Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Pride Of Place Issue

Atkins Corner roundabouts on a dreary morning

The venerable Amherst Select Board -- keepers of the public way -- got an earful last night about the condition of the double roundabouts at Atkins Corner by a neighborhood woman who cited weeds, dead plants and overall dreariness, closing with "It's all very unattractive."

And I have to admit next to the UMass roundabout at Eastman Lane and North Pleasant Street they certainly do pale by comparison.

 UMass roundabout on a sunny Sunday morning

Like Police and Fire, DPW staffing is severely stretched to the limit.  And in the past few years their kingdom has expanded to include these $6 million dollar roundabouts and of course all of Kendrick Park.

Select Board member Connie Kruger stated she was "Also very disappointed.  It's a gateway and it's embarrassing."

Ms. Kruger also hinted that perhaps Atkins Country Market and Hampshire College could step up and maybe "adopt" the roundabouts and show them some Tender Loving Care.

 Atkins Corner from 400 feet: Epstein's Pond on the right

18 comments:

  1. How much can it cost to mow them, really?

    Please forget about "plantings" and just mow and pick up the garbage.

    Way too much pavement for the level of traffic there, if you ask me. But a great drone picture!

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  2. Thanks. Just added another one. Lived here all my life and never knew there was a pond over there on the right. Had to ask my go to source what it was called.

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  3. Sy and Alice epstein's fishing pond. They dammed a stream more than fifty years ago.

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  4. Jessica Mix BarringtonJune 9, 2015 at 11:14 AM

    Public/private partnerships seem to be the Massachusetts buzz-word these days. So why doesn't the town recruit the many landscaping and lawn care outfits in the area to care for the public space in exchange for a nice sign advertising why the area looks so well-cared for? And why don't the offended neighbors pitch in by organizing trash patrols? After all, the neighbors are Atkins, Applewood, and Hampshire college, as well as other residents. Surely these forces could muster a four person trash team to spend 1/2 hour once a week?

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  5. I think the roundabouts and the traffic control/calming they provide were a much need addition to that whole area. What is concerning is the total lack of upkeep by the town and/or state. First and foremost are the safety concerns with overgrowth in the center islands regarding visibility. Beyond that has anyone noticed the large amount of coarse gravel in the roadway near and on the east island of the north roundabout? That was dropped there by a truck carrying gravel that obviously negotiated the roundabout too quickly. I first noticed it just a few weeks after the roundabouts were completed and it's been there ever since. I emailed the DPW several times and called twice with no response from the emails and a generic "we'll get someone out there" response from one of the phone calls. I'm sure DPW employees have seen that gravel several times. Does it take much to stop for 5 minutes on the way by and clean it up?

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    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    2. What concerns me is none of their concern. Receptionists ask "What is this concerning" when you call a company to speak with someone. This, too, is not correct. I reserve the wrong to be right.

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  6. Agreed with 11:48. DPW is way underfunded. In general I would like to see more money go to DPW for street sweeping, vegetation removal, sidewalks etc. Maybe even municipal trash removal! And less $ to administrator salaries to make up the difference.

    To Ms. Barrington, above, I see your point but this is not really a private responsibility. With all due respect, getting "something for nothing" out of our local businesses is not a viable way to run a town.

    I think a mayor/paid city council might share these priorities more so than Town Meeting.

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  7. Cant ask Hampshire to do it. That would break their record of getting lots of town services for nothing.

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  8. I hate these new style rotaries. Way to much pavement. And as for "roundabout..." What're we--in Penny Lane?

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  9. Don't look for Atkins Farm to do much of anything. They have never supported anything in Amherst or UMASS for that matter. They have looked out their windows at this mess, and ignored it, just like they have done with their community.

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  10. For more on the pond, the "streams" on the same property, and the contributions of the Epsteins to the greater good, see:

    Epstein v. Planning Board for the Town of Amherst, et al.
    Epstein v. Amherst Conservation Commission, et al.

    Referenced here
    https://amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3002

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  11. That project was a bit of a flop if you ask me. Way too much concrete and no character or charm. A shame.

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  12. I have a pet peeve about the Atkins roundabouts that I haven't seen/heard from anyone else: the curb on the Inside circle is raised, sharp, and also is cut from stone that is colored so as to blend with the road. This makes it appear that the circle is gently beveled, when it is in fact raised and will eat your wheel rims. My eyesight is fine - I don't need glasses - but when I enter the circle I worry that it would be easy to pop a tire or pull a Ben-Hur on my wheels. Hasn't happened yet, but perhaps just a matter of time....

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  13. Hasn't happened yet to you or anybody. It's not going to happen.

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  14. to 9:44 pm:

    I know of two people who have damaged their tires on that rotary. Your caution is well-founded.

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  15. The roundabouts are different from rotaries in that they are designed to have a significantly smaller diameter to require less space and most importantly limit the speed of vehicles using them to around 15 mph. This in turn allows for drivers entering the roundabouts to do so without having to wait for a gap in traffic doing 35-40 mph as found in rotaries. The end result is a smooth flow of traffic in and out where you seldom have more than one car waiting at an entry point. Roundabouts have proven to be excellent passive traffic management systems across the country and around the world. They have also been found to significantly reduce the number of accidents as compared to signalized intersections that carry less traffic volume. From an environmental standpoint, a vehicle is least efficient while idling; with no red lights or stop signs, vehicle idle time at roundabouts is virtually eliminated. Regarding the curbing between the normal roadway and the truck apron, I drive and cycle these roundabouts a few times a week and find it would be very difficult to end up with a flat by driving over the apron curbing. It is properly angled, presents no square edges, and meets both the apron and roadway smoothly on both roundabouts. I have seen people end up with tire damage by exiting the roundabouts too fast and riding up on one of the approach islands; those have square curving as they should. On my next ride I'll look very closely at the apron curbs and if I see any damage that would present tire hazards I'll notify the DPW with pictures immediately.

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  16. Thanks for the clarification on rotary versus roundabout. "A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray."

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