A Roundabout Solution

Intersection of Triangle and East Pleasant Streets will go the way of roundabout

The Public Works Committee will hold a public unveiling next month of the plans for a new roundabout at the north end of downtown immediately adjacent to the new five-story, mixed-use (mostly residential) Kendrick Place.

 Click to enlarge/view

The new plans call for a slight taking ("by gift, purchase and/or eminent domain")  of property from Bank of America and a sliver of property from Kendrick Park, owned by the town.  But no taking of property from Jeff Brown.

 Failed to acquire two-thirds vote

In the Spring of 2014 Town Meeting turned down a general request for easements over nearby parcels but that vote required a two-thirds majority and failed by a 79 (yes) to 62 (No) vote.

In addition to the 8/20 meeting The Public Works Committee will hold one additional meeting three months later and will then make their recommendation to the Amherst Select Board, keepers of the public way.

The PWC has already voted previously to support a roundabout at that location, as long as it is state funded.

The state did provide $1.5 million MassWorks grant to bury utility lines in the immediate area (happening this summer) as long as the town provided matching funds in the form of improvements to that intersection.

Public Works Committee meeting last night

Polishing The Emerald

Kendrick Park:  3 acres of greenery anchoring the north end of downtown

 

With all the construction going on in the north end of the downtown it's no great surprise town officials have retrieved from the dusty shelf a study completed five years ago outlining options for Kendrick Park, an island of green in an otherwise drab sea of concrete.

Tree Warden Alan Snow took the Public Shade Tree Committee on a guided tour yesterday morning pointing out trees that would be impacted.  For now it appears the southern end of the park closest to the heart of downtown will be "phase one" in the overall renovation which could take years.

The town received a $1.5 million state grant to bury utility wires in and around the Kendrick Place development and originally the electric company had planned to cross Kendrick Park, but that is no longer in the cards.

But that project will provide plenty of electrical capacity for the lighting and other upgrades expected to occur in the park.

Alan Snow pointing out five trees in the target zone

The walking tour did not get off to an optimistic start as the first thing Mr. Snow pointed out was five trees at the southern most tip that would be removed to accommodate a circular ornamental concrete paved area.

The committee instantly suggested the structure be made smaller or situated in such a way as not to require tree removal.

 Large Sugar Maple possibly endangered by expanded parking

Next up was a very large Sugar Maple on the western side of the park that could be endangered by expanded parking on that side of the park.  The plan is to change the configuration to diagonal nose in parking which would increase the capacity from current 7 spaces up to 11.

Shade Tree Chair Henry Lappen suggested perhaps sacrificing three spaces in order to save the tree.

The first hedgerow that cuts across the park east to west will also be removed to open up the greenspace and to accommodate a crushed stone walkway and pergola.  In fact pretty much all the hedgerows of trees running east/west will be cleared, but of course new trees will be planted around the perimeter of the park to replace them.

 Click to enlarge/read

Kendrick Park was once the site of 11 homes.  George Kendrick, an influential banker, did not like the looks of one particularly run down tenement house owned by an absentee slumlord so he and his wife set up a trust in 1930 to buy all the homes and have them removed.

When the last home left the site the park was officially turned over to the town. 

Old driveway in middle of park will be removed and reseeded

The northern tip of the park may also be impacted piecemeal by the installation of a roundabout at the East Pleasant/Triangle Street intersection next year where the controversial new Kendrick Place sits. 

New roundabout construction next year could impact small clump of trees

Trees on northern tip may require removal for roundabout

Some of the trees are unhealthy and will have to be removed regardless of the various construction projects:

 

Dead Norway Spruce

Sick Cherry Maples

Nonny Burack standing on long dead remains of Elm tree

Although a couple of mostly healthy trees will be taken down very soon as part of the electrical project that is now going on.  

Crab apple and Linden will be removed soon for electrical work

But overall, just a few years from now, Kendrick Park will be a more beautiful natural resource that will rival the Town Common for public usage. 

A Little Off The Top

Kendrick Park

The UMass Stockbridge School of Education Urban Community Forest Climbing Lab turned out in force this morning to help the town spruce up Kendrick Park.

Bucket goes up about 60'

Today is one of the two days designated by the Select Board as Arbor Day, with the other one being the Sustainability Festival next week.

Professor Brian Kane, head of the Graduate program, shows how it's done 

Amherst Tree Warden Alan Snow is a graduate of the 4-year program with a degree in Urban Forestry so he invited the dozen students and 2 professors (Brian Kane, Dennis Ryan) to come hone their skills on the urban forest anchoring the north end of town center.

Kendrick Park, which was donated to the town, is one of many major renovation projects awaiting funding with an estimated cost around $3 million. 

Without A Trace

Kendrick Park 12/26/14

Kendrick Park this morning

One of the sacred principles taught by scouting is to "leave no trace behind." Which certainly was in evidence (or lack thereof) this morning at Kendrick Park in the north end of downtown Amherst.

Yes, after a month on the municipal park selling Christmas trees (or if you prefer, "holiday trees"), a market that has zero demand from 12/25 through the following Thanksgiving, you cannot even tell they were there.

Kendrick Park is a major underutilized gem in the town's recreation and parks portfolio. Let's hope when Kendrick Place apartments opens next fall, Kendrick Park will get the attention it deserves.

 Kendrick Place

 Kendrick Park 2009 final report to Town Manager (yet another report collecting dust)

I Wish I May, I Wish I Might

A wish tree has sprouted in Kendrick Park, carrying upwards of 40 or so, err, requests. It was a sellout as no tags remained as of this afternoon.

Too bad, I would have added a most timely request:

I wish town officials would forget worrying about the political fringe and simply allow the 29 commemorative American flags to fly in the downtown every 9/11 to remember the innocent lives lost that awful morning.

A nickel here and a nickel there...

Left: Jarred Rose, Director MassPIRG Amherst office. Center:John Musante, Diana Stein, Stephanie O'Keeffe

Despite strong industry opposition and a lukewarm response from politicians, the bright eyed, bushy tailed MassPIRG activists continue to push for passage of an expanded bottle bill that would add water and juice containers to the list of items--mainly beer and soda--requiring a five cent deposit.

Amherst Select Board Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe, fellow SB member Diana Stein and Town Manager John Musante attended an event today at high noon to show their support.  The sparsly attended rally at Kendrick Park mirrors one held in Boston today where activists hope the bill will make it out of committee later this week.

Art in the Park

The Youth Action Coalition--those kids who brought you a permanent mural on the side of the Amherst Cinema building--are at it again, this time with a less ambitious art project dangling in the middle of Kendrick Park: "Amherst Truths."

Oh, if they only knew.

Click photos to enlarge/read

The other 'Gateway' project advances

Kendrick Park: A giant green amoeba in the heart of Amherst

The Amherst Select Board on Monday heard the first public presentation on design specifications for Kendrick Park from Peggy Roberts chair of the Design Committee and their consultants, the Cecil Group (who also applied to the Amherst Redevelopment Authority for the Gateway Project proposal but lost out to ACP Associates) concerning this crown jewel of downtown property that abuts the Gateway district leading to UMass.

Amherst is about to develop its very own Central Park.

It's Baaaaaack

So for the third strait year the Town Manager, who has the ultimate authority over the park, assigned the DPW the task of constructing a skating rink.

Let's hope this year it works out better than the last two.

Slip sliding away

So it's January in the People's Republic of Amherst and it is of course freakin cold. So where's our skating rink at Kendrick Park???

Anyone remember those ill-fated attempts over the past few years that generated almost no results after plenty of DPW worker time expended? The Town Mangler is quoted in today's bricks and mortar media extolling the virtues of "mutual aid" in the God awful fires in Northampton, where AFD ended up as the first responder to the killer fire on Fair Street.

Amen!

A few thousand expended for mutual aid assisting our real "Sister City" to the west on a public safety matter is one thing (especially when they reciprocate in a heartbeat). But the same amount expended for a half assed skating rink that nobody uses?

Last year around this time

They're Baaaack...

Okay, now we can exude the Christmas spirit; the Amherst Pelham Boy Scouts have set up shop on Kendrick Park as they have done for 50+ years (waiting, mercifully, until the day after Thanksgiving ) to sell trees over the next month where profits pretty much cover their overhead for another year.

As some of you may remember, the Town Mangler wanted them banished from the premises and taxed them $1/tree two years ago. Like trying to "take over" the July 4 Parade so anti-war folks could march, not one of his smarter PR moves.

One of the first edicts issued (unanimously) by the Kendrick Park Study Committee stated the Boy Scouts should have free access to the site for as long as they wish.

Even the Bulletin, eventually, covered it

Kendrick Park mystery structure solved

From: Shaffer, Larry
Sent: Fri 10/2/2009 9:54 AM
To: Arcamo, Judith; Musante, John; Mooring, Guilford; Seaman, Katherine
Cc: O'Keefe, Stephanie
Subject: RE: Kendrick park structure

I have to get up to see the structure.

I am trying to figure out a balance for the use of the park. Interesting aspects of community life highlighted in brief displays may be a way to achieve a level of excitement. In many ways, I am trying to figure out a good mix of usages….passive, interesting, temporary.

Hope you are well.

Larry

From: Arcamo, Judith
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 9:31 AM
To: Musante, John; Mooring, Guilford; Seaman, Katherine
Cc: Shaffer, Larry; O'Keefe, Stephanie
Subject: RE: Kendrick park structure

Yes, Larry approved this back in August. The event begins today through the 11th during meal times 2:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Judith
Administrative Assistant to the Town Manager

From: Musante, John
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 8:46 AM
To: Mooring, Guilford; Arcamo, Judith; Seaman, Katherine
Cc: Shaffer, Larry
Subject: FW: Kendrick park structure

???????

From: sjokeeffe@gmail.com (Stephanie O'Keeffe)
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 8:43 AM
To: Musante, John
Subject: Kendrick park structure

Just curious: The structure put up yesterday or the day before on Kendrick Park for Sukkot -- presumably someone asked permission to do that? How long will it be up? People will ask.

As long as it's not "permanent"

UPDATE: 10:00 AM I'll take his/her word for it:

It is a sukkah, a structure erected for the celebration of Sukkot, a Jewish holiday.

"Sukkot, a Hebrew word meaning "booths" or "huts", refers to the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest, as well as the commemoration of the forty years of Jewish wandering in the desert after Sinai."

Perhaps it is part of the town's harvest/farm festival happening down town tomorrow.
#############################################
So the Kendrick Park study committee came back with their Final Report a while back and concluded that no "permanent structures" (like the sani-can, outhouse, "comfort station") the Town Mangler had in mind should be erected on the donated pristine public park.

And--talk about double diss--they also mentioned how it would be just fine for the Boy Scouts to sell Christmas trees--as they have done for over fifty years--on the cite (presumable without the $1 tax per tree imposed by Mr. Shaffer.)

So I'm not sure what the this is...stay tuned.

There he goes again...

So once again the People's Republic of Amherst has a Field of Dreams--errrrr, I mean wheat, growing smack dab in the middle of Kendrick Park.

The Kendrick Park Committee is issuing their report about what to do with the donated landscape and cheered the Town Mangler's sorry attempt at a skating rink. Last year we spent thousands in DPW labor and got only one or two days of skating out of the deal; way cheaper to have rented ice time from the Mullins Center.

Maybe this winter Mr. Shaffer should hire a expert consultant to create an outdoor skating rink.

Ironic isn't it? Larry Shaffer loves the Rockwellian idea of an open small-town public skating rink for families to enjoy, but he bullies the July 4'th Parade Committee by withholding police and fire vehicles because he wants anti-war protesters to get the free publicity paid for on the Parade Committee's dime.

Last year's fiasco

Don't fool with Mother Nature (golf or skating)

Kendrick Park Ice Skating Rink Tuesday, 1:00 PM
Kendrick Park today 1:00 PM

And I'm not even going to ask--or theorize--what the Hell that yellowish hue is in the middle to upper part of the photos (click them to ENLARGE, if you dare). Yikes!

Not ready for prime time

So according to the Town Mangler’s only upload thus far this year on his ‘Amherst Town Manager’s blog’ (1/16/09): “The skating rink has been created at Kendrick Park and is ready for use. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see people skating in Kendrick Park.”

I had a variety of business uptown today--including parking in town center with my laptop to use the free wireless and catch President Obama’s speech (as I have no TV at home) and every time I passed by the “skating rink” it was empty. The “ice” does not look overly inviting.