Overpowering Symbol

Kendrick Place: 5 story, mixed use (mostly residential) building opening by September

If the pro-development warrant articles #21 & #22 fail and the anti-development articles #24 & #25 acquire a majority vote (shy of the two-thirds required for passage) on the floor of Amherst Town Meeting Monday night, the shadow cast by Kendrick Place will have loomed large in that nightmarish outcome.

At the moment the building, unfortunately, is still ensconced in its protective exterior winter coat -- so it indeed looks a lot less inviting than it will two or three months from now.  Critics will argue it's downright ugly.

Those same critics point to perceived insider concessions bequeathed to the local developers, Archipelago Investments.  The Planning Board granted Special Permits that allowed an extra 10 feet in height and lot coverage pretty much out to the public street.

Since Kendrick Place is located in the Municipal Parking District no off street parking is required for the 36 units which will house 104 tenants. Such a building outside the MPD would require 2 parking spaces per unit. 

And since it is a "mixed use" building (some commercial on the 1st floor) the town's Inclusionary Zoning bylaw, mandating 10% of the units being "affordable," doesn't apply.

Throw in the recent $1.5 million state grant the town acquired for burying ugly above ground utility wires in and around Kendrick Place and you have a full blown conspiracy theory worthy of a Hollywood movie.  

Of course the other way to view Kendrick Place -- which will be a lot easier to do a few months from now -- is it represents the derring-do of the private sector, who were willing to risk the expensive development costs and work with local boards and committees to bring a desperately needed project to fruition.

While the beleaguered downtown businesses, who could use the walk-in traffic from those 104 tenants, will see Kendrick Place epitomizing the most powerful symbol of all:  hope.