1 East Pleasant Street, a new downtown anchor on the north end of town center
5th time was the charm for the proposed mixed use five-story building with 84 residential units located on the north end of downtown, as the Planning Board last night, finally, gave Site Plan Approval with waivers for 1 East Pleasant, Archipelago Investments 4th commercial Amherst development in just the past few years.
Kyle Wilson, Dave Williams (behind)
Determined opposition had switched tactics for this final meeting suggesting the Planning Board hold off giving final approval of the project until September of 2015. That way, they reasoned, nearby Kendrick Place with 36 rental units would be open and clientele demographics could be ascertained.
Kendrick Place under construction next door
Only in Amherst do NIMBYs micromanage private developments right down to the target customers.
The vote to approve was 6-0 with 2 abstentions. Since two members were not present at the original hearing that started w-a-y back on October 1st, they could not legally vote on the project.
Building abuts sacred West Cemetery
The approval comes with a boatload of conditions but the developers thus far have been overly attentive to details so it's unlikely they will not keep up their side of the agreement. The developers are also pursuing LEED-Gold certification, which also comes with a great number conditions.
A couple dozen residents showed up for "public comment" period
The Planning Board showed extra concern for how the new building would be managed. Archipelago responded that they are "developers not property managers," and they were in the final process now of picking a management company that would handle all four of their Amherst developments.
1 East Pleasant will have an on-site manager living in one of the units and a front desk will be operational during peak hours. The lease will not allow rental by the room, only by the unit, and anyone not on the lease will be subject to sanctions.
The specter of rowdy student behavior clung to this project like a wet blanket. Fortunately with the town and UMass joining forces to reign in such bad behavior that concern is getting less and less valid. Although hard to convince neighbors of that.
Wilson and Williams in the not-overly-hot seat before Planning Board last night
Kyle Wilson repeated stressed this building would be well-managed ... something to make the town proud. The Planning Board unanimously agreed.
The only organized political coalition of voters in town are those who oppose development. They repeatedly say that they are against "this development in this place at this time." They run candidates. They support each other in Town Meeting on efforts to stop building projects in different parts of town. They unite on strategy from meeting to meeting. They write letters to the newspapers. They are a force.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the town's voters, who may take a more moderate view on development, hope for the best, rarely meeting or talking with each other, believing that the politics will take care of themselves.
Does this include the buildings in the parking lot that are not attached? Like Loose Goose cafe? Will that building be destroyed as well? If so what is the fate of Loose Goose?
ReplyDeleteDead Duck….
ReplyDeleteHow is it nimbyism to not want Amherst center to start looking like Boston center?
ReplyDeleteIt's more like niyfism (not in your face ism) There are plenty of places out of sight where builders could build without cutting down a ton of trees. The old frat row for example.
I moved to Amherst 10 years ago from Boston after visiting because of how pretty it was. Over time it's looking more and more like a place I wouldn't have chosen to move to if making the same decision again today.
Loose Goose building is coming down. I saw the owner at the hearing talking with Dave Williams. Hopefully it will be a tenant?
ReplyDeleteMcOffice Park.
ReplyDeleteNo big surprise here. The fix was in from the beginning. I'm not saying any graft was involved,but I highly doubt Gates would vacate all his tenants and buy back condos if he didn't know there was a 99% chance of this going through. Williams and Wilson wouldn't go through all the effort and planning if they thought this wasn't going to get approved. This project was approved way before the vote. The Town manager and planner wanted this and they made sure this was pushed through Fast. What residents thought was of No concern and lies and BS covered up all potential parking and noise problems. Time will tell what the effect of all this will be but I predict it will be a disaster for downtown Amherst and then no one will take responsibility for it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a by right project
ReplyDeleteFast? Seriously? After 5 public hearings over the course of 4 months? This is why this blog is named what it is.
ReplyDeleteThere was no "fix." This project was vetted and approved not just by the volunteer Planning Board, but also by the volunteer Historical Commission, and the volunteer Design Review Board.
Just because you disagree with something doesn't make it corrupt. It just means you didn't get your way.
This is a major project that will change the face of Amherst forever. Yes 5 meetings was very fast. I didn't say it was corrupt just pre approved.
ReplyDeleteFrankly at this point I don't give a dam. I won't be going downtown anymore they just lost my business and hopefully in 5 years I'll be able able to the hell out of here.
ReplyDeleteHear! Hear!
DeleteLet me follow the impeccable logic of Anon 12:55 pm: they "wouldn't have gone through all the effort and planning if they thought this wasn't going to be approved." Hmmm....
ReplyDeleteBut it surely wouldn't have been approved if they hadn't.
Let me guess, Anon 12:55 p.m., you make your living from what? Collecting cans? How is it that your pound of flesh from the marketplace is somehow more honorable than these guys?
Why do I have this intense feeling someone from Arch is trolling this site?
ReplyDeleteMaybe u forgot to put on ur tinfoil hat?
ReplyDeleteThe same cast-of-characters protested both the Retreat and One East Pleasant, using virtually the same arguments.
ReplyDeleteThey could have rewritten the script a little bit.
You have No Idea how many people oppose this project. I think you would be very surprised if this project came to a town vote.
ReplyDelete3:02
ReplyDeleteYou're right.
Good thing we didn't vote on whether or not your residence should be built
But you did!
ReplyDeleteWhat's Calvin Terrell doing these days? Can't we get back to that? And anyway, I preferred downtown back in the days when Don Muller was down the alley and House of Walsh ruled.
DeleteYour right 7:25 Amherst was a great place and downtown back then. Nobody from Northampton ,greenfield,Belch,Longmeadow will come to Amherst because of Arch projects. These are only an anchor for a sinking ship. The only economic growth gained from these projects are for Arch and not the town of Amherst.
ReplyDelete