Pine Street Speeding To Finish (Finally)

Pine Street is east/west connector to North Amherst center and Cushman Village

Thanksgiving will be especially thankful this year for those of you who live in North Amherst and the many of you who travel through there routinely:  Pine Street, the expensive forever project, may now be completed this year rather than next spring. 

Pedestrian crosswalk with lights may be completed this year

The sidewalk and crosswalk contiguous with Simple Gifts Farms and pretty much dead center in the busy roadway was going to be delayed due to crops in the field. 

But this week the project rolled ahead and DPW Chief Guilford Mooring reports, "a rush of activity to be done with Pine Street so the sidewalk at the farm will probably be paved next week, as long as the rain holds off."

Click to enlarge photos

Sidewalk switches sides due to utility poles in the way (too expensive to move)

Fab Friday Over Amherst

 Always colorful downtown Amherst

Not nearly as much going on this weekend vs Homecoming last weekend, but the weather is certainly hospitable other than a little wind.

This is of course the weekend before Halloween which this year falls on a Saturday and coincides with daylight savings end.   One more hour to party or for us old fogies an extra hour of sleep.

This weekend will act a little like the canary in the coalmine as an indicator of how bad things could get over Halloween.

So far the the past two months have been extraordinarily quieter than the past three or four years for the same comparative time period.

Let's hope it stays that way.

Puffer's Pond still showing color although today's wind may loosen lots of leaves

Cowls Road in North Amherst finally getting repaved at a cost of $172,000

Hampshire College R.W. Kern Center (middle left)

Hampshire College recently hosted a tour to show off their new to the South Amherst skyline R.W. Kern Center "Living Building".  Which of course costs more than your average bear, projected at around $11 million.

Thus if Stephen Kulik's legislative bill to allow municipalities to tax private education institutes at 25% of their assessed value, this building alone would generate $55,000 annually.  ($20.54/$1,000 times one-quarter of $11 million assessment)

Currently Hampshire College, who requires Amherst Fire Department services about as often as Amherst College, pays the town nothing in Payment In Lieu Of Taxes.  Amherst College, on the other hand, paid the town $130,000 this year.

Hampshire College will also be hosting next weekend their traditional but decidedly offbeat  Hampshire Halloween (with a tagline of "Trip or Treat") that always seems to require extra AFD medical coverage.

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.  

Bring A Knife To A Knife Fight

Butternut Farm, South Amherst

So as usual there's two sides to a story -- sometimes WAY more than that.  But I'm not going to go all Kurosawa on you. 

The Amherst community was somewhat taken aback on Monday late morning over reports of a stabbing in South Amherst perpetrated by Quintin Tyler, a 44 year old male.

Even worse, his victim was a teenager.

Turns out the teenager attacked Tyler first with a kitchen knife while one of the other (female) roommates had unsuccessfully tried to restrain him.

Tyler used a "folding knife" to stab the teenager, which by and large are not overly large.

 Click to enlarge/read

Tyler was not found to be a dangerous person (Chapter 58A) and was released on $200 bail.

Judge Payne also issued "stay away" order from his (former) apartment at Butternut Farm and the victim, although Tyler did contact Amherst police to accompany him so he could retrieve his belongings.

Stay away order issued by Judge John Payne

High Cost Of Education In A College Town

Wildwood Elementary School

One important aspects of the major shake up proposed by school officials in the bricks and mortar make up of public education in our highly educated town is financial.  A burden of course that falls on the taxpayers, which includes ALL residents -- not just homeowners.

For instance the Massachusetts School Building Authority is financed directly out of the somewhat high 6.25% state sales tax.

Therefor renters in town who purchase goods and services pay into the MSBA budget.  And of course when property taxes go up landlords tend to pass that along via rent increases.

At $20.54/$1,000 Amherst already has one of the highest property tax rates in the entire state, ranked #14 out of 351.  Well over the nearby city of Northampton, ranked #158,  at $15.80/$1,000 or Hadley, the hardworking farm town next door, ranked #299 at $10.86/$1,000.

The statewide median average is $15.69/$1,000

 A $200/year tax increase could vault Amherst into the top ten in the state

Since the proposed funding mechanism is a "Debt Exclusion Override" it will require a two-thirds vote of Amherst Town Meeting, a majority vote of the Select Board to place it on the town ballot and a then majority approval of town voters, all before January 1st, 2017.

And the geriatric average age of Town Meeting could work against the proposal since most of the members no longer have children in the public schools.

The financial chart presented above is designed to show how fiscally responsible the proposal for a new mega-school is compared to the alternative at twice the amount.

But it's a tad disingenuous since it assumes Fort River would be renovated/replaced at 100% town taxpayer cost with Wildwood being renovated/replaced with a 50% reimbursement from MSBA.

And School Committee member Vira Douangmany Cage did point out last night that MSBA does pay for renovations short of complete overhauls via their "Major Repairs & Accelerated Repairs" programs, so if Fort River could be partially renovated with their assistance the overall cost would go down dramatically.

But there's no doubt consolidation saves money.  Last night Superintendent Maria Geryk once again cited the $850,000 cost savings that resulted from the bitterly contested closing of Mark's Meadow Elementary School on the UMass campus.  

Interestingly the Town & Schools had signed a five year "Strategic Partnership Agreement" with UMass in 2007 acknowledging the value of free use of Mark's Meadow.

UMass clearly stated they would return to the negotiation table should Mark's Meadow ever close, which of course it did prior to the ending of the five year contract, which is now three years overdo for signing.

Currently Amherst public schools are educating 56 children emanating from UMass tax exempt family housing at an average annual cost of just over $19,000 per student, or over $1 million.

 Click to enlarge/read

Yet UMass is now withholding the local option room tax at their Campus Center Hotel in an attempt to strong arm the town into signing a new Strategic Partnership that probably does not include reimbursement for the high education costs of their children.

So before Amherst taxpayers pass an Override for the schools they should require town officials get UMass to pay its fair share.

In addition the Select Board should show strong support for Representative Stephen Kulik's bill to require tax exempt institutions like Hampshire College (who pays the town nothing for AFD services) and Amherst College, who paid $130K this year, to pay 25% of their assessed value as a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes.

Mega-School It Is

Amherst School Committee will vote on this new proposal on November 3

After an hour of public comment by 17 parents and teachers, many of whom asked the School Committee to slow down and better engage with the general public on this important decision, and then another hour of formal presentation by Assistant Superintendent Mike Morris the BIG decision was, finally, unveiled.

Close down Fort River and Wildwood Elementary Schools and replace them with one large new elementary school (grades 2-6) that will essentially be two schools under one roof.  And turn Crocker Farm, currently preK-6, to PreK-1.

Public Forum on this decision will be held October 26th

 A large crowd attended tonight's SC meeting

 Projected cost for 750 student mega-school $20-$22 Million

Renovating or rebuilding Wildwood alone (K-6 Model) would leave Fort River, which was described as "decrepit" and not ADA compliant, as the black sheep of the public school system.  

New mega-school demographics (click to enlarge)

A Viable 2nd Emergency Exit

Rolling Green Apartments, East Amherst

Disability Access Advisory Committee Chair Gerry Weiss summed up the public safety situation with two simple questions, one to his committee, "How safe would you feel if your main safety feature in a fire was an intercom?"; and then the 2nd directed to Dominic Marinelli, an accessibility consultant, "How far from a burning building would you like to be?"

Mr Marinelli consults for Beacon Industries who purchased Rolling Green Apartments last year for $30 million and was engaging in a conference call this morning with the committee.  

Amherst contributed $1.25 million in Community Preservation Act money towards that purchase in order to keep all 204 units on the Subsidized Housing Inventory, even though only 41 of the units are actually (slightly) below market rate.

At the time Amherst had an SHI of 10.8% so the loss of Rolling Green would have put us well under the 10% threshold, and then subject to a Ch40B development.

But now Beacon Industries wishes to do major renovations at the property costing 30% of assessed value, thus Americans with Disability Act standards kick in.  They were already turned down for a variance by the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board and are currently trying to get the blessing of the Disability Access Committee for a second attempt.

Since Rolling Green does not have any 3 or 4 bedroom units on single floor flat ground (all of them are townhouses) the committee had no major concerns about keeping the accessible units to 1 and 2 bedroom.

The major, major concern was a viable second means of egress from those units, and that's where the sparks started to fly.

The 2nd means of egress was not fully handicapped accessible but would -- stated Mr. Marinelli enthusiastically -- bring the tenant to a "landing" just outside the building as an "area of refuge".  The tenant could then use the intercom to contact help.

 DAAC Chair Gerry Weiss (top center) Senior Planner Nate Malloy (bottom right)

But when asked by town planner Nate Molloy how big was that landing, the response drew disbelief:  30" by 48".  NEXT TO A BURNING BUILDING.

Marinelli instantly said, "I can try to get whatever size you want.  How big do you want it?"

That's when Mr. Weiss asked him "How far from a burning building would you like to be?".  And a few other members murmured, "In a wheelchair!"

The Disability Access Advisory Committee decided they would contact AFD Chief Tim Nelson for his recommendations and talk with Mr Marinelli again at their next meeting.

Rolling Green Apartments 1/23/13  (photo: Steven O'Toole)

That Rolling Green fire was fatal

Home Is Where The Alcohol Is

AFD North Station, overlooking UMass

If UMass needs alcohol to sell the football team then perhaps they should think twice about how viable the game is as a stand alone enterprise.

Homecoming weekend should be about more than just alcohol.

 Lot 22 was ground zero for tailgating

McGuirk Stadium 6:00 PM Saturday

AFD Homecoming runs

17 out of 27 "emergency" runs (63%) to UMass were for excessive alcohol intake, aka ETOH

DUI Dishonor Roll

Sean Moran, age 24, arraigned before Judge John Payne

Amherst police arrested three (relatively) young men over the "Homecoming" weekend.  All of them were charged with drunk driving, and all three told Judge Payne they would be hiring their own attorney so he continued their cases until next month.

Two of the three -- Sean Moran and Kevin Nadeau -- refused to take the Breathalyzer test which could be a sign that they have been down this road before.  And Mr. Moran, after hitting a crowded PVTA bus, also assaulted a police officer.

Click to enlarge/read

#####

Kevin Nadeau also had problems piloting his vehicle.  In fact, he rolled it over on Sunderland Road, North Amherst.  Fortunately no residents were walking about in zombie herds as college aged youth sometimes do.

Kevin Nadeau, age 26, stands before Judge John Payne

Refusing the Breathalyzer results in automatic loss of license for 180 days

#####

Anthony Cardullo, age 22, arraigned before Judge Payne

Anthony Cardullo blew through a stop sign on South East Street on to Main Street and was arrested for that failure to stop, as well as for operating under the influence of alcohol which of course contributed to his bad driving.

Mr. Cardullo did take the legally admissible breathalyzer back at APD headquarters with the results of .12 or 1.5 times the legal limit.

Tellingly, Assistant District Attorney Bob Opsitnik confirms he has never lost a drunk driving case over the past year that has gone to trial where a legally admissible breathalyzer was in play.

One Third Of The Way There

To guarantee the Charter question placement on the ballot requires 3,215 voter signatures 

The advantage of Charter change enthusiasts -- aka Amherst For All -- knowing our town well enough to know that antiquated Town Meeting needs to go, is they also know all the popular spots to stake out and let the voters come to them for signature acquisition.

Although I'm told they are also doing the old fashioned neighborhood canvas, something individual politicians (and police) have been doing for generations.

Clare Bertrand and Niels la Cour collecting signatures under their very own tent at Farmers Market

On Saturday a crew was stationed on the Town Common during the Amherst Farmers Market, which also coincided with the UMass Homecoming Parade through town center.

As of close of business today Town Clerk Sandra Burgess confirms her office has certified 1,121 signatures -- or more than one third of the way to target goal.

For the Charter question to appears on the upcoming spring local election ballot proponents must hand in all the required signatures by December 21st .

Thus I'm comfortable predicting Christmas will be a tad more merry this year.

And Another One Gone

All Things Local, 104 North Pleasant Street

Just shy of its second anniversary All Things Local is calling it quits.  For the oldest reason in the book:  spending more than you take in.

The all natural food co-op opened in late November, 2013 in the former location of the Souper Bowl restaurant, who also went out of business due to the same formula.

And so it goes.

We had a good run, Amherst. Thanks for all the support along the way. Go Pats!

— All Things Local (@ATL_Amherst) October 19, 2015

Busy, Brisk Saturday In Our College Town

AFD following UMass Marching Band down North Pleasant Street

Sam The Minuteman

Amherst is always busy when our institutes of higher education are in routine session but even more so today with the largest of the three -- UMass -- celebrating homecoming weekend.

AFD responding to UMass Cance Dorm on Fearing Street for an ETOH (intoxicated) male student.  Great way to start the day.

— Larry Kelley (@amherstac) October 17, 2015

McGuirk Stadium attracted thousands of college football fans (although not nearly enough to satisfy the BIG budget cost of a Division 1 program) many of them warming up for the 3:30 PM game with  tailgating that started at 12:30 PM.

 Amherst A Better Chance Fall Foliage 5K walk/run

The Homecoming Parade, lead by the always motivating UMass Marching Band, wound its way through Amherst town center around 10:45 AM not long after the A Better Chance Fall Foliage 5K race kicked off from our main green.



And as usual Amherst Farmers Market attracted the usual crowd to the heart of our downtown.

Amherst For All took advantage of the crowded downtown to collect voter signatures, surpassing the 1,000 mark toward the 3,215 needed

AFD performed a rescue at Bare Mountain on the top of The Notch in deep South Amherst just before noon, although they did not require the Technical Rescue Team to extricate the injured hiker.

 APD & AFD on scene Bare Mountain 11:55 AM

 McGuirk Stadium 2:45 PM

Fearing Street 3:45 PM (heading towards downtown Amherst from the stadium

Funky clouds over UMass McGuirk Stadium 6:00 PM

As usual AFD was also kept busy dealing with students who consumed too much alcohol, aka ETOH:

 Or what Chief Nelson describes as "Not a quiet a weekend".

Playing Hardball

34,525 sq ft UMass Campus Center hotel competes with private sector hotels in the Valley

In an effort to coerce the town into signing a new multi-year "strategic partnership agreement," aka Payment In Lieu Of Taxes that is long overdue, UMass -- our beloved flagship institute of higher education -- is taking a hard line approach:  withholding payment of a local option room tax everybody else pays, including tax exempt Amherst College.

But in so doing they are most certainly biting the hand that feeds them.  Over the past 30 years there's not been a  bigger legislative cheerleader for UMass/Amherst than Stan Rosenberg, who also just happens to be an Amherst resident.

And currently Stan holds the powerful position of Massachusetts Senate President.

Stan went out of his way back in 2009 to draft legislation specifically to close the loophole that allowed the Campus Center Hotel to dodge our 6% local option tax.

In an email to his staff Stan wrote:

"I want to make sure that we insert language into the bill that effectively says that hotels that are located on college campuses or operated by any other form of nonprofit/education organizations are subject to room occupancy excise. 

This is extremely important as I have been trying to get UMass to the right thing and apply this tax for a very long time voluntarily and they have refused.  This is wrong and I don not want to miss the chance to fix this finally now that we have a chance to do it."

Currently UMass pays the town $455,000 PILOT for AFD ambulance and fire protection.  AFD and 911 Dispatch has a annual budget of $5 million with about 25% of their total runs involving UMass students, so that alone should be well over $1 million in reimbursements.

In addition 56 children living in tax exempt UMass "family housing" attend our public schools, which have a high average cost of education just over $20,000 per student, so that alone should be well over $1 million in reimbursements.

In fact the previous 5 year "strategic partnership agreement" that expired June 30, 2012 specifically stated that if the town closes down Marks Meadow Elementary School the University would come back to the bargaining table and reopen the agreement to consider a cash contribution for educational services. 

Note to UMass:  When you play hardball, sometimes you get beaned in the head.

 UMass is the town's largest employer and #2 landowner behind Amherst College

Legal (technicality) finding in favor of UMass

Amherst Elementary School Closings?

108,000 sq ft Wildwood Elementary School built 1970 and 197,000 sq ft Middle School above center built 1969

The Amherst School Committee will hear school administrators "education plan" on Tuesday night that will set the future of Amherst Public Schools for the next 30 or 40 years.

The School Committee will not vote on that recommendation until their November 3rd meeting, and there is one "community forum" before that, on October 26.

 Wildwood Building Committee met last night at Middle School

That plan could very well consist of closing down Fort River Elementary School and merging/redistricting all the students into Crocker Farm Elementary School and a new mega-sized elementary school building to replace Wildwood Elementary School.

 Overhead presented yesterday to Wildwood Building Committee

Letter from concerned parents:

Click to enlarge/read

Fort River Elementary School