Simple Gifts Farm, aka North Amherst Community Farm. Pine Street on right
What some neighbors have dubbed "The Forever Project" -- the Pine Street renovation -- a major east/west thoroughfare just north of UMass, our #1 employer, continues to live up to the name.
The $4 million project will not be totally completed by Thanksgiving the drop dead date for construction projects because asphalt plants close for the season.
Since tax money (both Agricultural Preservation Restriction and Community Preservation Act) assisted in purchasing/preserving the North Amherst Community Farm it took a little longer to get permission to intrude on their land for the sidewalk and crosswalk construction.
By the time permission was obtained the squash had already been planted so now the construction project will have to wait until next year. Don't want to mess with a farmer's squash crop.
The road itself, however, will be completed by first snowfall.
Another project that is starting to join the realm of forever projects is the intersection of Triangle/East Pleasant at the up and coming north end of downtown.
Guilford Mooring out of the hot seat at last night's PWC meeting
Last night the Public Works Committee discussed the item (along with a bevy of concerned neighbors) for the 8th time over the past 1.5 years.
Intersection of Triangle and East Pleasant Streets will go the way of roundabout
The Committee continues to wholeheartedly support the idea of a roundabout but have not yet seen a detailed enough plan to vote on it. Neighbors have continually expressed concern about pedestrian/bicycle safety and the town losing its "small town character" via a roundabout.
The Public Works Committee will, probably, vote in favor of the project at their next meeting in November. The PWC is only an advisory committee appointed by the Select Board, who has final say over "the public way."
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7/10/14 vote was taken before the town acquired $1.5 million state grant for construction work near the intersection