Going To The Dogs

Dog Park brainstorming session attracted 25 to Town Hall on a nice summer night

In addition to the new Fire Station, DPW Building, Jones Library expansion/renovation and Wildwood elementary school reboot -- which Finance Director Sandy Pooler uses $57 million as a "placeholder" -- the town is also, sort of, considering a new parking garage on the CVS/town lot downtown and now a dog park.

 Unofficial proposed site for new parking garage

Twenty five citizens -- mostly dog lovers -- turned out for the "brainstorming" session on Monday night led by acting Town Manager Dave Ziomek.

 Assistant Town Manger Dave Ziomek addresses the friendly crowd

Of course of all the projects on the drawing board, or wish list as the case may be, the dog park is easily the cheapest.  And the town does own more open space than you can throw a stick at.

Currently about 1,400 licensed dogs call Amherst home but Animal Welfare Officer (not to be confused with Animal Control) Carol Hepburn estimates there are another 400 unlicensed dogs running around town under her radar.

 Carol Hepburn (left)

And at $15 per license (only $5 if neutered) it's not like the demographic is a big money maker -- even if you brought all the gypsy dogs into the fold. 

Canines in our little college town, like students, get a bad rap because of the irresponsible actions of a tiny minority.

The attack last year on two young students at Crocker Farm Elementary School by an unleashed pit bull led School Superintendent Maria Geryk to issue a ban on dogs during school hours on all school grounds (although not overly well followed).

Four years ago the Conservation Commission voted to ban dogs at Puffer's Pond even on the north side, formerly called "dog beach."  Although the Commission narrowly stopped short (3-3 tie vote) of repealing the off leash policy at Mill River and Amethyst Brook Conservation areas during the morning hours.

The Commission also voted  unanimously that night to "strongly encourage the town manager to seek to establish a dog park."

So here we are.  The brainstorming session on Monday produced a variety of ideas that town staff will put up on the town website, and the next meeting will take place in September.

 Click to enlarge/read

New Digs

DPW aka "The Barn"

The new DPW building, a possible $20 million project, is moving along faster than sludge in a sewer line.

Consultants Weston & Sampson were recently chosen out of 7 who applied for the $52,000 contract to help ascertain needs for the new building.   Their report is expected to be completed in two months, in time for Fall Town Meeting.

 Central Fire Station built 1929, when FD equipment was a lot smaller than today

The new Fire Station, also a possible $20 million project, is closely tied to the DPW project because that could become the location for the desperately needed new station.  Kind of like living in a family of many siblings and having to wait for the bathroom in the morning.

And since they don't call it "Central" for nothing, FD's current location -- within spitting distance of the Jones Library and CVS parking lot where a new garage is contemplated -- could be instantly put to good use either by the private or public sector.

The town is simultaneously pursuing two other major capital projects, the Wildwood School renovation and the Jones Library expansion/renovation.  Those two projects have the benefit of state funding, 50% for the Library and almost two-third reimbursement for the school project.

According to Finance Director Sandy Pooler the report from the consultants before summer's end will set the stage for the floodgates to open.

But then, how fast does sludge really move?

 Farm across the street from DPW, anticipating loss of 50' row of arborvitae, planted new trees

Security Breach

How would you like to get a registered return receipt letter informing you of a "potential disclosure of information that contained your personal information?"

As vaguely worded as that dispatch is, I bet it would ruin your entire gorgeous summer day.

But I guess it could be a lot worse.  Just imagine the sleepless nights millions of cheating spouses will endure now that hackers who infiltrated users personal (and financial) information on a very personal website are threatening disclosure.

The breach involving the Amherst town website is not nearly as, umm, sexy but definitely scary for the citizens impacted.

Obviously it would only potentially impact those who have uploaded financial information to the town website.  And fortunately, it was not the result of outside hackers breaking into the system.

   Amherst Security Breach Letter

Finance Director Sandy Pooler was limited in what he could disclose (and specifically could not say how many registered letters were sent out) but he did say if you did not get a letter, you have nothing to worry about.  

For those of you who did get the letter and have concerns, you can call either Sandy (413-259-3002) or Claire McGinnis (413-259-3020) for further information (that they legally cannot give to a pesky reporter). 

School Committee Squabble

Amherst School Committee:  Katherine Appy far left, Vira Douangmany far right

Looks like the Amherst Regional School Committee -- made up of all five Amherst School Committee members, plus 2 from Pelham and one each from Shutesbury and Leverett -- is returning to the good old days of internal strife with a side order of bickering.

Regional  Chair Trevor Baptiste announced at the 6/23 meeting that he  is scheduled to meet with the Amherst NAACP on August 14 to "engage in mediation ... to hear their issues and to discuss their goals to see if we can reach consensus."

Obviously that did not sit well with Amherst School Committee Chair Katherine Appy, who lost to Mr. Baptiste by a vote of 7-2 when the RSC reorganized itself also at the 6/23 meeting.

   Amherst Open Meeting Law Complaint

Housing Enforcement Outliers

Inspection Services Department located in historic Amherst Town Hall

The once controversial Amherst Rental Registration Bylaw -- one of the most important pieces of local legislation passed in a generation -- is now just over 1.5 years old.

After achieving 100% compliance of nearly 1,300 properties before the end of its rookie year, the next step of course is to keep them in compliance.

That's where the Inspection Services Department come in, aka the enforcer.

Interestingly the first half of 2014 compared to the first half of 2015 the number of complaints is exactly the same @ 164.  But in 2014 those 164 complaints were lodged against a total of 151 different properties and in 2015 the 164 complaints were lodged against a total of only 81 properties. 

Same number of complaints involving far fewer properties

Two of the more serious enforcement actions involved illegal basement dwelling units occurred in 2015. Fortunately both had a happy ending, although one landlord ended up paying $500 in court fines.

 149 Farmington Road

   Amherst Housing Case

 

816 North Pleasant Street 

   Amherst Rental Bylaw Enforcement

 

 

Dog Days of Summer

APD on scene 664 Main Street professional building this morning

The good news is Amherst Police did not make a single arrest for drunk driving over the weekend.  In fact, no arrests at all.  The awful news is the rash of B & Es continues unabated. 

Over the weekend businesses all along Main Street and some on adjacent College Street were violated by an intruder who used brute force to gain entry, kicking in doors or cutting screens then ransacking the place in search of valuables.

State Police have been called in to assist with crime scene evidence.

 APD on scene 409 Main Street professional building Sunday afternoon

Small businesses hit include the Gillen building at 409 Main Street, Valley Frame Works, Dorsey Memorials, Jewish Community of Amherst synagogue, Kelly's Restaurant, and TIA Architect.  To name a few.

As of this morning reports are still coming in to APD as small business owners report in to start their long work week.  Made even longer now. 

Sad Tale Of Two Homes

The Dakin House, 355 South Pleasant Street (click to enlarge)

If Amherst College wants to see some return on investment for their $4.3 million purchase twelve years ago of the now derelict Dakin estate they should turn it into a pop up haunted house for this coming Halloween.

 Dakin estate on South Pleasant Street still looks good from the air

Of course the main reason for the expensive purchase was to keep the property -- located contiguous to the college owned Amherst Golf Course -- from being turned into a housing development.

Since that does not qualify as an "educational use" the town assessor put the property back on the taxrolls in 2006 but was nice enough to keep the valuation the same as before the college spent so much as a "motivated buyer".

 The only use the structure now sees is practice for Amherst Fire Department

Would also make a great location for a Hollywood slasher movie

The 1830 estate was owned by Arthur Hazard Dakin, Jr. brother of Winthrop Saltonstall Dakin ("Toby") who were both, like their Dad, prominent  attorneys.  Arthur Hazard Dakin Sr. had graduated from Amherst College in 1884.

After Arthur Dakin Jr. died in 2001 the bank who administered his trust approached Amherst College to buy his 37 acre estate.  They could not come to terms (although I hear the asking price was around $1 million) and the property went out to auction, where the College ended up paying four times more for the property.

 Overgrown outdoor patio

Lawns, meadows and beautiful mature trees stand in stark contrast to the buildings on the spacious grounds

And has done nothing with it since, other than mowing the extensive lawns.

Meanwhile ...

 Dakin House, 650 East Pleasant Street

The other Dakin estate, donated to UMass after the death of Janet Dakin, who outlived her husband Winthrop by a dozen years, is currently in use by the UMass "Renaissance Center" for academic research.

Main house and Carriage House are still in use

The Dakin House, carriage house and garage were all built in 1949, but according to a 2009 building survey for the Massachusetts Historical Commission it was "recommended not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places."

 Dakin Carriage House

But at least UMass keeps them habitable.  Well, mostly.

 Dakin garage going to waste

Say Cheese!

Shots fired!  UMass campus pond this fine Sunday morning

If you notice a throng of photographers around town this weekend don't be afraid, it's just a shutterbug conference at UMass. 

 Click to enlarge/read.  Or go to UMass website

And if you heard the sound of muskets this somewhat stormy Sunday morning that was only a reenactment -- a drill if you will -- to give those photographers something to do.

That's a lot of photographers

 

45 Years & Still Hitting Stride

Amherst Regional High School top right, Jr. High bottom left, 1970

They say 60 is the new 40.  For the 1970 graduating class of Amherst Regional High School -- now pushing retirement age -- this year's 45th reunion may be the perfect time to test that slogan.

You're old enough to have experienced much of what life can throw out both good and bad, but still young enough to keep coming back for more.  And maybe passing on that hard-won wisdom to the generations following behind.

ARHS 1970

Most baby boomers would agree that 1970, the Age of Aquarius, was an epically tumultuous year.

The anti-war movement hit a frenzied peak, culminating with a "student strike" nationwide following the tragic May 4 shooting deaths of four student protesters at Kent State by National Guard troops.

And then, less than two weeks later, two black Jackson State students were killed by police bullets.

Click to enlarge photo

Following the Cambodia invasion UMass Amherst shut down for the semester just before finals, and although ARHS did not follow suit, the student body was actively involved in protesting the war.

Plaque on the Amherst Town Common

Many would participate in the stand out in Amherst town center every Sunday initiated by the Quakers, and to this day still carried on by a small determined contingent. 

Although not all students protested against the war.  Some would show their support in a disruptive way by tearing off black armbands worn by fellow students symbolically expressing their discontent.

Principal Langlois took to the P.A. system to strongly defend the First Amendment right of students to display their symbolic disapproval of the war and chastised those who would bully them.  He comparing the wearing of a black armband with the right to wear a religious medallion.

Race relations was also a hugely divisive national issue back then -- as it still is today -- managing to infiltrate the halls of Amherst Regional High School as well.

The A Better Chance program, that brought inner city black youth to our predominantly white middle class High School, had just started the previous year and was not met with enthusiasm by a distinct minority of the student body.

One day the disgruntled group organized a symbolic protest by having supporters wear white shirts to school.  Once again Principal Langlois set the malcontents straight in a school wide assembly defending the ABC program, which thrives to this day.

ARHS also instituted a "black studies" program that was not met with overall support by a number of the black students and their parents.  Just as today the school sometimes struggles with providing programming that pleases everyone.

Like most of the graduating classes from ARHS dating back 60 years the vast majority of the 234 members of the class of 1970 spread far and wide, away from our little college town. 

Come August 7-9 many will return to warmly reminiss about the good old days, rekindle friendships, perhaps mend ancient disagreements, and remember those who are no longer with us.

Or maybe just hoist a celebratory toast to their remaining classmates for getting this far; and for not just seeing things as they were, but for dreaming things that could be.

And still can.

Goldbug 1970 Yearbook two page spread

Special thanks to Jones Library Special Collections department

Don't Stop

Intersection of Sunderland (left) & Montague Road in front of N. Amherst Library

One idea for the somewhat complicated intersection of Montague and Sunderland roads in North Amherst that has been completely ruled out by the DPW as an action plan is adding a stop sign to Sunderland Road for vehicles traveling north.

DPW Chief Guilford Mooring told the Public Works Committee on Thursday that it's a bad idea and would be strongly opposed by his department.

Mooring said the close intersection of five streets in the North Amherst Village Center really needs to be seen as two distinct intersections (Montague & Sunderland Road and Pine/Meadow/North Pleasant) and the overall rule is if you can't make a workable 5-way intersection then you need to push the two intersections farther apart.

Most of the plans presented at the town's most recent public forum last month do that, but would require a significant purchase of land behind the North Amherst Library.

The fix, according to Mooring, for Pine/Meadow/North Pleasant in the heart of North Amherst center is simple: Install new traffic control system and set the cycle to allow a left turn from Meadow Street onto North Pleasant.

Even better the town should purchase some property (from controversial student rental czar Jamie Cherewatti) to allow the installation of a left turn lane.

The town is planning yet another Public Forum in October for the tricky intersection(s).   Although town officials seem to want to focus on the upper intersection of Montague and Sunderland Roads, the plans presented will probably include tweaks to the main intersection just south of it in North Amherst Center.

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

Public Private Parking

Parking lot behind CVS is half owned privately and other half public

Usually when you hear the three Ps mentioned in an Amherst public meeting it's in reference to a Public Private Partnership being used to build residential housing on UMass property to help mitigate the housing shortage in our #1 demographic, "college aged youth."

But of course an offshoot of increased residential dwelling units is a corresponding increase in parking -- even in Amherst, with a highly evolved public bus system, ride sharing apps, and a fondness for walking and cycling.

Last night the Zoning Subcommittee of the Planning Board agreed to take on the issue of downtown parking.

The Municipal Parking District currently gives a free pass to developers on providing parking, and the recent rise of Kendrick Place -- with 36 units of housing and no parking -- has brought that issue to a boiling point (For a few loud individuals at least).

Kendrick Place will open next month

One idea for the Planning Board is the possibility of allowing private business owners who provide surfacing parking as an accessory use to their business to install meters or machines to charge for shared parking.  Currently that would require a Special Permit rather than the more simple Site Plan Review.

Another idea floated was to come up with zoning regulations for a privately owned parking garage, although Business Improvement Director Sarah la Cour told the committee that any structure should be part of a larger overall plan and be "mixed use" rather than just parking.

The idea of a new public (or Public/Private) parking garage has been picking up steam recently.  The current parking lot behind CVS is considered a prime candidate, although Ms. la Cour did mention that it is currently (mostly) zoned RG (General Residence) rather than BG (General Business) and thus would require Town Meeting approval for a zoning change.

And any zoning article requires a challenging two-thirds vote to pass.  Last Spring Town Meeting voted by more than a majority for two "citizens petition" zoning articles that would have devastated downtown development with burdensome parking regulations and redefining what constitutes a "mixed use" building.

Another idea floated is for the Planning Board to tweak the current regulations in the Municipal Parking District to remove the exemption for "residential" uses and require .5 parking spaces per dwelling unit, plus one additional space per 10 total units.

Developers could also pay a "fee-in-lieu" of providing parking at a rate of $2,000 per space, which would be retained in a "Town Center Parking Reserve Fund" that would be used "solely for the purpose of constructing new parking spaces."

Had these regulations been in effect Kendrick Place, with 36 residential units, would then have had to provide 22 parking spaces or pay a penalty of  $44,000.

The Select Board and Planning Board jointly held three Public Parking Forums over the past year, and a final report is expected to be issued by the Planning Department before the end of summer.

The Zoning Subcommittee decided it best to await that report before digging in on any concrete proposal for parking changes in the downtown.

And since Kendrick Place is expected to open next month, it would also allow time to weigh the impact that has on downtown parking.

Zoning Subcommittee of PB:  Rob Crowner, Bruce Carson, Stephen Schreiber, Greg Stutsman

Regionalization Lurches Forward

 Amherst Regional High Schoool

After four years of work by their sub-committee the Amherst Pelham Regional School Committee gave majority support to the concept of expanding the current grades 7-12 Region (Middle & High School) all the way down to Kindergarten - 6th grade.

The RSC voted 5-4 at their June 23rd meeting to forward the Regional Agreement Working Group final report to attorney Giny Tate (again) with one slight amendment -- changing the term of School Committee members from four years to a mix of two and four year terms.

Newly reelected RSC Chair Trevor Baptiste will work this summer with attorney Tate and Superintendent Maria Geryk to ensure the draft agreement is back by September 1st.

But in order for the proposal to really move forward so it can be voted on by all four towns it requires a two-thirds affirmative vote of the Regional School Committee.  That all-important vote is expected to come before March 1st so all four towns can vote on it in the  Spring of 2016. 

The governance of the new Region would be an unwieldy 13 member Regional School Committee with 7 members from Amherst and two each from the Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury.  Currently the Regional School Committee is a total of 9 members, 5 from Amherst, 2 from Pelham and one each from Shutesbury and Leverett.

Why Pelham currently gets two committee members is anybody's guess, considering both Leverett and Shutesbury's population are considerable larger than Pelham.

And with Amherst providing 88% of the population (and funding) is it really fair for the new governance scheme to reduce the power of Amherst to only a 54% majority?

The Committee kept the provision requiring 8 votes to close a school, even though member Dan Robb suggested two-thirds (9 votes) provided a "higher bar."   Even at 8 that means the seven Amherst members must still win over at least one other member from the other three towns.

 Financial analysis:  $600,000 savings is a tad disingenuous

Interestingly the concept of closing the Regional Middle School, located in Amherst,  and combining the students into the Regional High School, also located in Amherst, is currently on the radar.

The smaller hilltowns are of course concerned that the new Region would close their elementary school for the good of the Region.  Both Pelham and Leverett have declining school populations with status quo budgets getting harder and harder to maintain.

Some Amherst officials fear those two financially strapped towns could someday vote down the Regional budget if economic relief is not found.  The current Regional Agreement requires 3 out of 4 towns vote yes for the overall budget to pass.  

So can those two desperate towns drive the entire expanded Regionalization movement?  The new  Region cannot form without the unanimous support of all four towns.

Shutesbury is certainly not having any part of it.  At the February 24 Regional School Committee meeting RAWG member Michael DeChiara flat out announced he was voting No to the new Region and would be recommending voters at Shutesbury Town Meeting follow his lead.

DeChiara, a former School Committee member, has since gone on to be elected to the Shutesbury Select Board -- the highest political office in town -- so his influence alone could be a deal killer.

   Amherst Regional School expansion vote