Can You Hear Us Now?

Atkins Farm Country Market deep South Amherst

Since the founding of our country the "right to petition our government"  under the vital protection of the First Amendment has been a cornerstone of American freedoms.

The infamous -- some would say sacrilegious -- cancellation of West Side Story at Amherst Regional High School in 1999 started out with a petition circulated by an attractive 17-year-old that garnered 158 signatures in one day.

Of course a year earlier that same High School had 300 kids sign a petition to Superintendent Gus Sayer demanding reinstatement of off campus privileges so kids could smoke (presumably cigarettes).

The ancient tried and true petition approach has, unlike newspapers, transitioned brilliantly into the digital age.  MoveOn.org, a somewhat (sarcasm) left leaning organization sponsored by gazillionair George Soros, has made it as easy as eating apple to pie to start an online petition.

And you can tell it attracts a broad spectrum of petitioners -- not just uber liberals -- because currently Cinda Jones, a somewhat Conservative, has one gaining steam.

Her (naturally) business oriented petition seeks  to entice Atkins Country Market in South Amherst to open a satellite operation on the other side of town.  More specifically, in her about-to-be-built Trolly Barn, a mixed use 12,000 square foot commercial/residential building. 

Not one to take chances, the petition originally had a goal of 50 signatures which was attained within hours of going live, then reset to 100; and after that goal was quickly reached, reset again to 200.  And probably will be reset once more to 500 when that milestone is reached.

Interestingly North Amherst neighbors staunchly opposed to Ms. Jones other endeavor -- selling land for 175 units of student housing known as The Retreat -- have signed the petition.  So it must be a good idea.

At the very least each petition signatory should get a coupon for a free cider donut.  Or, perhaps, a used "Stop The Retreat" lawn sign. 

The Business of Education

 Yes, Amherst existed before UMass (and Amherst College).  Town center circa 1839

With Umass Amherst almost ten times larger than our other two colleges combined, perhaps the Amherst of today is better described as a "University town" .  But it wasn't always so. 

The founding in town center of the Amherst Academy (1814), which soon became one of the top private schools in the state, set in motion a paradigm shift.  Because soon thereafter, as an educational outgrowth, Amherst College was founded on top of a hill (1821) at the southern end of town center.

Johnson Chapel, Amherst College built 1837

This shifted the balance of social/economic power away from the East Village, which had the initial advantage of water power via the Fort River, to what is now the heart of downtown Amherst.

And whenever a strong magnet arises for people of all persuasions -- in this case education -- the shopkeepers are close behind.

 

Merchants Row, 1870.  Buildings in foreground were "mixed use" with Fraternities above ground floor

In a standing room only presentation yesterday at the Strong House Museum in town center, local historian Ed Wilfert brought to life the story of "Merchants Row", a block of buildings on the west side of the town common with pretty much the same footprint today as 150 years ago.

 

Merchants Row today 

Anchored on the northern end (corner of South Pleasant and Amity Streets) where the Bank of America is now, the Amherst House was as grand a hotel as you could ask for, and at four stories one of the biggest buildings in Amherst.

And at the southern end, the First Baptist Church (built in 1835).

 First Baptist Church recently renovated by Amherst College for office space

 

The Amherst House

Historic photos from Jones Library collection

The July 4th 1879 conflagration decimated Merchants Row.  The ferocity of the fire was such that even brick buildings could not withstand its wrath.  The Beast was aided by a lack of proper firefighting tools as town center had no running water, even though a town committee only a few years earlier had strongly supported it.

 All that remains after the July 4, 1879 fire

The Amherst Hotel was rebuilt as nice as ever but then in 1926 burned down again, even though by then, with Town Meeting approval, town center had running water piped in from the high ground of neighboring Pelham.

Every time buildings burned in the downtown land underneath was dug out a little deeper before rebuilding, and the soil recycled over on the town common which was originally -- by today's standards -- wetlands.

Ed Wilfert, "perpetual amateur scholar"

While the stately Amherst Hotel is now long gone, Amherst still has a bustling Merchants Row.  UMass, to the north, has become a veritable Juggernaut -- the flagship of higher education in the state.

Amherst Town Meeting is still around, and too many years ago a town committee highly recommended the town build a new fire station.  Thus far, a recommendation unfulfilled. 

Those who fail to learn from history ...

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The Jones Library atrium currently has Ed Wilfert's presentation materials about Merchants Row on display (and you can often spot Ed around the library).

Do Over

Sunderland Road, North Amherst

As any of you North Amherst natives know Sunderland Road was repaved last year using the environmental "green" technique of "Recycled Hot Emulsified Asphalt Treatment,"  or "ReHeat" for short.

The efficient ReHeat technique chops up old pavement, adds in hot asphalt emulsion additives and puts it back down ... all in one quick pass. 

The method even costs a little less than the traditional approach.  Except in the case of Sunderland Road, it didn't work.  Potholes started appearing even before the first winter was done.

So the DPW is doing it over and Gallagher Asphalt of Thornton, Ill. repaid the town for most of the projected cost.  Other problems were discovered not related to their original work, and the repaving job they did on North Pleasant Street and University Drive seem to be fine.

I'm told the road repaving is scheduled for Thursday, barring any snow.  Businesses in the North Amherst Village Center will be pleased.

Charge Of The Retreat

Landmark Properties recently filed a "Preliminary Subdivision Plan" for The Retreat (along with a check for $10,000), an upscale student housing development bitterly opposed by many North Amherst "neighbors."

147 acre woodland was sold by W.D. Cowls, Inc to Landmark Properties for $6.5 million 

The Amherst Planning Board has 45 days to respond, thus the upscale project will come up for public discussion in December.  This is only a preliminary round of hearings where the Planning Board offers advice and guidance, so it's not a drop dead approve/disapprove thing.

 Henry Street welcome sign

Sure to be controversial -- or I should say more controversial -- are the two "secondary entrances" on Henry Street and Flat Hills Road.   Primary access is on Market Hill Road where a service stub was put in when the Atkins Water Treatment plant was constructed back in 1994 on land sold to the town by W.D. Cowls, Inc.

Market Hill Road access near Atkins Water Treatment Plant

Henry Street is of course the home of Amherst's famous Salamander Tunnels, a save the salamander project that brought Amherst international media attention 25 years ago.

Landmark plans to work closely with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment to ensure the little critters do not become extinct in North Amherst (although they are not endangered anywhere else in the country).

 Why did the salamander cross Henry Street?

The proposed "Cluster Subdivision" consists of 123 lots, comprised of 175 total housing units -- 104 duplex, 71 single family -- for a total of 641 beds.  By clustering the units in a tighter manner more of the natural environment can be forever preserved.

This plan will, however, require Site Plan Review waivers from the Planning Board over frontage and setbacks.  Otherwise, to achieve the same number of units allowed by right, much of the open space would need to be sacrificed.

According to the recent state certified Housing Production Plan: "Housing supply has not kept up with increasing demand, resulting in higher housing prices and residents paying more than they can afford to live in Amherst."

Solutions?  The Housing Production Plan continues, "Appropriate housing for students, both on and off campus, in order to reduce the demand on the housing market in Amherst."

Amherst's number one demographic -- because of the University of Massachusetts -- consists of "college students" by a whopping 59.4% of our total population.  Landlords cater to this market by buying up older homes in the heart of residential neighborhoods, expanding their capacity and cramming them full of students.

Providing safe, convenient housing for 641 students with on-site management at The Retreat could free up 160 single family houses that could revert back to their original target audience:  families.  

The housing crisis in Amherst is the single most vexing problem to arise over the past generation.

We must not retreat from simple sound solutions.

The Retreat: a blueprint for positive change

This One's For You

Staff Sgt. Brett Carnathan, age 32, U.S. Air Force

Rest in peace Uncle Brett. <3 #halfstaff #Sargent #love #military http://t.co/GGVIk91PGk
— Melanie Sheehan (@MelanieSheehan_) November 7, 2013

Amherst will observe Veterans Day with a brief service on the North Common at 10:45 AM, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Town Meeting Clean Sweep

Amherst Planning Board

The Amherst Planning Board hit a grand slam home run this evening as all of their zoning articles passed Town Meeting by over a two-thirds vote, despite the usual gloom and doom concerns about "student housing".

Since the state considers medical marijuana  a "protected use" it's coming to Amherst one way or the other, but with the passing of Article 13 the town has some say in where and how it develops.

Surprisingly Article 14, making it easier to construct a duplex as long as one side is permanently "affordable", came the closest to failing.  Once again the spectre of student housing was the concern, since the duplex does not have to be "owner occupied." 

Not like a profit minded developer is going to construct a brand new house with one side forever "affordable" and the other side rented out to party animals who add wear and tear like a herd of buffaloes.

 Standing vote to "call the question" to end debate

Article 15 would make it slightly easier to construct dorm-like housing on six lots (three on North Pleasant Street and three on Olympia Drive) very near the #1 provider of housing customers, UMass.  After a Tally Vote the article passed handily 112-51.

Article 16 simply clarified whether it was the Planning Board or Zoning Board who had jurisdiction in issuing modest waivers on dimensional requirements.

Articles 17 and 18 were technical fixes, mostly semantic, requested by the Building Commissioner to set in stone practices that previous Commissioners have used for over 25 years.

North Amherst resident Melissa Perot spoke for five minutes from the podium against Article 18 and the next speaker from the floor was her husband who branded it "spot zoning".

They failed miserably to convince Town Meeting.  Which set the stage for an even bigger failure as Article 19, also the handiwork of Melissa Perot, would undo parts of Article 18 that just passed overwhelmingly.

And by that same massive margin her tilting at windmills article went down to defeat.



#20, the final article, was the typical feel good Amherst kind of statement:  Divestment of funds in fossil fuels.  Over the Finance Committee's 6-0 objection (even though the resolution is non binding) Town Meeting overwhelmingly passed the Al Gore inspired article.

And then everyone hastened to their cars. 

DUI Dishonor Roll

Perhaps it's a bit surprising Amherst Police bagged only two DUI drivers over the Halloween weekend considering all the intoxicated college aged youth AFD ended up transporting to Cooley Dickinson Hospital and how busy APD was otherwise with Party Houses all over town.

Of course when a Party House or fight on the street attracts a half dozen police cars, that's a fair amount of time those vehicles are not on the prowl or ensconced in a secure/hidden location observing routine traffic watching for killers on the road. 

Making simple mistakes like running a stop sign will of course garner the attention of a patrol car -- especially at 2:33 AM.  And Rebecca L. Tobey, age 23,  should know that since this was her second offense.

In Court on 10/30 Judge John Payne Jr. appointed Ms. Tobey a public defender and continued the trial until January 6. 

Doing 68 in a 35 MPH zone at 2:13 AM will also garner undivided attention.  Newman M. Galati, age 21, flunked his FSTs and was arrested.  Although not his second offense for DUI, Mr. Galati did manage to get arrested at a Party House last year (where residents were abusive to APD).

Arraigned on Monday morning before Judge Payne, Mr. Galati had a plea of "not guilty" entered in his behalf, the Judge then assigned him a court appointed attorney, freed him on his own recognizance to return for trial on December 10.