Downtown Development Do Over?

Archipelago paid $4.6 million for the Carriage Shops

One of the downsides of taking too long to break ground on your controversial construction project is the rules could change, kind of like moving the goal line during the Superbowl half time show.

Take One East Pleasant Street for instance.  The "mixed use" five story 84-unit project was expected to mimic the success of nearby Kendrick Place:  Mostly high-end apartments with a ground floor dedicated to commercial and space for bicycles and zip cars.

Kendrick Place dominates/anchors the north end of downtown

But Town Meeting this spring will be discussing two zoning articles that could retroactively impact One East Pleasant:  A Planning Board article describing more precisely what constitutes a "mixed use" building i.e. possibly requiring more square footage be dedicated to commercial.

And Vince O'Connor's citizens petition aimed directly at developers Dave Williams and Kyle Wilson requiring mixed use buildings be subject to the town's "Inclusionary Zoning Bylaw" requiring 10% of the units be "affordable."

The Planning Board will hold public hearings on both warrant articles early next month but both of those hearings have to be advertised in a local newspaper two weeks in advance.  On that day of publication the zoning would apply to One East Pleasant if later passed by Town Meeting in May, unless the developers receive a building permit.

Simply starting demolition of the former Carriage Shops is not enough.

 Amherst Carriage Inn:  state of the art hotel/motel (for the 1960s)

The ambitious project was approved by the Planning Board in December, 2014 but a lawsuit brought by a disgruntled competitor delayed things until mid-August when Judge Richard Carey punted it out of his courtroom .

The Special Permit was then  granted on August 14 and had another 30 days before legally taking effect.

 Firm agreement to repaint history mural also needs to be in place befor a Building Permit issued

According to Building Commissioner Rob Morra the developers then have six months to (significantly) act on that Special Permit, meaning a drop-dead deadline of March 14.  And there are still details to work out over asbestos removal and the repainting of the history mural.

Development in Amherst is never, never, never easy.  And if some Town Meeting members had their way it would never, never, never happen. 

   One East Pleasant, Amherst by Larry Kelley

Medicinal Pot vs Student Housing

55 University Drive bottom left, proposed housing across the street

Red lines indicated 300' reach

The Select Board may want to think about the "letter of support or non opposition" for a medical marijuana facility proposed at 55 University Drive since it could kill a proposed 32 unit apartment development directly across the street.

According to the recent Amherst zoning bylaw governing medical marijuana facilities there has to be a 300 foot buffer zone from apartments (unless they are located in a mixed use building).

The Planning Board is sponsoring a warrant article for spring Town Meeting to change the zoning on the 5.79 acre property directly across the street from 55 University Drive from Office Park to Business Limited, which would allow for the construction of badly needed student housing.

Building Commissioner Rob Morra confirmed, "As written the bylaw does not consider one use existing before the other."  In other words first come first serve.   And if you are a pot facility first, that means no housing will be developed within 300' feet of your front door.

The 300' buffer extends far enough into the open field across the street (which is already development challenged by wetlands) to make the proposed project unfeasible.

Thus a potential $7 or $8 million development, that would pay the town $150,000 annually in property taxes, is killed by a much smaller medical marijuana facility that will pay less than $20,000 annually.

So Amherst Select Board, what's more important?   Helping to ease the significant stress on our housing market -- while generating substantial tax revenues -- or providing a medicinal herb?

 Because of stringent bylaw exclusions University Drive is about the only place in town for a medical marijuana facility

Jumping The Gun?

Not until he hand in the proper paperwork

For the second time this week our local hometown newspaper has a front page above-the-fold story on something someone might do:  bring an article to Town Meeting.

And since it only requires 10 signatures to get ANYTHING on the warrant, not a very high bar to hurdle.  So yes, if someone tells you they are going to place an article on the spring warrant it's pretty easy to believe.

(At least the fall Town Meeting requires 100 signatures to grace the warrant.)

But what if they get hit by a PVTA bus or errant drone while they are out performing the arduous task of collecting those ten signatures?

Citizens have until February 29 to get the petition articles to Town Hall with the required signatures of registered voters.  So far seven individuals have taken out the proper paperwork from the Town Clerk, so it's a safe bet we will be getting a few returned with do-gooder intentions.

But I'm not going to speculate.  Especially on my front page.

DUI Dishonor Roll

Cars don't kill people, drunk drivers do

Let's hope this weekend continues to be a light one for drunk drivers.  Last weekend neither Amherst or UMass police had a single arrest.  Nearby Hadley, however, had one:

Click to enlarge/read

 Almost 2.5 times the legal limit

 In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Tuesday Daniel Tower, age 32, took a standard first offense Chapter 24D disposition

 Cost of a standard 24D disposition

Let There Be (lots of) Light

The solar array will take up about 8 acres of the 20 acre site

West Bay Road & Eric Carle Museum will be screened by dogwoods that can grow up to 12'

The Amherst Planning Board voted unanimously last night (6-0 with 3 absent) to approve a Site Plan Review for Hampshire College to construct a 2.55 megawatt solar array in a former 20 acre farm field off West Bay Road near Atkins Market, Eric Carle Museum and Applewood Retirement Community.

Since the Building Commissioner had ruled this energy operation was an accessory use to an education institute, the Dover Amendment would trump local rejection of the project.

But the Planning Board seemed impressed enough with the presentation so they probably would have endorsed it heartily anyway.

Nearby Orchard Valley resident John Boothroyd spoke loudly against the project questioning if solar really was carbon neutral and lamenting the loss of farmland and trees.  He also worried about glare endangering drivers along West Bay Road.

Developer Mickey Marcus assured the Board solar was more environmentally friendly with carbon savings (estimated at 2,000 tons annually) and that it's a myth solar panels cause glare saying, "They are designed to absorb sunlight."

This Amherst solar project combined with one in Hadley will provide the campus with 100% of its energy needs.  Construction is expected to take 3 to 4 months and will be completed by the fall semester.

And for the first time in its history Hampshire College will pay the town a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes over the solar project ($21,000 plus 2.5% annually for 20 years).  Although the house/barn at 1095 to the east of the project is slated for demolition.

 Farmhouse and barn east of solar project will be demolished soon

Hampshire  College bought the Ives Farm where the solar project will be located including the old farmhouse and barn over 20 years ago with the provision -- called a "life estate" -- Mr. and Mrs. Ives could live their until their deaths.  Both have now passed away.

Last year Hampshire College paid $6,377 in property taxes for the 1095 West Street property, but that  will go down substantially after the demolition (perhaps to zero).

Last year Amherst College paid us $130,000 in PILOT for the vital services of Amherst Fire Department, while UMass paid around $450,000 (for ambulance service).  Hampshire College paid nothing.

 Hadley solar array

Party Apartment of the Weekend

Let's hope these three young men learn to listen to Amherst police the way they probably do their football coach. 

Click to enlarge/read

In Eastern Hampshire District Court yesterday all three took the standard diversion deal offered by the District Attorney's office:  Pay the $300 town noise bylaw fine and stay out of trouble for the rest of the semester.

The 4th individual on the list had charges dropped because his name was not on the lease as a resident of the apartment.

All seven arrests by APD over the long weekend involved alcohol and most of them were UMass students.  UMPD, by contrast, had zero arrests. 

Fire & Ice

AFD on scene 409 Main Street for burst sprinkler pipes

The recent arctic weather brought even more work to an already overburdened Amherst Fire Department with calls for help dealing with burst water pipes numbering around 40-- many of them in large commercial or academic buildings where the sprinkler systems were the culprit.

 AFD on scene UMass Goodell Library for burst sprinkler pipe

Yes, commercial sprinklers are located in the ceilings of buildings and heat does rise.  But a sprinkler system is designed to cover everything so all it takes is one small area where insulation is sub par.

Kind of like a frozen pond that has a tributary stream entering it so the ice is a lot thinner at that one spot and far more dangerous for an unsuspecting skater.

 AFD on scene Applewood Retirement Community for burst sprinkler pipe

Atkins Market, Applewood Retirement Community, UMass Goddell Library, Amherst College Merrill Science Center and a bevy of smaller commercial buildings all suffered the major hassle of freezing water raining down from above.

   AFD Valentine Weekend

In addition AFD had two almost simultaneous box alarms during the lunch hour on Tuesday that tied up the entire on duty shift, one at UMass North Village family housing and a chimney fire in a residence on Flat Hills Road.

 AFD on scene for box alarm UMass North Village Apartments

AFD on scene Flat Hills Road for a chimney fire

An emergency medical call for an elderly woman needing transport to Cooley Dickinson Hospital had to be handled by an ambulance from Northampton Fire Department because the two box alarms tied up all available AFD personnel. 

 Pine tree fell on car South East Street 4:45 PM Tuesday

NFD mutual aid would be required two more times before Tuesday was done.

 Severe 1 car crash into utility pole sent 4 occupants to Baystate Hospital closing Rt 9 overnight. Photo via Hadley PD Facebook

A severe one car crash into an Eversource utility pole on Rt9 in Hadley last night required three AFD ambulances and one from NFD.  All four victims were transported to Baystate in Springfield rather than nearby Cooley Dickinson Hospital because of the severity of their injuries.

So no, it's not just weekend drunk college students that overwhelm the Amherst emergency response system.

 UMass and Amherst College heating plants were working overtime