Blarney Blowout 2016

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

 #####

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

Can You Hear Me Now?

Mass Emergency Management Agency communications repeater at APD HQ

When you're going to have dozens of different local and state police agencies descending on our little college town for tomorrow's Blarney Blowover, they need to be able to communicate with each other on their existing equipment.

Enter this high-tech MEMA communications gizmo, which will allow everybody to keep in close communications.

This repeater will patch a VHF tactical channel, a UHF tactical channel, and an 800MhZ tactical channel into one easily shared channel.

This enables everyone to hear transmissions on that main frequency but still have access to their own normal channels.

Not that there's going to be a heck of a lot to talk about.

On A Wing & A Prayer

Wildwood is limping through the winter with only one functional boiler

Yesterday's disclosure by Town/Schools Facilities Director Ron Bonohowicz at the Joint Capital Planning Committee meeting reminded me of those stories you read a generation or two later about how close we came to a major catastrophe and only by shear luck survived.

Three years ago Town Meeting approved spending $400,000 for two new boilers at Wildwood Elementary School that were requiring constant maintenance.  The two boilers were originally installed at time of construction circa 1970.

But the new boilers were never installed because the Mass School Building Authority invited the town to do a $1 million study to help lead to a new or renovated elementary school with 60% state funding.

The town repurposed the $400K boiler expenditure to cover our share of the Wildwood school feasibility study, that has now grown into a $65+ million twin schools under one roof scenario.

Mr. Bohonowicz is requesting $20,000 to repair one of the boilers that is now shut down due to significant problems that has kept it idle all winter.

The dead boiler is somewhat redundant, but was designed to assist the other boiler during a sustained cold stretch, which is certainly not uncommon in New England.

Fortunately the Arctic stretch we had in mid-February that burst pipes all over town occurred over a long weekend when Wildwood only needed minimum heating (55 degrees) rather than operational temperatures (68-72 degrees).

Failure of the second boiler at Wildwood would result in no school for as long as it takes to fix the unit.  And parts are hard to come by.  A complete catastrophic failure would take months to replace.

In the meantime they could bring in a temporary furnace and connect it like a generator, or borrow one of the three heating units at the Middle School.  Although that would require permission of the Regional School Committee.

All of which is disruptive to the education process at Wildwood Elementary School.  So let's hope the town appropriates the $20k in repairs.   And that spring comes early.

More Housing

 Amherst Office Park new mixed use building opened in October with 17 apartments

In addition to paving the way for new student housing on appropriately named University Drive, the Amherst Planning Board also approved a group home on Henry Street and two additional apartments in the new Amherst Office Park building in South Amherst.

A few neighbors did come to express concerns about the group home and questioned if rural Henry Street was a good location.  Since the project is allowed by right in any zoning district in town the Planning Board had almost no say in the matter.

The one family house will be occupied by five elderly residents and two staff members will be on site 24/7.  Because of the Dover Amendment they are exempt from the town bylaw restricting one family homes to no more than four unrelated occupants.

The Planning Board did suggest trees or bushes to screen the 6 car parking lot.  The vote to affirm site plan review was unanimous.

 362 Henry Street, North Amherst:  foundation is already in

The Building Commissioner had already issued a foundation permit knowing Planning Board approval was guaranteed and that has already been installed.  ServiceNet has signed a 25 year lease with builder Raymond Goulet.

Their final Public Hearing was the shortest of the night and it occurred at the end of the meeting without a single spectator left in the audience.  Ron LaVerdiere requested permission to turn excess storage space into two one-bedroom apartments with one of them handicapped accessible.

Since the endeavor required no external changes to the building and LaVerdiere reported current parking, unlike town center, is underutilized so there's plenty of parking for the additional two units, the Planning Board quickly gave their unanimous consent.

 Amherst Office Park has plenty of parking (photo taken 9:15 AM Wednesday)

Build Baby Build

5.79 acre property currently used as farmland and pays almost nothing in annual taxes

Concept plan for 29 townhouses, 58 parking spaces on 5.79 acres (2.3 acres of it non buildable wetlands)

The Planning Board was in an agreeable mood last night for construction as they unanimously supported three projects all involving residential housing.

Although the major one involving, gasp, student housing still has to meander through the minefield of Town Meeting which previously voted down the idea.

Rezoning the 5.79 acre property on University Drive from Office Park to Business Limited would allow the construction of 29 townhouse apartments and increase tax revenues to the town from the current under $100 to upwards of $150,000 -- or more than enough to hire a few more Public Safety personnel.

 Unhappy crowd -- mostly neighbors -- spoke against the rezoning

The business neighbors to the south (an office park and The Arbors assisted living community) were adamantly opposed to the project, as was the owner of 55 University Drive directly across the street, which was recently approved for a medical marijuana facility.

The Planning Board also discussed amending the current medical marijuana bylaw to say no such facility can be within 300 feet of existing residential.

That way it would allow a residential project to be constructed after a medical marijuana facility has opened.  Or in this particular case, if 55 University Drive does become a medical marijuana dispensary the 29 townhouses could still be built across the street.

Current wetlands have been delineated to the satisfaction of Conservation Commission

Critics all cited the problems with water runoff, which the applicants said they would address by installing a larger pipe for drainage.

And the Planning Board pointed out no matter what goes on that property -- even with current Office Park zoning -- there would be conditions set to ensure the drainage problem is mitigated.

 Attorney Tom Reidy presents to a receptive Planning Board last night

The (required) public hearing lasted only 45 minutes and the Planning Board simultaneously closed the hearing and voted on whether to recommend this article to Town Meeting.  That vote was unanimously affirmative.

Building Commissioner Rob Morra feels because of all the requirements University Drive is only place in town for a medical marijuana dispensary

Meanwhile (this morning):

Security fencing is being erected all around the Carriage Shops in preparation for demolition.  One East Pleasant Street is finally going to commence.

Asbestos abatement will happen first

Selective Demographics

Well if this is the best Town Meeting Loyalists can do, us common sense folks in favor of common sense change in our antiquated form of government have a lot less to worry about this coming March 29 town election.

Click to enlarge/read (but try not to laugh)

 3,500 voters signed the Charter Petition, the vast majority NOT  "landlords and developers"

Amherst has the lowest average age for any municipality in the state -- because of our dearly loved college students of course -- yet Town Meeting is grayer than a retired battleship.

While over half the residents of Amherst rent yet the vast majority of Town Meeting members own their own home.

And let's not even talk about skin color.

But yeah, Town Meeting is gender balanced.

Amherst Town Meeting in 2011.  The night they voted overwhelmingly to allow Town Manager to sign contract for solar array on ye old landfill. A very contentious issue at the time (and still today)

Hold Your Drugs Hampshire

Hampshire College founded 1965

Last weekend was pretty good for alcohol runs, with UMass being way down from the usual.  Any time they are under 50% for emergency medical calls relating to ETOH (overly intoxicated) that's a good thing.

But notice Hampshire College had one incident with two students under the influence of Ectasy and another two incidents of wasting AFD resources due to "malicious pull station" false fire alarms.

   AFD End of Feb weekend Runs

And again I would point out UMass pays the town an extra $80,000 per year (on top of the regular $375,000) to increase AFD staff on weekends, while Amherst College paid us $130,000 for AFD services and Hampshire College paid nothing.

 Zero. Zip. Nada.

##### 

UPDATE:

 E2 aka "The Quint" enroute to Hampshire College

Five minutes after hitting the publish button as I was enroute to town center AFD Engine 2 passed me enroute to Hampshire College for a "fire alarm sounding", which turned out to be the usual "cooking smoke."

Meanwhile AFD Assistant Chief Lindsay Stromgren had to respond by himself to a Carbon Monoxide alarm call in a town center apartment building.  

Click to enlarge/read

Advisory Town Meeting article calling for support of Stephen Kulik state bill  to allow municipalities to get money out of tax exempt institutions like Hampshire College

Party House of the Weekend

24 Summer Street

This party house bust at 24 Summer Street in North Amherst is kind of a throw back to the bad old days in our little college town prior to the Rental Registration and Permit Bylaw.  A few years ago there would have been three or four more events just like this on the same weekend.

Progress is a good thing.

In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday all four of the arrested had their cases continued until later this month as the Commonwealth has to confer with the police officers assaulted during the event.

   Amherst Party House

Jensen Gauthier and Bailey Smith (female) stand before Judge Hadley

 Dennis Trujillo

 Mychal Carter

Opportunity Lost?

 Amherst PD and ACPD arrest Justin Lewis and Abdoulaye Sanogo Sunday around 1:00 PM

 Justin Lewis, 21 (left); Abdoulaye Sanogo, 19 (right), both from New York

Amherst police, with an assist from Amherst College PD, arrested two young men -- one of them a 2nd year Amherst College student -- for passing counterfeit $100 bills two days in a row at the CVS on University Drive.

In a bail hearing before Judge William Hadley this afternoon a public defender countered the Commonwealth's request for $1,500 bail by pointing out Abdoulaye Sanogo was on a full scholarship to Amherst College, and he was cooperative with police at his arrest.

He also said his client was acting on orders from the other guy (Justin Lewis).  Both perps are from New York, which is why the Commonwealth is worried about them being a flight risk.

   Amherst Counterfeit Caper

Clerk Nagle had refused to set bail on the day they were arrested saying to a few police officers he would not trust whatever cash they might come up with.

Judge Hadley mulled over the facts for a few minutes and decided on $800 cash for Abdoulaye Sanogo and $1,000 for Justin Lewis.  Their cases were continued for pre trial to March 28.

And you can bet the Clerk's Office will closely scrutinize any
$100 bills.

9 of 19

If the average Amherst voter bothers to read the survey responses from the 19 Charter Commission candidates it is pretty clear which of them are open to an actual change in our current creaky form of government.

So write down these names and bring them into the voting booth with you on March 29: Andy Churchill, Thomas Fricke, Nick Grabbe, Mandi Jo Hanneke, Phil Jackson, Bernie Kubiak, Maureen Raab, Irv Rhodes, and Julie Rueshemeyer.

Bring on change!

Amherst For All

What Are They Afraid Of?

 Select Board (2/22) to Larry Kelley:  Go away

Last week the Select Board wasted a golden opportunity to ascertain the will of the voters by turning down my request to ask voters if Town Meeting should be maintained.  The non-binding question is pretty straight forward and a voter is as free to choose no as they are yes.

#amherstma Blogger Larry Kelley appeals to Select Board for nonbinding charter question on 3-29 ballot. pic.twitter.com/Wbt3la4287

— scott merzbach (@scottmerzbach) February 23, 2016

Using the Charter change process to simply tweak Town Meeting is like using a backhoe to plant a daffodil.

Obviously voters who support forming a Charter Commission at the upcoming March 29 election have strong concerns about our current form of government.  So why not ask them more specifically what those concerns are?

   Amherst Charter Wannabes

And why is it only the Town Meeting loyalists wanted it blocked from the ballot?

You know, the same three who refused to sign the Charter petition in the first place (that 3,500 other voters did sign) but now want your vote to be elected to that Charter Commission.

At least the Select Board did not tell me to drop dead

Construction Update

UMass Design Building (Yes, they were working on a Saturday)

Amherst College 4 Greenway Dorms (on left)

Olympia Place private dorms from low/moderate height

Olympia Place from maximum height

A peaceful 4 Town Meeting

Maria Geryk, ARPS Superintendent

Representatives of all fours towns in the Amherst Regional Public School District met this beautiful Saturday morning for not much more than an hour to hear from the administration about the FY17 budget, up 2.6% over last year, and to hear updates about expanding Regionalization all the way down to preK-6th, and consolidating Regional Middle School students into the Regional High School.

 Amherst Assistant and Temp Town Manager Dave Ziomek, Peter Hechenbleikner attended

There was not much to update on those last two items since the Regional School Committee voted on Thursday to delay for a year the expanded Regionalization and last month voted to delay school consolidations.

Mainly because Amherst has so much on their plate at the moment, with the new $65+ million 2-in-1 mega school currently on the fast track.

 Always colorful Trevor Baptiste, Chair of the Regional School Committee (standing)

But Kathy Mazur did give a brief presentation pointing out the previous high water mark for enrollment at the Middle and High schools was 2,000 total, and September's projected total occupancy is only 1300.  The High School has a capacity of 1,700 or way more room for all the current students in the Region.

Spectators included State Rep & School Committee candidates and that rarest of breeds, a print reporter

Mazur estimated the savings to the Region after consolidation comes to $800,000.

Administrators wish to form working groups from all four towns to discuss the assessment method, merging the Middle School into High School, and what to do with the Middle School after it becomes surplus to the Region's academic needs, plus the enormous capital costs coming up in the not so distant future.

Ms. Mazur pointed out there's great interest in repurposing the Middle School building for the arts as well as space for Amherst Media, Greenfield Community College and the Amherst Boys & Girls Club.

Amherst's recreation department (LSSE) is already moving in to a 3,500 square foot space next month in the rear of the Middle School.

Regional Middle School (bottom center) Amherst Wildwood Elementary (top)

Of course Amherst taxpayers may wonder why they are financing essentially two new elementary schools to replace both Wildwood and Fort River when this building is a Frisbee throw away from Wildwood.

After an hour of mostly cordial discussion Superintendent Maria Geryk came to the key sales closing asking each town, "Will you pay your assessment?"

They all said yes.  Of course now all four Town Meetings also have to approve.

And Another One Gone ...

Artefakt Gallery closing

Our beloved downtown continues its slow but steady decline with yet another shop that is not a bar or restaurant calling it quits.

And yes the stores on either side -- All Things Local and The Mercantile -- are also dead or closing by March 1st.

 104 - 110 North Pleasant Street

That end of downtown is turning into a crypt.

 Carriage Shops have been closed and abandoned for over a year now

Meanwhile, Kimballs Auction Barn -- a fixture in North Amherst -- is moving to 299 Russell Street (Rt9) next to Rocky's Hardware. Cinda Jones, "the Donald Trump of North Amherst", confirms she is selling the building and 47 acres of land to farmer Joe Czajikowski.

 Rt 9 certainly has more traffic than Meadow Street

Previous business was an Art Gallery

Furthermore, Should you be running out of gas on the east side of Amherst you're out of luck, as the Cumberland Farms store -- perhaps the busiest convenience store in Amherst -- is closed for at least another week due to renovations.

And the shuttered Sunoco -- Barney's -- directly across the street, still has yet to find a new tenant.

 Barney's (left) Cumbys (right)