Jones Library Architects Chosen

Jones Library, Amherst's living room

The Jones Library Board of Trustees voted unanimously this morning to hire Finegold Alexander Architects for the "planning and design phase" of the renovation expansion that could see the town center icon double in size.

 Jones Library Trustees voted unanimously to hire Finegold Alexander Architects

The firm impressed the subcommittee charged with coming up with a recommendation out of the five firms who applied for the job because they have great experience with historical preservation, including the Holyoke Public Library and currently the UMass Old Chapel.

The Boston based firm also has strong local contacts, including as their consultants Amherst architect John Kuhn and landscape architect Peter Wells.

Finegold Alexander are the architects for renovation of UMass iconic Old Chapel

The Jones Library e-x-p-a-n-s-i-o-n, which could cost as high as $40 million, comes at a time when the town is also considering three other major building projects: A new South Fire Station and Department of Public Works building, and a new elementary school.

Only the school and library projects are covered by state grants, roughly half the total costs.

The Jones Library already received a $50,000 grant to cover design/planning from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and Amherst Town Meeting appropriated $25,000 in matching funds.

The cost of this contract is for up to $50,000.

Thowing In the Towel?

Time is running out for Amherst College owned Little Red Schoolhouse

Carol Gray crashed the Community Preservation Act Committee meeting last night to file a (late) request for $10,000 concerning her ultimate windmill, the Little Red Schoolhouse. 

At least this seems to indicate she has given up on the enormously expensive idea of saving the building.

Only a small percentage of the $10K would go towards photographing for posterity the interior and exterior of the 79-year-old building.  The majority of the funding  would "document the human side" of the preschool business that operated within its tiny walls.

Of course Ms. Gray herself would be an interview subject since she's an overly proud parent of a Little Red Schoolhouse graduate. 

And if Herman Melville was still around, he could interview her for the writing of "Moby Dick Returns."

Carol Gray (2nd from rt) at 11/22/15 meeting trying to get Historical Commission to become Little Red cheerleaders

AFD: Busiest Year Ever!

AFD North Station strategically located next to UMass

Having listened to and covered up close a countless number of emergency calls over the past 12 months, I'm not surprised that 2015 was the busiest year ever for the Amherst Fire Department with a total of 6,363 calls, up 7.59% from last year's 5,914.

And that was accomplished without a 7.59% increase in staffing, the #1 problem now facing AFD.  The cramped condition and sorry state of Central Station is closely followed problem #2.

 Click to enlarge/read

 This year AFD and Dispatch cost Amherst taxpayers around $5,000,000 
 

UMass paid us $455,000 for emergency services this year and created 19.1% of the call volume, or $955,000 worth.

Amherst College paid the town $120,000 and created 4% of the call volume, or $200,0000.

Hampshire College paid us ZERO but created 3.1% of the call volume, or $155,000 -- enough to hire three new firefighters.

 AFD on scene Hampshire College 8/30/15 for typical "cooking smoke" false fire alarm

Destruction Delayed

The 2 buildings are on the west side of Kendrick Park

Despite the prominence of the two local developers involved (Curt Shumway and Barry Roberts) and that of their architect (John Kuhn) and legal counsel (Tom Reidy) the Amherst Historical Commission voted unanimously not to allow the vaporization of two buildings in the north end of downtown that have stood in that location for over 150 years.

 John Kuhn, Barry Roberts, Curt Shuway (seated) attorney Tom Reidy (standing)

The main reason being, after 150+ years, they add a texture and feel to the neighborhood that would be forever altered by their destruction.  And yes, a good number of neighbors turned out to reaffirm that before the Commission.

 Vast majority of audience was in favor of demolition delay

In fact only one person from the audience spoke in favor of the demolition (Niels la Cour) reminding the Commission that Amherst needs commercial development and erecting hurdles via a demo delay only exaserbates the town's anti-business reputation.

Sarah la Cour also submitted a letter on Business Improvement District stationary supporting the demolition.  Barry Roberts was of course one of the main architects of creating the BID.

Click to enlarge/read

The developers wish to build a four-story 20,000 square foot office building with possible retail on the ground floor.   But not a bar or restaurant, Mr. Kuhn assured the Commission. 

The area is zoned limited business which limits the height to only three floors so even if the Historical Commission allowed the demolition the project must still get a Special Permit from the Planning Board to go up the extra floor.  That motion would require six of the eight members to vote yes.

 Local researcher/historian Ed Wilfert presented his findings to the Commission

Attorney Reidy, after it appeared certain the delay would be enacted, requested perhaps making it only a six-month delay.  But the bylaw only allows for a one year delay,  and it's all-or-nothing.  The Commission can, however, six months down the road lift the delay and allow demolition.

Developers can simply wait out the year and are then free to demolish the buildings or they could try to move them to a new location.  

Back in 2007 Mr. Roberts moved the last remaining house on Kendrick Park to a new location on Gray Street.

No Challenge!

Opponents of Amherst For All's effort to collect the 3,215 required signatures to place on the March 29 ballot the question of forming a 9-member Charter Commission to come up with a new and improved local government failed to challenge a single signature.

After a simple majority vote of the Select Board,  the measure goes on the ballot.

List of candidates who have taken out papers:

One addition:  Gerry Weiss (former Select Board member)

Of these 11 potential candidates for the 9 member Charter Commission only Gerry Weiss and Janet McGowan refused to sign the Charter petition itself.

DUI Dishonor Roll

William O'Neil, age 24, stands before Judge John Payne

Amazingly Amherst police did not make a single DUI arrest over the New Year's holiday weekend, normally peak time for drunk driving. Hadley however, had a doozy:

   Egregious New Year DUI

Innocent Until Proven Guilty

Amherst Select Board 12/21/15.  Jim Wald on right

Amherst Select Board member Jim Wald was arrested by Amherst police over the weekend and charged with "Assault on a family member," arraigned before Judge John Payne this morning in Eastern Hampshire District Court where his case was continued to January 28th for a Pretrial Hearing.

Click to enlarge/read

I have not felt this lousy about reporting an event concerning an Amherst town official since that sad Sunday morning in late September when I broke the shocking news of Town Manager John Musante's death at too early an age.

The relatively new Domestic Violence Law, in order to protect victims, requires police to purge from their daily logs any domestic abuse incident, aka Chapter 56A.

In addition, Eastern Hampshire District Court will not provide the police "Statement of Facts" that I rely on with my usual drunk driving or party house arrest reports.

I reached out to Mr. Wald asking him for a statement.   But other than pointing out, "Not everything you read or hear is true or as characterized -- which is why in this country one is innocent until proven guilty," he did not have anything further to say.

Had it been a DPW worker, Dispatcher or Town Hall janitor you would not be reading this report.  But Mr. Wald is a high ranking town official (although at $300/year he makes far less pay than any of those three other examples) who simply must be held to a higher standard.

And a reporter who decides whether or not to report a story based on personal feelings -- good or bad -- towards personalities involved, is a lousy reporter.