Built Chevy Tough, No More

An American icon

About 75 people showed up this morning to attend the Classic Chevy, aka Paige's Chevrolet auction at their historic 40 Dickinson Street location, within hubcap toss of the Dickinson Homestead.

Almost all of them were men dressed in work clothes, similar no doubt to the uniforms once worn by the 17 dedicated employees who are now out of a job.

 

Crowd gathers round the auctioneer at former Classic Chevrolet

Amherst has lost its last auto dealership and it's unlikely to see another one anytime soon.  Just as a supermarket or hardware store will never reappear in the downtown.

Or a phone booth.

Flying Super Extra Gas pump 1960s:  When Paige's was in its prime

Parts of the Trade

How to for professionals (before the Internet)

Hills Hat Factory molds, circa 1850s stored in the attic

Con Com: Conserve $6.5 Million

Amherst Conservation Commission

The Amherst Conservation Commission hiked down the same path as the Planning Board did last week by voting unanimously NOT to recommend the Amherst Select Board exercise Right Of First Refusal on 154 acres of upland woodland in northeast Amherst.

The property, owned by the state's largest private landowner W.D. Cowls, Inc, is currently under a $6.5 million contract to Georgia developer Landmark Properties, who specialize in cottage style student housing with high end amenities.   

The gated community planned for Amherst, The Retreat, will house 700 students and it has stirred bitter neighborhood opposition since day one.

About two dozen residents showed up last week to the Planning Board hearing hoping to convince the board to recommend the town invoke the expensive taking.  Tonight 21 concerned citizens showed up and the committee allowed an hour for public comment.

 Dave Ziomek, Director of Conservation and Development (and Assistant Town Manager):  "Daunting price tag for an unremarkable property."

Then, after a brief 25 minute discussion the board came to its unanimous recommendation NOT to purchase the property, but were also clear about not supporting the proposed development because of potential environmental impacts.

The Select Board has the final authority and will make their decision Monday night (July 29).  The funding would also require a two-thirds vote of Amherst Town Meeting who already overwhelmingly voted down a scheme to take the "development rights" of the property for $1.2 million.

The chance the SB will ignore the unanimous advice of the Planning Board and Conservation Committee is about as likely as an asteroid taking out town center one of these hot summer nights.

Rising Star Committee

 

Housing & Sheltering Committee (and liaisons) this morning

This being Amherst, naturally I have to fall back on a Native American sounding designation title award for a relatively new committee with a very PC sounding official name:  The Housing and Sheltering Committee.

The committee was born out of a merger between the Housing Partnership/Fair Housing Committee and The Committee on Homelessness, but only after the Select Board dissolved the two former committees.  So I guess you could describe them as a Phoenix who arose from the ashes.

For a committee that only first met on May 30, 2012 they have made great strides towards becoming a political powerhouse.  At this morning's meeting Select Board liaison Alisa Brewer stated in her usual succinct manner:  "Planning Board members and Planning staff irritate some people.  You come from a purer place ... your opinion matters."

And Planning Board liaison Connie Kruger (also former Amherst Senior Planner for 16 years) told the board it would be "political suicide not to include this committee in on zoning issues."

As a further example of the consolidation of political capital, HSC co-chair Greg Stutsman was recently appointed to the always influential Planning Board.  If not for the fact both these boards are volunteer activities the state would probably disallow that as double dipping or a conflict of interest.

The HSC can take credit for one of the more influential consultant reports issued in the past 30 or 40 years, the "Housing Production Plan."

This report graphically illustrates the problems created when supply and demand are out of whack.  And of course the largest creator of supply is the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a town where 59% of the population are now "college aged youths."

The committee is considering ways of increasing housing supply through zoning changes, as well as possibly forming a land or housing trust to develop projects on their own.  And with the highly regarded reputation they have established in just over a year, it could happen.

Amherst is now teetering on the brink of falling below the 10% affordable housing threshold thus opening the town up to a Chapter 40B mega housing project.   Zoning changes to help increase the supply of affordable housing requires a difficult to attain two-thirds vote of Town Meeting.

The Housing & Sheltering Committee will certainly help lead the charge.  And they stand an infinitely better chance than did "The Light Brigade."

Art & Eats

 

Metacomet Cafe 27 South Pleasant Street, Amherst

Two new bricks and mortar businesses will open in the heart of the downtown in time to tap into that tidal way of new customers who roar back into Amherst the last week of August.

Metacomet Cafe will open in the spot formerly occupied by Chez Albert before they moved to the other side of town; and Art Alive, an arts and crafts emporium that encourages consumer participation, has taken over the space former occupied by 35 South Cycle, a fitness business that expired last August. 

Art Alive, 35 South Pleasant Street, Amherst

A Curtain No More

Marsh House last week

Marsh House this morning

War on Rowdyism: The Tide Is Turning

 Graph courtesy of APD

With overall citations up 30% over last year it may seem counter intuitive to declare the problem of rampaging college aged youth is getting better ... but it is.

Note, for instance,  the decrease in arrests for "noise" vs citations issued this year vs last.  But an increase in "nuisance" tickets, a slighter higher level of response/sanction to a party.

A cop in the field has a fair amount of latitude in deciding to arrest (cuff hands behind back, throw -- err, gently place -- in the back of a cruiser and bring to the station for booking) or simply issue a $300 ticket.

If the perps are cooperative they only get a warning, or civil infraction ticket; if not they get arrested.

Word has gotten out about noise/nuisance bylaw enforcement, and the kids are starting to get the message.

According to UMPD Chief John Horvath:

"UMPD dedicated more officers to supporting APD with off campus issues in spring 2013.  The two departments have worked together for a long time and there are good relationships built, while new ones are forming.  It is my intention to continue to work with APD, Chief Livingstone and the Amherst & Hadley communities to support them when needed, while respecting the jurisdictional boundaries that are established."

UMPD Mounted Patrol stationed on Phillips Street April 5th 

I also asked APD Chief Scott Livingstone if this past spring seemed better controled than last spring because of a united crackdown:  

" We know that the weekends have been quieter than past years, because of enforcement, assistance from UMPD and MSP, and the cooler weather…I also think the continued messaging from Enku Gelaye's office helped as well." 

This spring UMass officials issued stern messages to students and their parents warning about the consequences of bad behavior.  They also instituted "Walk This Way", where a legion of volunteers set up at high traffic areas during the late night to redirect revelers away from residential neighborhoods. 


 
Amherst Select Board Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe in the dead of night mid-April

Chief Livingstone agrees enforcement is working, but it also comes at a high cost: 

"We can put an end to much of the bad behavior with enforcement, but not all the bad behavior. Problem is, it cost a lot of money in overtime  cost, and my cops get tired and burned out, and that worries me…Tired cops and stressful situations are a bad combination…" 

According to a prominent longtime local landlord (whose property once made my "Party House of the Weekend") this past spring was "as under control as any I can recall."

Yes, of course the "Blarney Blowout" stands as a notable exception.  But perhaps -- coming in the early spring -- it acted as a wake up call, setting off a "we're-not-going-to-take-this-anymore" response.

A kind of high water mark for rowdy behavior that, like Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, represents a dramatic example of a turning point ... the beginning of the end.

DUI Dishonor Roll

Sobering statistic:  36%  of all traffic deaths in Massachusetts are DUI-related

Since Omar Cruz, age 21, was taken off the road early Saturday at 3:29 AM -- a time when most of us are safely sleeping in bed -- and he was the only drunk driver bagged by APD this past weekend, I suppose we locals should feel somewhat relieved. 

Although I much prefer the July 4th weekend -- number one nationwide for DUI arrests -- where not a single tipsy perp was to be had within the confines of Amherst.

May be quite a while before we see a repeat of that good thing.