to double park on Pleasant Sr?
No, Anon. 5:01, I'm going to park in the covered parking area, off the street, with access to elevators--an amenity made possible by one of the dimensional special permit variances approved by The Planning Board.
So the parking spaces for the residential units will also be for the commercial customers?
Kendrick Place has covered parking?
Where will diners at the Pub park?
In the parking lot reserved for Pub patrons. It's not going anywhere.
It's not going anywhere yet. If Arch is paying 4.6 for the Carriage Shops and is paying to demolish it,what is that parking lot worth? It brings in nothing for now unless they plan to turn it into a paid parking lot. It's income potential is to great to stay the way it is. Just a matter of time. All the real estate in the north end will change in a short time. The town has open a can of worms for change better or not. Time will tell,in the end we are all dead.
I do believe the glass is half full (and not with poison).
Are they taking the old Tower building out?
No
"If Bertuccis didn't have it's own parking lot would you park in the downtown lots and walk there?"
Yes! Just as I do for Chez Albert, The Monkey Bar, Hastings, Judies, The Toy Box, Johnny's Tavern, Amherst Optical, Zanna, Henion, Black Sheep, The Lord Jeff, Amherst Cinema, Rao's, Clay's, Go Berry, Miss Saigon, Antonio's, Pasta E Basta, Bruegger's and The Monkey Bar... all establishments I frequent and would hate to see "go under".
It's called a municipal parking district, something that makes sense to support with tax dollars because of the way those dollars contribute to both a vibrant downtown and our overall quality of life. If we don't have enough parking to support demand it is, in my view, a positive sign for the community. Lets build more! Most likely there will be grant dollars available to help with that. Let's stop whining about growth and welcome it's potential for supporting the services we want and need in this town.
All the places you mentioned have parking directly in front or nearby. There is no parking directly in front of the Arch projects. I doubt most people would walk from say Boltwood lot to Bertuccis. Furthermore the residence of these projects and visitors of people in these projects will be Competing for parking spaces. You don't need to be a genius to see this will be a parking nightmare. This isn't growth it's destruction. Why should we waste more tax dollars on a private project. If Arch needs more parking maybe they should pay for it.
I never see anyone parking in the lot behind Primo and BankNorth. Lots of spots there that can be opened up. What will happen to the Loose Goose?
Anyone who disagrees with you, Kelley, is a NIMBY. There are no NIMBYs downtown, you nitwit. No one lives there. The people who live in neighborhoods adjacent to downtown are the ones who walk there. They won't be fighting for parking spaces which don't exist.
Were you at the parking forum in September, the three hour one during which everyone who spoke -- town residents and business owners alike -- said there already is a parking problem?
And the NIMBYs you alway deride are the ones who submitted the citizens petition for rental permitting and provided the muscle which forced the town's hand to actually do something instead of their usual grandstanding. The same rental permitting you keep touting as a game changer, which indeed it is. And I wouldnt start popping the champagne on One East Pleasant Street quite yet. Town lackey/attorney Joel Bard's inane interpretation of the affordable housing provisions will not stand muster in a court of law. And when he loses, he and his firm should be dismissed. He is a disgrace.
Yeah, when all else fails call in the lawyers.
At least the NIMBYs will have to pay for that.
Well, except the taxpayers of Amherst will shoulder the defense via, "Town lackey/attorney Joel Bard."
Anon 3:22, I attended the parking forum and you could not be more wrong. It was very clear from the studies that the lots at the north end of town are currently very UNDERutilized.
But I'm sure you never let facts get in the way of a good argument. Repeat something often enough (i.e. "There's no parking downtown!!") and people might believe it?
When the carriage shops stores are all shuttered I'll have 15 less reasons to come to downtown Amherst. When the new student housing is built I will have about 75 more reasons not to come to downtown Amherst.
Nice article in the Gazette.
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