Kendrick Place: new mixed use anchor for the north end of downtown
After being described as "hideous" in public meetings, with charges of "good old boy" favortism on the part of the Planning Board, prognosticated to overwhelm town parking and becoming a despicable den for student parties rivaling Phillips Street, it's nice to see four months into their operations the apocalypse has not been unleashed by Kendrick Place.
And some professionals seem to appreciate the design of the building:
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.
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 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.
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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
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.
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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.
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.
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:
