Showing posts with label Gateway Project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gateway Project. Show all posts

Thursday, October 22, 2015

And We Have A Winner

Commonwealth Honors College Complex bottom right

The Commonwealth Honors College Residential Complex, a $192 million mixed residential and teaching facility that opened in the fall of 2013, was just awarded  LEED Silver Certification for its energy efficient design standards.

The other really nice thing about the complex is it provides 1,500 beds to keep students on campus, and because the rooms are so nice the occupants tend to take good care of them.

The complex also has nary a response from UMass police for problem behavior with only the occasional "burnt popcorn" fire alarm response handled by Amherst Fire Department (since UMass does not have its own fire department).

Now if we could just get UMass to partner with a private entity to construct something like this on the Gateway open field -- one that would pay property taxes -- I would really do an Irish jig.  



Gateway Area.  Fearing & Phillips Streets on left with former Frat Row on right.  

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Build It! Just Not Anywhere Near Me

UMass Southwest = 5,5000 beds.  Originally a 6th tower was planned, but never built

Couldn't agree more with Fearing Street resident John Fox's column in today's Gazette:  Indeed UMass could do more with housing students within their confines even though they are already top three in the nation for sheltering students on campus (around 60%).

 Click to enlarge/read

I just find it interesting he highlights two private town center projects he vehemently opposed -- Kendrick Place and One East Pleasant Street -- declaring them not nearly big enough to satisfy demand and then points out Public Private Partnerships constructing housing on public (UMass) land is the best way to go.

Kendrick Place, with104 beds, opening next month

Ironically, when the Amherst Redevelopment Authority partnered with UMass to develop the former Frat Row into a glorious Gateway Project that would have provided ample student housing and commercial space in a tax-paying mixed-use project, Mr. Fox lead the charge to successfully scuttle it.

John Fox (rt) on the attack at ARA meeting December, 2010

But at least he will now support circumventing the Pacheco Law to allow a Public Private Partnership to build a substantial project somewhere on campus.

Of course should they choose the best location, the shovel-ready former Frat Row, he will once again fire up his war machine. 

Gateway Area.  Fearing & Phillips Streets on left with former Frat Row on right.  
Maybe it's time to build that 6th Southwest Tower?

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

A Signature Building


 Gordon Hall, 418 North Pleasant Street
Proposed Crotty Hall (from Northwest perspective)

A couple years ago Amherst Redevelopment Authority consultant Giani Longo suggested a mixed-use mega project for the North Pleasant street corridor in and around the old frat row.

And just a tad further south, closer to town center, suggested some sort of "signature building" would be nice, since it's such a well traveled route to our proud flagship of higher education, UMass Amherst.

Big green spot in middle right is former Frat Row

The current owners of Gordon Hall, where the UMass Economics Department holds court, go before the Amherst Planning Board on 12/3 to present plans for a matching beautiful building, Crotty Hall.  Together they will make a splendid statement for folks heading into the central core of UMass.

Signature twins if you will.



Unfortunately neither of them, unlike what the ARA consultant had in mind, will be on the tax rolls.  And since they are a 501 (c) (3) non-profit pursuing educational goals the Planning Board pretty much has to approve the project.

And no, they cannot make a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes a special condition for granting Site Plan Approval.



Because it's located on the road owned by Amherst, the building will be protected by Amherst police and fire personnel.  Since Gordon Hall is assessed at almost $3 million, if it were in private for-profit hands (or just a rich homeowner) it would have generated $60,000 last year in property taxes.

 They do at least pay permit fees to Building Department

When this new building goes on line you can more than double that assessed value to well over $6 million or $120,000 in potential property taxes.  Or enough to hire a few badly needed pubic safety personnel. 

Alas, Crotty Hall will pay nothing.  But it sure will be pretty.


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Figures Don't Lie

RKG VP Kyle Talente appears before Planning Board Housing & Shelter Committees

As has become the routine with any public meeting remotely concerning housing, the joint meeting of the Planning Board and Housing & Sheltering Committee last week to hear yet another housing study report became an opportunity for citizens to poke and prod in general and -- in particular -- air complaints about the town's biggest bogeyman, student housing.

Originally the $30,000 study, an outgrowth of the now dead Gateway Project (killed by the very same NIMBYs) , was to ascertain the market for non student housing. But as President Kennedy once observed, "A rising tide lifts all boats."  And in Amherst, the student housing market is a tsunami.

The usual suspects

According to the consultant, "There's a mismatch between supply and demand.  Students price out folks.  Until that need is met it will continue to happen."  Because student rentals in converted single family homes are oftentimes marketed by the bedroom the combined "buying power" of a typical student household matches that of a family with a household income of $100,000.

Houses coming on the market at a price point of $250,000 are prime meat for ravenous investors who can outbid middle class families.  When those houses are all gobbled up and the demand still exists the next price point will be $275,000, then $300,000 and so on. 

Between 2000 and 2010 only about 325 new units were added to the housing stock, or about 35 units per year.  In that same time frame average rents have risen a whopping 57% -- or twice the rate of inflation. Amherst's official population grew from 34,874 to 37,819 during that time frame.

In a recent Amherst Bulletin column UMass Chancellor Subbaswamy confirms UMass has added 1,000 undergrads since 2009 and will add another 2,000 before the end of the decade.

Umass houses 60% of their total students on campus and plans to maintain that ratio in the future;  so that means 400 of the most recently added 1,000 students found housing off campus, and over the rest of the decade 800 more will be looking for shelter. 

The mistake in the draft report pounced on by John Fox in particular concerns the impact of the spiffy new Commonwealth College facility at UMass, which has about 3,000 students.  But the report seems to treat those students as new additional students increasing the overall population of UMass, when in fact they are already here and have already been counted.

In September the 1,500 bed dorms for Commonwealth College students came online.  Some in the audience insist that was enough to satisfy student housing demands, even though it shelters only 50% of the targeted clientele. 

The snippet of the report that seems to have drawn the most fire
Obviously Umass is using the Commonwealth Honors College as a marketing tool to ensure those 2,000 EXTRA students come before the end of the decade, and that they are high achievers unlikely to participate in rowdy weekend parties. 

Neighbors also pointed out the report does not discuss current student oriented projects under way:  Olympia Place (236 beds) and Kendrick Place (102 beds) have both been approved by the Planning Board, but neither has broken ground. 

Interestingly they didn't throw in The Retreat which is projected to provide 641 student beds because they probably do not wish to jinx their concerted effort to kill that project.

RKG Associates provided all sorts of remedies we can take or leave to stimulate housing production.  But to deny that Amherst even has a housing problem is like denying men have walked on the moon. 

The first step is to admit there's a problem.  "Houston we've had a problem." 

And that problem is us.



Amherst will become a Jekyll and Hyde:  Student slums and high end "upper crust" neighborhoods


Vince O'Connor: Keep politics out of this report (Amherst needs affordable housing NOT student housing)

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Bring On The Consultants

Steering Committee co-chairs Nancy Buffone, David Ziomek (left)

The Town Gown Steering Committee had their final meeting of the year Tuesday and passed their collective hands over the final RFP draft for a consultant to help navigate the stormy waters that arise between two large independent entities -- in this case the town and UMass, a flagship University in a state that cherishes education.

As usual there were a couple points of friction:  Actual Amherst demographics are hard to measure precisely: how many year round residents of the town overall and how many off campus students there are nine months of the year.  And what is the exact make up of on-campus students since some of them take online courses  and therefor not physically present.

But the real point of friction came from immediate neighbors in the audience who took offense at the line "Community resistance to new growth has been consistently high." Yes, in a bureaucratic document, God forbid directness.

Jack Hirsch went so far as to say the line was aimed directly at "Save Historic Cushman," a relatively newbie organization in the generations old BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) movement.

John Fox also read a prepared statement decrying a "secret document" that had been commissioned by Town Meeting a few years back as part of the ill-fated Gateway Project.  That traffic study, like this town/gown consultant effort, was a joint effort overseen by UMass procurement department, and seems to have simply been misplaced in the shuffle.

Or as Stephanie O'Keeffe explained,  "There are so ... many ... damn things going on."



In fact the final report still has "draft" stenciled across the front page.  And Mr. Fox never did point to any scandalous factual findings that would give anyone a reason to want it keep secret. 

Committee member Rolf Karlstrom also brought up concerns about the document reflecting all the final tweaks just discussed and urged the committee to hold off voting until a final document could be emailed to the entire committee, since one-third were not in attendance at the start of the meeting.

 Rolf Karlstrom (far right)

And in fact, by the end of the meeting only 12 of the 24 member remained.  Of course if the steering committee were subject to Open Meeting Law the unanimous vote would be invalid since a 50% attendance of a governmental body does not constitute a quorum. 

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Amherst's Twin Towers

Boltwood Place under construction August, 2011

Boltwood Place, Amherst's first downtown tall building in more than a generation, will soon have a sister clone rising into the not so rarefied air, only in this case not quite as close in proximity as those iconic Twin Towers knocked down on 9/11.

Kendrick Place lot (near Bertucci's)

Archipelago Investments LLC will go before the Planning Board on September 18 seeking approval for Kendrick Place -- a five story, mixed used building located at the very Gateway to UMass on the corner of Triangle Street and East Pleasant directly opposite Kendrick Park.

 Boltwood Place today

The views alone from the Penthouse suites will be worth the lease payments.

The new building will also be LEED certified, and co-developer David Williams is hoping for Platinum Certification one step up from Boltwood Place's Gold Certification.

Kyle Wilson standing, David Williams seated


Archipelago is currently before the Planning Board seeking a Special Permit for the construction of a 75 unit, 236 bed dormitory style development on Olympia Drive known as Olympia Place.  The private (therefor on the tax rolls) student housing project would replace a run down rowdy frat house.

These visionaries also instigated the joint project between UMass and the Amherst Redevelopment Authority for the ill fated Gateway Project, a mixed use plan that would have created badly needed student housing and high end commercial space in a prime location connecting UMass to Amherst downtown.

Archipelago Investments LLC is transforming the landscape of Amherst -- both figuratively and literally.  It's about time. 

#####
UPDATE

The Gazette caught up with this story about 8 hours later (on the web) and it appears in print today, Wednesday.  Odd headline.  Originally they used "Second Apartment Building Proposed For downtown Amherst" but then changed it before going to print.

#####
1:00 PM
Now they've changed the digital headline for a 3rd time (much better) and added this nifty stock photo.  But they can't exactly recall the 20,000 or so printed editions delivered this morning with the odd "ups ante" headline.  

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

If You Build It?

Revive the Gateway Project

Actually they are already coming (2,000 over the next seven years) so the need for additional student housing is a given.

Two years ago UMass was willing to donate a prime swath of lush lawn for a mixed use development that would help solve two imbalances in our little college town:  taxable housing for our #1 demographic and commercial space for goods and services -- all within walking distance of the heart of the campus or downtown Amherst. 

The Gateway Project died because public officials failed to show resolve in the face of adversity:  NIMBYs with sharpened pitchforks and flamethrowers.

Now after the tumult created by "The Retreat," it's time to take a second look at The Gateway, and this time GET IT DONE.

According to a recent Op/Ed column in the Amherst Bulletin, UMass Chancellor Subbaswamy states "The university is committed to exploring the feasibility of a legislative remedy that would allow us to pursue public-private partnerships to address our housing needs."  Bingo!

What the Chancellor is referring to is a work around of the 1993 "Pacheco Rule" that protects public services from being privatized (no wonder then Governor Weld tried to veto it):

A "Special Act" exempting Amherst and UMass from the rule -- but only in a case of public/private partnership to construct new student housing on campus property.  The former Frat Row for instance.

 Former Frat Row, ready to go!

This "Home Rule Petition" is just what the Chancellor ordered, and would fall into the hands of able state legislators Stan Rosenberg -- a shoe in for the next Senate President -- and Ellen Story.

Two recent influential housing studies indicated the clear and desperate need for student housing, starting with the simple fact that 59% of our population are "college aged".

And until that problem is solved all other aspects of housing concerning families, retirees, low-and- moderate income, or the homeless will never be solved.

If the "rising star" Housing & Sheltering Committee really wants to make the difference, they need to prepare a warrant article for Town Meeting initiating this Special Act process.  Now!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Growing Pains

Coming Soon:  Commonwealth College 1,500 beds

In his May 15 appearance before Amherst Town Meeting to pitch the joint town/gown study on coexisting in harmony, Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy proactively addressed the #1 criticism leveled at UMass/Amherst:  build more housing to keep students on campus.

The Chancellor clearly pointed out that this fall, when Commonwealth College Residential housing goes on line (1,500 beds), UMass/Amherst will be #3 in the nation for housing students on campus. 

The relatively recent construction of "North Residential" also added 800 beds.

North Residential housing complex

And when Commonwealth College dorms come on line they, like North Residential, will not pay property taxes, even though both will be protected by the Amherst Fire Department.

This year AFD cost taxpayers just over $4 million to fund yet they spend 23% of their time dealing with UMass.

Graph courtesy Amherst Firefighters Local 1764

Umass is scheduled to grow over a ten year period at only 300 students per year.  Had the Gateway Project not been scuttled by noisy NIMBYs that alone would handled a couple of years worth of growth.

And of course The Retreat, a taxpaying student development in northeast Amherst would also absorb a couple of years worth of UMass growth.  If it ever gets built. 

Or, if provincial Amherst Town Meeting had only approved Form Based Zoning in village centers last year we would already be seeing mixed use buildings going up in North Amherst to greatly stimulate both commercial and residential stock.  

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Play it Again Sam


Just to underscore the difference between the venerable Daily Hampshire Gazette and little ol' me I offer the following:  nine years ago I tried to run a half-page print ad supporting the Charter Change ballot question (at the ridiculously high "political ad rate"), dumping our antiquated Select Board/Town Meeting form of government for a more nimble, professional Mayor/Council, but I was turned down (at lost revenue to them of almost $1,500).

Why?  Because the ad consisted of only one name, blown up rather prominently, as having endorsed the "Vote yes on the Charter:" A signature ad that had run the previous week with over 500 other names besides his own.  And I hate to now out him, but that lone name was Amherst's (super) state Senator Stan Rosenberg.

The Gazette rationale was that he knowingly signed a signature ad assuming his name would appear with over 500 other names (and as a result get lost) but he had not signed off on a rather large spotlight.  My theory is when you go public, you go public -- all the way baby.

Take this Cowardly Anon Nitwit for instance.  He made a Comment at 3:41 AM this morning on a post from 6 months ago that would normally only get a couple dozen views -- mainly from folks doing a Google search for any of the numerous names that appear.

And obviously he is friends with one or two because how else would he know that some of the kids I mention are "recent graduates".



Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Last Hurrah Party House Blowout":

I am appalled that you think it is okay to post the names and addresses of these young students and recent graduates. As I read this, and the string of comments attached, I wonder if you have ever attended college? Have you ever pursued a higher education? There may be flaws with the education system, and higher education is certainly not without its share of flaws. However, it is a community in which young adults can grow and learn from their accomplishments as well mistakes. I am biased, I suppose, as I am a doctoral student studying education. What is rather amusing, however, is the fact that you are still in the town in which you were raised, posting personal information about people you do not know. Why don't you post some of your flaws and your street address? I am sure that you have rolled through a stop sign, crossed a street without using the crosswalk, or perhaps upset a few people in your day.
You harp on people who disturbed the public, and yet here you are, disturbing the public.


Larry Kelley has left a new comment on your post "Last Hurrah Party House Blowout":

Seems to me the only ones I'm "disturbing" are the a-holes who party too much.
But thanks for stopping by. Now go work on your dissertation.


I'm actually happy the CAN brought me back to that particular Party House post.  In light of recent events, it's certainly worth revisiting.  Notice the record setting number of arrests (a dozen) at 11 Phillips Street that weekend.  Yes, that is the same house we now know had 14 kids living in it! (although it is only zoned for 4).

And they paid the rent by operating an alleged illegal basement bar at all hours of the night/early morning. If the town and UMass really want to send a message about these insidious student slums, then they should join together to support taking Phillips Street by eminent domain (via the Amherst Redevelopment Authority) and allowing a responsible developer to rebuild a Phoenix housing project we can all can be proud of.  

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Whiny to the bitter end




The Joint Capital Planning Committee voted 7-1 this morning to approve $3,153,200 in recommendation to the Town Manager that backtracked only slightly from last week's fireworks laden meeting, mainly to now include $20,000 for 16 Jones Library surveillance cameras and $10,000 for maintenance work at the town owned Hitchcock Center building.


Hitchcock Center
After the camera initiative was properly vetted by IT directory Kris Pacunas, the price had precipitously dropped from $60,000 to $20,000 and will certainly provide peace of mind for patrons made nervous by frisky teens frolicking in the unattended downstairs, or the homeless wandering in looking for a place to sleep.

Library Trustee Carol Gray took exception once again to cuts that were upheld: $150,000 for fire protection system and $15,000 for building insulation, which she claimed would return about $3,000 in annual energy savings, or a five-year payback. Although she neglected to factor in the $15,000 that was approved last year for insulation and never spent, thus the payback period is really ten years.

And of course being a former lawyer she held up the architectural study commissioned by Library Trustees that highlighted minor deficiencies in the current fire protection system suggesting the town would be liable for any injuries sustained in the (unlikely) event of a fire.

Ms. Gray also took a cheap swipe at $90,000 earmarked for planning studies split between two major projects:  Last fall "Form Based Zoning" failed to garner the two-thirds vote necessary (119-79) at Town Meeting--with many opponents saying the article required "more study"--that would have rezoned North Amherst center and the Atkins Corner in South Amherst.

And the Gateway Corridor Town Center rezoning study, a $40,000 item to bring Form Based Zoning to the commercial downtown and the contiguous corridor leading to our largest employer, UMass.

Former Library Trustee (Chair) Pat Holland, who was defeated last year because of her tag-team involvement with Ms. Gray in running off long time library Director Bonnie Isman, is running unopposed for the lone Amherst Redevelopment Authority seat in the April 3 election.

The ARA spearheaded, nurtured and delivered the Gateway Project plan over the past year-and-a-half, but will probably have little future involvement for Ms Holland to sabotage.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Neighborhood Shake Up?

So it will be interesting to see (and hear) how the immediate neighbors living near our economic Leviathan react to the news that Lincoln Apartments, which for over fifty years housed families, graduate students, UMass staff, and visiting faculty will now be accepting the dreaded "undergrads."


Well, maybe.  


According to a polite memo to the neighborhood from Lisa Queenin, Director of Community and Regional Legislative Relations: "With the housing pressures on campus and our desire to maximize all available housing options for both undergraduate and graduate students, we may open Lincoln Apartments as a housing option to senior undergraduates who choose to live in this quiet community"


Lincoln Apartments is contiguous with Fearing Street, which is located in the heart of the Gateway corridor leading to UMass from Amherst town center.  Frathouse Pi Kappa Alpha, the scene of violent fights this past weekend (earning them two $300 "Nuisance House" tickets from APD) is located on the corner of Fearing Street and North Pleasant Street and the worst party street in town, Phillips Street, is one street over.
 Lincoln Apartments top left, Pi Kappa Alpha middle right

Rowdy student party houses poisoning the neighborhood was reason #1 the Gateway Corridor Project-- a joint commercial/residential  mixed-use development between the town and UMass-- was derailed.

The two acre parcel of property (formerly "Frat Row") that was to be the crown jewel of the town/gown joint development is now also a potential site for additional housing, assuming the Gateway project does not arise from the dead.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Amherst's Political tragedy of the year

10/29 storm: overall story of the year

Since all politics is local and Only In Amherst is a hyper-local news blog, I'm duty bound to do that routine Main Stream Media thing and--in spite of Satchel Paige's cogent advice--reminisce over the past year, as painful as that may be.

The death of the Gateway Corridor Project, a unique coalition between Amherst, UMass and the Amherst Redevelopment Authority to significantly enhance the main entryway to UMass connecting with our downtown, had the potential to add $75 million in mixed use, high end development to our anemic tax base.

Killed by NIMBYs who feared a resurrection of the notorious Frat Row, which ten or twenty years ago could have served as a location set for an "Animal House" remake. And as an outspoken member of the ARA who never missed one of the dozens of meetings we had over the past year, it's hard not to award this debacle the most important local political news event of the year.

If the local spring election has a Prop 2.5 Override or Charter change of government question, that usually is the political story of the year. But this past election we, thankfully, had no Override or, regrettably, no Charter question, no contested races for Select Board (our highest office) or School Committee (our most revered office) so voter turnout was a pathetic 8.5%.

But still, that election is the backdrop for my political story of the year--only because Catherine Sanderson was not on the ballot. She was battered and bullied into not returning her nomination papers--duly signed by over 50 registered voters--simply because she had the temerity to expose the emperor and empress had no clothes, and did not look particularly attractive naked.

Closing Mark's Meadow (boutique) Elementary School, saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, alone should nominate her for sainthood.

But her real power to stir the pot like an outboard motor and actually make change (and I'm not even sure she ever realized this) was the power of her blog, that so frightened town officials from Amherst and the surrounding region they actually petitioned the District Attorney to shut it down. My God.

The 10/29 nor'easter starkly reminded us of the awesome power of Mother Nature, and a blog done right is another formidable force of nature. My School Committee Blog was so very right.

Catherine Sanderson

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Form Based Zoning: DOA

Amherst Town Meeting members call for "tally vote" by holding up cards

Despite 80% support from the Select Board and 60% of Town Meeting members, Form Based Zoning in North Amherst village center and Atkins Corner in deep South Amherst failed to clear the high hurdle of a two thirds vote, going down to defeat after 2.5 hours of discussion with 119 yes votes and 79 no.

The majority of the discussion centered on North Amherst where Town Meeting was told by two speakers that over 100 "residents of Montague Road" had signed a petition opposing the article (turns out to be more like a dozen actual residents), but Atkins Corner in South Amherst also drew criticism because the two new roundabouts are not yet functioning and the noise from the Norwottuck Gun Club was portrayed as a major detriment to health and safety.

Unfortunately the cumulative effect of having two large separate areas involved--each with its own set of NIMBYs--doomed the ambitious undertaking. Perhaps if someone had divided the motion and let each village center be voted on separately one of them could have passed.

Overall, like the demise of the Gateway Project, the fear that increased density of development was not family friendly and would bring more student party houses to disrupt neighborhoods with late night noise, traffic, fighting, vandalism, unsightly trash and body fluids caused the defeat.

Maybe now town and UMass officials will get serious about controlling rowdy, alcohol fueled behavior of the tiny minority of students who are having such a detrimental impact on civility at large.

Selectman and North Amherst resident Jim Wald presented the article


Quintessential NIMBY Mary Streeter cited safety and environmental concerns with Atkins Corner


Atkins neighbor Seymour Epstein cited noise and pollution to a trout stream, calling the planning charrette a "charade"


Former Selectman Gerry Weiss was concerned the village centers would compete with downtown businesses

Monday, November 7, 2011

Town Meeting supports development measure


The canary in the coal mine briefly quivered, but survived, as Amherst Town Meeting passed article #5 by a 90 to 67 vote, providing $40,000 for a "housing market study" of the entire town, but mainly used to promote the ailing Gateway Corridor Project, a joint development effort Amherst started last year with UMass and the Amherst Redevelopment Authority but now pretty much a town project.

Fortunately, tonight's marketing study article required only a majority vote. Article #17, Form Based Zoning, also a pro development measure somewhat connected to the Gateway Project, will require a two-thirds vote.

And none of the No voters from this evening are going away.

Unfortunately.

Friday, October 7, 2011

The die is cast

SB:Jim Wald, Diana Stein, Alisa Brewer, Aaron Hayden, Stephanie O'Keeffe

The Rubicon has been crossed, the newspaper put to bed, as the Amherst Select Board signed the warrant for the Fall Town Meeting at approximately 12:15 PM on an otherwise bright fall Friday.
Town Meeting commences on November 7, and will not conclude until all 18 articles are acted upon.

For sure article #17, bringing Form Based Zoning to North and South Amherst village centers, will be the most controversial item, resulting in a l-o-n-g debate; as will article #5: $40,000 for a town wide "market study" of the exceedingly tight Amherst housing market, something that will be attacked as a taxpayer subsidy benefiting real estate agents and developers.

Both articles will primarily come under fire for fear they will be instrumental in producing more "student housing," the bogeyman of Amherst. The Gateway Corridor Project, a joint effort between UMass, the town and the Amherst Redevelopment Authority was the most recent project to suffer from this paranoia.

The final article (#18), an advisory to the Select Board to revive the Committee on Homelessness--terminated only last month--could also generate plenty of discussion, but since it is the last article on the warrant, perhaps members will be burned out and less likely to talk until the cows come home.

Fall Amherst Town Meeting Warrant

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Form Based Zoning moves forward


The Zoning sub-committee of the Planning Board voted 2-0 one absent to recommend to the full Planning Board "Form Based Zoning" for Atkins Corner and North Amherst Village Center be placed on the warrant for the upcoming Town Meeting starting next month.

And a few hours later the full board voted 5-1 to make it so (Richard Roznoy the only "No").

The Select Board will sign the warrant on Friday.

The form based code requires the maintaining of an architectural look and feel for any new development occurring in those village centers. Because it's zoning, the article requires a two-thirds vote of Amherst Town Meeting, which starts November 7.

While the areas impacted are only the two village centers at the far ends of Amherst, the passing of the article will be a positive indicator for the Gateway Project near Amherst center--connecting the commercial downtown with UMass.

The Amherst Redevelopment Authority is strongly in favor of rezoning the Gateway District, and Form Based Zoning will help enable the public private partnership to work .

Jonathan O'Keefe, Robert Crowner, Richard Roznoy, David Webber, Constance Kruger, Stephen Schreiber

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

A Bright Future for Solar in Amherst?

It will be interesting to watch how UMass deals with NIMBYs this time around--after the Gateway setback--on the solar farm project announced for 15 acres of former farm property just off Valley Lane where neighbors have already circled the wagons to cast shadows over the sun catching project.

Naturally the $10 or $12 million project, which will provide $200,000 in energy savings annually, will be tax exempt if constructed on UMass property, unlike the BlueWave proposal for the old landfill, which will be roughly the same scope but would pay around $175,000 in property taxes annually and provide low cost electricity to the town.

A far brighter deal for Amherst taxpayers.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Gateway is Gone

The Gateway Corridor Project, born September 1, 2010, died Wednesday August 4, just shy of age one, after contracting an all too typical case of NIMBYism.

The ambitious Gateway was conceived out of an optimistic, rare partnership between Amherst and UMass, as an urban renewal project with a mixed-used commercial development of high end student housing, commercial retail, and office space, a signature building or two plus significant green space, to revitalize the corridor connecting downtown Amherst with our flagship University.

The Amherst Redevelopment Authority adopted the infant and acted as nursemaid.

But the generational pessimism ingrained in the nearby neighborhood by seasonal waves of rowdy students, combined with overly inclusive public officials who allowed self interested "stakeholders" to hijack the public process, inflicted a heavy toll.

Gateway supporters were so concerned about negotiating the Town Meeting gauntlet--where a two thirds vote is required for zoning changes--that they watered down the project immensely, thus alienating a major player.

On August 4th UMass rescinded the offer to transfer ownership of Frat Row, the Gateway's crown jewel, a two-acre swath of open land dubbed a critical "catalyst" by ARA consultant Gianni Longo. The prime piece of property that ignited the very idea of a "Gateway."

With its heart and soul gutted the grand idea is gone. Now, Gateway belongs to the ages.



9/1/10

Todd Diacon, UMass deputy chancellor (center). During the intensive design charrette he was seated at the only table of ten that came up with a "minimalist" plan for Frat Row: keeping it wide open and green. They called it, "King Philip Street Park."

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Gateway shuffle

Former Frat Row, forever UMass

The Gateway Project, so named because it hopes to transform the main entryway to UMass while seamlessly connecting our largest employer to downtown Amherst, inched forward this evening...but once again demonstrated the changing nature of the project.

Deputy Chancellor Todd Diacon told the Amherst Redevelopment Authority, "We wholeheartedly support the Gateway Project." He also confirmed UMass funding for a traffic study in the Gateway corridor as part of their ongoing Master Plan.

Town Manager John Musante testified the town will sponsor warrant articles for the fall Town Meeting to hire consultants for a marketing study and to map out zoning changes required if the Gateway "vision," now endorsed by both the ARA and UMass, is to become a reality.

Zoning is a key factor which requires a two-thirds vote of Amherst Town Meeting. Since that body will deliberate spending tens of thousands on additional consultants for the Gateway project in November, the majority vote required will be a bellwether of how well the zoning vote--a higher hurdle--will fare.

Diacon also admitted, however, that his office would not advocate for the transfer of Frat Row, a 1.8 acre prime swath of land deemed a "catalyst" by the Gateway Vision consultant, to either the town or the ARA--although he stated UMass would landscape the wide open property and that they had no plans for building construction over the next five years.

UMass purchased the property, formerly home to five rowdy frat houses, for $2.5 million. Originally the Gateway Project commenced when UMass offered to donate the land for a private sector mixed use project but one providing significant housing. After a chorus of complaints from immediate neighbors fearing a resurrection of Frat Row, the housing aspect was significantly altered.

If Town Meeting approves the zoning change, individual private developers will have to undertake the task of transformation, with a form-based zoning code for guidance and a "vision" as inspiration.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Gateway remains open


Maybe it was the nearly 100 degree heat outside Town Hall as tonight's Amherst Redevelopment Authority meeting concerning the joint effort Gateway Project attracted more major players--Town Manager John Musante and UMass Deputy Chancellor Todd Diacon--then the usual contingent of concerned neighbors, with but one making a friendly appearance.

Or perhaps the prolonged public process and endless meetings with a plethora of public comments has resulted in a "vision" for that strategic corridor that could actually work to the benefit of all the stakeholders--including hard pressed taxpayers.

We voted unanimously to have ARA member Aaron Hayden (former Chair of the Planning Board and current Select Board member) draft a letter to the Planning Board politely suggesting they "adopt" the Gateway Vision as presented by our consultant Gianni Longo.

I suggested we also ask Town Meeting via an advisory article to support the Gateway Vision as that would allow even more public discussion by insiders who thrive on discussion; and if the broad general vision cannot muster a simply majority vote of that legislative body there's no way in Hell a specific plan will someday win over the two-thirds supermajority required for a necessary zoning change

The Town Manager, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Vice Chancellor Diacon, confirmed that "discussions with UMass are ongoing." He added that he was "very pleased with the planning charrettes and the responsiveness of the consultant."

The overall vision demonstrated that the town and ARA "was serious about broad community input." He circled back to declare the vision a "very, very positive step."

At our next meeting August 4 we should know whether UMass buys into the vision and still wishes to donate the prime 2 acre "catalyst" on which everything now hinges. The Town Manager will also have met with state officials regarding grants for infrastructure improvements and additional consulting on a market analysis, traffic study, and form based code zoning.

So before the steamy weather turns crispy cool, we will know if Gateway is a go...or a goner.