A Cold Reality

Finance Committee Chair Andy Steinberg Co-Chairing Budget Coordinating Group Thursday morning

Amherst finance guru Andy Steinberg addressed the two town meeting warrant articles calling for many millions of dollars in spending for the eminent domain taking of two properties in town and his brief comment Thursday morning could fit on their tombstone:  "It's hard to imagine how these things are feasible."

Indeed.

But where was he 25 years ago when the town spent the most money in history for an eminent domain taking:  Cherry Hill Golf Course @ $2.2 million, simply to satisfy 100 NIMBYs in North Amherst.

But yes, two wrongs do not make a right, and at least maybe town officials learned something from the Cherry Hill debacle ... maybe.  The taking of W.D. Cowls property in the bucolic Cushman section of North Amherst would cost many times more than the $1.2 million that appears in the warrant article.

Since Cinda Jones has an offer of $6.6 million on the table from a serious developer who wishes to construct high end student housing,  that is how much it would cost the town to take it.  6.6 million.  Dollars.   A UFO piloted by Elvis landing in town center on the 4th of July is f-a-r more likely to happen. 



The taking of Echo Village, which would cost close to $3 million, has a far better shot with Amherst Town Meeting, as the impacted residents who are being evicted will generate far more sympathy than the well off white people from North Amherst.

And the new Echo Village owner, Jamie Cherewatti, is not overly popular with neighborhood groups all over Amherst.  At the Housing & Sheltering Committee meeting yesterday, where about-to-be-evicted tenants presented their case to the committee, Town Meeting member Paige Wilder chimed in, "Jamie Cherewatti owns four houses in my neighborhood that are all party houses."

Social activists Vince O'Connor and Kevin Noonan also spoke in behalf of the tenants urging the committee to support their article for an eminent domain article.  O'Connor pointed out if the town used Community Preservation Act money to fund some of the taking it would place an affordable housing restriction on the deed.

 Peter Jessop, Chair Amherst Community Preservation Act Committee

The CPAC did vote on Thursday night to support an emergency appropriation of $15,000 to help the tenants with relocation.  Apparently the former owner, Jerry Gates, was a tad more benevolent than the new owner and did not require first and last month's rent for new tenants so now there's no savings to rely on for getting a new apartment where that is required.  

But if Town Meeting should override CPAC committee recommendations and use money towards the outright purchase then the 24 units of housing would count towards the town's affordable housing stock, currently at 10.8%. Now in danger of falling below 10% and opening the town up to a Ch40B development.

 Echo Village Tenant Tracylee Boutilier addresses Housing & Sheltering Committee

Either way, with the Residential Rental Property Bylaw bringing a game changing permit system to town also on the warrant, Amherst Town Meeting should be more interesting than a night of network reality TV.

I can't wait.

One Up, One Down

 No, not a bank robbery.  Cruiser caught fire near Florence Savings Bank 

A short while after Amherst Fire Department's new ambulance first hit the road today Amherst Police Department lost a front line patrol cruiser to an engine fire.  Fortunatly the new ambulance was not required at the scene, and in the short amount time it took AFD Engine 1 to get to there the fire was already put down with a fire extinguisher.

The patrol car was towed to a garage and will be more fully examined tomorrow.

APD appeared before the Joint Capital Planning Committee last month to present their capital equipment needs for the next fiscal year, and that included a routine request for three new cruisers.  Hopefully the Dodge Charger is not beyond repair. 

Town/Gown Peace Proposal

 Umass Amherst:  The Entity That Be

In addition to the $50,000+ in spending for extra AFD and UMPD personnel over the next six weeks to deal with off campus rowdy weekend behavior, UMass is also proposing a long-term major study costing between $50,000 and $60,000 to analyze public safety and housing issues created by the presence of our #1 employer, and how potential remedies fit into their "Master Plan".

Town Manager John Musante will be requesting  $25,000 to $30,000 from Amherst Town Meeting in matching funds for the joint town/gown study.  The money could come from the town's "overlay account," a stash of cash set aside in case property owners appeal their assessment and win an abatement.  Apparently the town has put aside more than needed.

Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy will make an appearance before Amherst Town Meeting this spring to champion the proposal.  Since Swamy is intrepid enough to endure a night of Town Meeting perhaps -- to get a real introduction to the problems of off campus rowdyism -- he should do a ride along with APD any weekend over the next six weeks.

After all, Select Board Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe has done it as has Town Manager Musante and former UMass second in command Todd Diacon. 

A3: In Service

 

AFD A3

Amherst Fire Department's newest ambulance has just passed state licensing and goes into service later today, just in time for a trial by fire -- or I should say alcohol -- over the weekend.

Amherst has a fleet of five ambulances and on some weekend nights when UMass is in session and the weather is warm (or the Mullins Center presents a techno concert) all five are not enough.

Plans are to keep the oldest ambulance around and in service for the next six weeks as back up.

Now you know why AFD does not like to transport two patients at a time

AFD will also be getting a new pumper one year earlier than expected at Finance Director Sandy Pooler's urging due to low borrowing rates.  The new $400,000 pumper will replace a 1996 model that Assistant Chief Lindsay Stromgren referred to as a "low bid vehicle" that was not especially popular with staff.

New streamlined state bidding process allows for ordering exactly the vehicle you want with custom add ons.  If ordered in July the town should take possession by the winter.

AFD last purchased a pumper in 2003 and the Quint -- a combination pumper/ladder truck -- in 2009.  The new pumper will become Engine 1 stationed at Central Station in town center and the "go to" truck for initial calls.

AFD Engine 2 Quint

The 10%

The Amherst Housing & Sheltering Committee heard an ominous anecdote this morning from one of their own members, Andrea Battle, who resides at Rolling Green at Amherst apartments:  The most recent lease she signed was for only seven months instead of the usual twelve, and ends this August rather than January.

Housing & Sheltering Committee from right:  Andrea Battle, Nancy Gregg, Aaron Blodgett, Greg Stutsman

A September start for leasing is more reminiscent of an apartment complex geared towards students, or what neighbors refer to as  THEM.

In addition, August just happens to coincide with a time frame where Rolling Green owners, a huge Chicago based real estate investment firm, finish paying off a 15 year low-interest state loan,  and can then bring all 204 units up to market rate.

Thus taking them out of affordable housing stock, which instantly drops Amherst to only 8.5% affordable, well below the 10% threshold.

Our little college town is then at the mercy of BIG time developers doing pretty much whatever they want as long as 25% of the units are set aside as affordable.  It's called CH40B and it's use is about as welcome as giant mutant carnivorous ants.

The town has been aware of this August, 2013 deadline for at least five years with little progress towards an equitable solution since then.  And time is running out.

Former Select Board Chair Gerry Weiss appears before Amherst Select Board during unscripted 6:30 PM Public Question period last week to air concerns about Rolling Green going off line

Rescue Me

Jake will sleep better at night

Thanks to the generosity of three of Amherst Firefighter Bill Dunn's  Facebook buddies -- Doug Frederick, "K9 Diezel" of the University of Massachusetts Police Department and a caring Anon animal lover from Northampton -- the Amherst Fire Department now has on order three oxygen mask kits designed to fit man's best friend (as well as felines, birds, and rabbits).

Amherst is home to about 1,400 dogs and most --if not all -- are treated like family.  The only thing worse than losing all your possessions in a major structure fire is losing a member of your family.

This purchase gives our first responders one more tool to help preserve that which is sacred:  life.

Sins Of The Few

The Gazette uses a dramatic pull quote in today's one-sided, front page article about the evil BIG BAD town government making life sooooooo hard for "property managers and renters alike."

Of course they fail to mention the two property managers are also occasional advertisers. 

"But why are you punishing the many for the sins of the few?" asks Pat Kamins of Kamins Real Estate.

Perhaps Commander Spock with his dying declaration had the best answer:   "The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few."  Especially when the few profit greatly at the expense of the many.

The Gazette quotes a couple of renters criticizing the proposed residential rental property bylaw; but neither of them are college students, a demographic that makes up 59.4% of the town's population, and the ones most preyed upon by slumlords.

The sad saga of the attempted cover up at Hobart Lane by a major player in the Amherst rental industry   should stand as a testament to why the free market sometimes needs government regulation.

Yes, it's a very small percentage of landlords who cause problems for the entire industry.  Just as it's a small percentage of party hardy immature college kids who ruin the image for the vast majority of students who are hard working, law abiding, future titans of America. 

Pat Kamins, center. Amherst Town Manager John Musante, right

Member of Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods speaks