Just Say NO (To No Parking)

Lincoln Avenue/Amity Street intersection outskirts of town center

The Amherst Select Board meeting was invaded last night by a brigade of concerned Lincoln Avenue residents upset about the initial proposal to ban parking along both sides of their street.

Almost all of them agreed there were problems at the Amity Street/Lincoln Avenue intersection and Gaylord Street/Lincoln Avenue, mainly with sight lines.

But those remedies should only impact the immediate area around those intersections and not the length of the entire road which connects Northampton Road (Rt 9) to UMass Amherst, the largest employer in town.

Click to enlarge/read

 Proposed parking scenario widely panned by residents

By removing parked cars entirely neighbors fear it will increase speed along their street by commuters enroute to UMass.

And many of them pointed out they have small driveways and the on-street parking is needed for visiting friends and family.

Concerned neighbors pack Select Board hearing (eleven spoke, all of them opposed)

The Select Board, keepers of the public way, seemed almost embarrassed by the controversy.  Connie Kruger said it was "premature to vote on this", that it required a "more comprehensive look," and the town should go "back to the drawing board."

 Gaylord/Lincoln Avenue intersect

The Select Board wisely retreated and continued the public hearing until their next meeting July  27.  (During the summer months the Select Board meets infrequently).

Here Comes The Solar

Robsham Visitor's Center

Work has begun on the nifty new solar parking lot canopies -- the first of their kind in our area --at the Robsham Visitor's Center parking lot across the street from Haigis Mall in the heart of UMass campus.

The solar units will cover six rows of parking spaces, producing a total of .576 megawatts of electricity. In addition UMass will install three Level Two dual charging stations for electric vehicles to plug in.

The town of Amherst, as part of their "green initiative" is installing a charging station in the lower level of the garage for the town's electric vehicle and a duel system for the general public in the parking lot behind Town Hall.

The Town Manager is also going on a fishing expedition by preparing a broadly worded Request For Proposals for companies to use town property for solar installations. Of course if NIMBYs see ye old landfill mentioned they will be quick to pull the plug by threatening yet another lawsuit.

Anyone remember when going "green" simply meant nice plantings?

 Town Hall greenspace

Amherst Police station plantings

Worth The Wait?

Metacomet Cafe, 27 South Pleasant Street, downtown

After probably the longest delayed opening in the history of the downtown, the Metacomet Cafe, finally, opened their doors for business yesterday -- just in time for a sizzling summer.

Fortunately Amherst no longer rolls up the streets once UMass and the Colleges are no longer in session. 

Menu

Yes, the neon sign lights up

The Cost Of Convenience

 Above North Valley Road, Pelham

 Scarred hillside, North Valley Road, Pelham

Eversource is replacing powerline infrastructure, which of course means anything tall and green that stands in the way is terminated.

"Sorry about that."

Heavy duty machines

Meanwhile, on Belchertown Road (Rt 9) just over the Amherst line:

A Day Of Respect

You can tell BigY is family owned

Oddly enough I've never been a h-u-g-e fan of Flag Day simply because I believe every day should be a day to respect and honor our national symbol.

I once even tried to trade Flag Day for 9/11 with our illustrious Select Board.  A deal they refused to take.

As most of you know by now the Amherst Select Board, keepers of the public way, voted 4-1 on the early evening of September 10, 2001 to allow 29 commemorative flags to fly in the downtown to mark only six anniversaries: Patriots' Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, July 4, Labor Day and Veterans Day.

Since that normally obscure public meeting took place about 12 hours before the first plane found its target in Manhattan, September 11 was still just another late summer day.  And that particular 9/11 dawned sooooo stunningly beautiful ...

But acrid black smoke soon crowed out that crystal clear blue sky leading to a gaping hole in the New York City skyline.

This fast approaching 9/11, the 14th anniversary,  the commemorative flags are not scheduled to fly in downtown Amherst.

Next year they will, however, because it's a "milestone anniversary."  And then not again until 2021, when the average incoming freshman to our three institutes of higher education had not even been born on the awful day.

Since Amherst forgot to put the commemorative flags up today, Flag Day, maybe now the Select Board will take my deal?  
 

Death Be Not Proud

Growing up in bucolic Amherst during the carefree pre-Internet days just before Vietnam changed our national psyche, my Irish mother had a superstitious habit of lowering her voice to a whisper when using  the word "cancer" to describe how a friend or acquaintance had recently passed.

Her way of dealing with a killer that still a generation later accounts for a sizable percentage of "routine" deaths.

Ball Lane:  one of the last unpaved roads in Amherst (privately owned)

On Wednesday evening Amherst police responded to a Ball Lane apartment to perform a "well being check."

Neighbors had called because the tenant who lives there had not been seen in quite a while and a strong stench was emanating from the general direction of his apartment.

You can guess what happened next.

After a "keyholder" (property manager) arrived to let authorities in the officer promptly radioed Dispatch saying ,"Recode from a well being check to a 63."  A '63' is an "unattended death."

Since all unattended deaths have to be investigated by the Northwestern District Attorney I asked for a statement concerning the sad incident.  I was told no statement would be issued.

I asked for simple confirmation that an Amherst resident, age 31, had actually died and was again told "no statement would be issued."

Okay, I can take a hint.

As of yesterday the Amherst Town Clerk has on file 109 death certificates for the year 2015.  And just so as not to slip into a melancholy morbid stupor I also checked births:  64.

And while I was there looking at them (since they can't be removed from her office or photographed) two couples came in to file for a marriage license.  Life, indeed, goes on.

The vast majority of deaths resulted from cancer, heart attacks, renal failure or dementia.  And for the most part their ages were well past retirement.

But six of them -- all but one -- college to middle aged had "pending" appear prominently on the cause of death line.  That means the Medical Examiner had been called in because the death was not "routine."

And more often than not those eventually (takes six months) return as a suicide or drug overdose.

For instance one of the names with "pending" is Zachariah Spaulding another the recent well publicized Chris Linehan, who died in the bathroom of the Hess Station in South Amherst. 

In fact two other death certificates did outright confirm "suicide".  Neither of which were covered by the local media or even so much as acknowledged by public officials.

Perhaps if people knew the extent of the problem with deaths nobody wants to acknowledge or talk about, preventative measures would be sought -- in earnest. 

No Expansion For You!

33 Phillips Street this morning

Last night in the 4th hearing stretching out over 9 months the Zoning Board of Appeals denied the Special Permit for 33 Phillips Street; perhaps the most notorious rental property in all of Amherst; located on the most notorious street in Amherst,; owned by Stephan Gharabegian, perhaps the most notorious landlord in all of Amherst.

Building Commissioner Rob Morra had discovered an illegal 4th unit in the basement with improper fire safety protection and other violations.  A cease and desist order was issued 5/20/14 requiring Gharabegian "remove the basement unit."

 Stephan Gharabegian (leaning forward chin in hand)

Instead the owner appealed the decision by applying to the ZBA for a Special Permit to formally allow the 4th unit. The Building Commissioner put a stay on his order, although no tenants were allowed in the basement unit over the past 9 months.

Normally a Special Permit process like this takes two or three months.

The hearings were continued numerous times because Gharabegian failed to provide basic information required by the ZBA, including updated floor plans and approval from the Conservation Commission for the parking lot expansion and realignment near a wetland.

After about 45 minutes of discussion it became clear the Special Permit, which requires a unanimous vote, was not going to be approved.  Gharabegian then stated his "best option was to withdraw the application."  But that too requires a unanimous vote of the board.

 Eric Beal Chairs his final ZBA meeting after 8 years of service

In his final meeting, after 8 years of service on the ZBA, Chair Eric Beal stated he would deny the permit both on its merits and because of a lack of due diligence submitting all the paperwork on the part of Mr. Gharabegian.

   33 Phillips Street Timeline

At 7:45 PM, one hour after the start of the hearing, the board voted unanimously to deny the permit.  Gharabegian cannot reapply for two years and by then Building Commissioner Morra will have enforced his original order to "remove the basement unit."

186 College Street

Two hours later the ZBA took up  another Gharabegian Special Permit request concerning his property at 186 College Street, where he wished to legalize a 3rd unit in a house only permitted for two units.

Senior Planner Jeff Bagg pointed out that, similar to the 33 Phillips Street situation, Mr. Gharabegian has "made some effort" but not nearly enough to consider the paperwork complete.

The ZBA quickly turned the tone of discussion to allowing a "withdrawal without prejudice."  Mark Parent said he was fine with that but would allow only 7 days for a new and complete application to be submitted or the $100/day in fines start accumulating.

Member Tom Ehrgood thought 10 days was too draconian saying "If we allow the withdrawal we should allow a reasonable time period for the reapplication."  Looking at Mr. Parent he then said, "How about 10 days?"  Parent slowly nodded his head up and down saying, "Yes."

Although Mr. Parent originally assumed it was 10 calender days, and had to be convinced to change it to 10 business days.  

Just before the board came to a unanimous vote allowing the withdrawal Mark Parent looked directly at Gharabegian and said, "I hope you get it done, and that there's no fines necessary."

Time will tell.  And not all that much time, as the ten day period starts today.

   186 College St timeline

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The ZBA is one of the most important public bodies in Amherst.  With Mr. Beal's retirement the Select Board will be looking for a dedicated, patient volunteer (with thick skin) to replace him.  Citizen Activity Forms can be accessed here.