Fire & Brimstone

First Congregational Church bottom, The Evergreens and Dickinson Homestead on left center & top

 

After originally approving $150,000 of the $200,000 Emily Dickinson Museum request for a fire suppression system at The Evergreens early in the meeting, a few hours later the Community Preservation Act Committee circled back to the request and added another $40,000 bringing it within 5% of the initial request.

CPAC member Jim Brissette had originally spoken against the request a few meetings back, worrying every historically significant building in town would be requesting fire suppression systems.  But he said the testimony he heard convinced him the Museam is a special -- almost unique -- case and worthy of the added protection despite the cost.

Chair Mary Streeter was not as convinced saying Amherst College should be able to come up with the extra $50,000 that the committee originally cut.  But supporters pointed out the College was matching the CPA request dollar for dollar, so that $50,000 cut was really a $100,000 cut.

The Committee was not as generous with the First Congregational Church, whittling their $357,647 request down to $200,000.  Vice Chair Paris Boyce voted against any money saying since the Church was doing a million in renovations, mainly an elevator, so they simply picked an item, fire suppression, that fell within the guidelines of the CPA.

The $390,000 approved for both historic structures still needs Town Meeting approval but that is all but guaranteed.

At the begining of the meeting the CPAC also approved recommending Town Meeting allow the $190,148 approved last year for rehabilitation of the North Common in front of Town Hall be used for that purpose. 

The original approval was contingent on a $400,000 PARC grant, but the state denied that request for the second time.  Thus town officals will return to the CPAC in a couple years for additional funding.

North Common is the centerpiece of downtown

Water Water Everywhere

The South Amherst beavers are nothing if not industrious

The Conservation Commission will hear two requests this evening, one from the DPW to breach a beaver dam to increase water flow on Plum Brook, and another from the Conservation Department to replace an  outflow structure at Markert's Pond with the goal -- according to Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek -- "to restore the pond to historic levels" i.e. larger.

 

Markert's Pond South Amherst 

Broken outflow structure allows too much water to escape

South Amherst Spray Park

Ancient wading pool will become a new spray park

The Groff Park $1 million renovation project -- including the first spray park in town, an additional handicapped accessible pavilion and new playground equipment -- is half way home after last night's Community Preservation Act Committee voted to recommend to Town Meeting the $550,000 in funding after they whittled it down a bit from $600,000.

 New playground equipment will be part of phase 2

CPAC Member Jim Brissette gave an impassioned defense of the proposal pointing out how it was really a Social Justice issue.  The town does more than any other surrounding town to encourage and attract low income housing but doesn't do nearly as much for the children who inevitably result from that type of housing.

For many residents of the apartment complexes along East Hadley Road, Groff Park is one of their very few -- possibly only -- options to cool off in the summer.

 Assistant Town Mgr Dave Ziomek presenting to CPAC.  Chair Mary Streeter (left)

Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek said that amount ($550K) would guarantee construction/renovation of the new spray park to replace the 60 year old wading pool, improved handicapped accessible walkways and a new roof on the old pavilion.

Roof probably should have been replaced a long time ago

 Old but still functional equipment near river will remain

The town will apply for a PARC grant to try to secure the second half of the financing although the CPA vote for the $550,000 was not contingent on grant approval.

So either way, BIG improvements coming to our little park.  

Deleterious Downtown Delay

Cowles Lane down to areas west of Kendrick Park

Looks like the Planning Board will backtrack on the zoning article tweak designed to increase the density of our downtown with potential customers for our starving small businesses.

 South Prospect Street behind Amherst Cinema building

The main sponsor/architect -- Business Improvement District -- has requested the zoning article be withdrawn for the upcoming Town Meeting, although they were quick to add "We would like an assurance from the Zoning Subcommittee they will continue to work on this important article and keep it a priority for Fall Town Meeting."

Click to enlarge/read

Simply put the article would have allowed in the B-L District (limited business) mixed use buildings on less than 20,000 square feet of property to have residential units, thus increasing potential customers in the heart of the downtown.

 Area north of Triangle Street

Currently three B-L districts all over the downtown would be impacted as well as Amherst College owned property on Dickinson Street and additional property along University Drive.

   Amherst Zoning Change Memo

B-L districts circled in red

Blue Lives Matter

I'm sure it's not unheard of for a roofer, electrician or logger to die their first day on the job.  But that is what is called an accident. 

What happened to Ashley Guindon on her first day as a police officer is called murder.

And it has been been happening all too often of late.

 RIP officer Guindon, your brothers and sisters have it covered from here

Blarney Blowover Epilogue

UMass Amherst:  A city unto itself (inside our little town)

Yes for the second consecutive year the combined efforts of town and UMass officials won the day, squashing any large scale uncivil gatherings of college aged groups clad in green before they could spin out of control.

Much in the same way they retired the Hobart Hoedown.

Mainly due to increased police presence directly at the flash point sites.  Since Hobart only involved one street and Blarney encompassed almost a dozen, APD called in their brother and sister officers from all over the area.

The thin blue line was as wide as it will ever get in our little college town.

Of course the problem is you can't rely on that sort of backup every weekend between now and graduation.  And as the weather warms, all it takes is one really nice Saturday combined with last second promotion on social media and a new -- yet to be named -- storm is unleashed.

 Or maybe the Saturday morning  peace marchers brought us good luck

Town & UMass declare victory

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Editor's note: While I'm honored to have Turtle Boy Sports trumpet to his purported massive readership that I single-handedly killed the Blarney Blowout, it does at least underscore the value of an unwavering light being shined on a particular pernicious problem.  

I can only hope that beacon outlasts the rowdy behavior it focuses on. 

Turtle Boy's previous attempt to "bury me."  (Notice he used the same photos borrowed from local media)

Blarney Blowout 2016

Morning briefing 7:15 AM  100+ police vehicles and AFD on scene

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Parking ban prevented extra thousands from attending

8:25 AM:

Townhouse quads in North Amherst are quiet as police are blockading both entrances 

Police blocking entrance to Townhouse Apartments

Parking lots near Southwest still have plenty of room

 Ch 22 with their hard to miss camera

High Noon:

UMPD at Mullins Center concert:  "Still under 1,000 patrons and we have more leaving than coming." #blarneyblowout

— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) March 5, 2016

2:30 PM:

Townhouse quads quiet like a church mouse, although party activity in the front yards along Meadow Street

PD blockade was extremely effective 

PD blockade at Puffton Village, another usual flashpoint

 State Police Helicopter Air 1 flew lazy loops all morning into early afternoon 

 AFD responding for the 2nd time to 11 Phillips Street for a false fire alarm

APD K9 "Dash" assisted with party control on Shumway Street and College Street

Police broke up noisy gathering on Amity Street near town ctr

 
8:00 PM:  Good night Blarney:

6:30 AM The Morning After:

 Meadow Street

Phillips Street

 Fearing Street