Major Sale Pending

Clark House (center) Ann Whalen (left) Bangs Center (front left)

The 100 residential unit Clark House, a six story structure in downtown Amherst, is getting ready for a change in ownership.   Fortunately to a "qualified Preservation Buyer" so all the Section 8 tenants will probably not be displaced.

The Clark House was built in 1980 as part of the Amherst Redevelopment Authority's ambitious Boltwood Walk project.  The facility is currently 100% Section 8 tenants with 60 of the units Low Income and 40 units Extremely Low Income.

Click to enlarge/read

Amherst is in the minority for communities in the state with a Subsidized Housing Inventory greater than 10%, although housing in general is still in short supply.  As a result Amherst has higher prices which drives out middle income workers, seniors and young families.  

Because Clark House is already exempt from Amherst property taxes, the sale will have no impact on the tax base.

Forest For The Trees

Rolling Green Apartment, One Rolling Green Drive

If you ever wondered how to properly plant or prune a tree you're in luck: the Amherst Shade Tree Committee is holding their monthly tree planting demonstration this Saturday at Rolling Green Apartments on Belchertown Road (Rt 9) in the eastern part of town starting at 9:00 AM.

Public shade trees, which can last for generations, are all too often taken for granted because they blend into the background.

But when they are destroyed due to age or development we suddenly discover to our dismay, that they were the background.

SATURDAY morning update:

 Ten new trees going in the ground

Backdoor Sabotage

Jones Library needs property from Historical Society for preferred expansion

I always love it when somebody accidentally hits reply all and sends a telling message they think is only going to a very few like minded obstructionists.

Take former Jones Library black sheep Trustee Carol Gray for instance, who just sent a message to all 200+ members of the privately owned Town Meeting listserve.

Anybody who pays attention to Town Meeting issues -- which unfortunately does not include the vast majority of Amherst voters -- knows full well the plan is afoot to stop the Jones Library expansion/renovation right at the starting gate by denying them the ability to purchase land next door from a willing, highly respected, seller.

And as Carol so gleefully points out, it only takes a one-third super minority to kill development, no matter how reasonable it is.  Reason #1 for terminating Town Meeting.

Click to enlarge/read (but by all means do not forward)

Successful Mooooooove

Hope is designed to hold four football players (linemen no less)

Hope the cow crossed North Pleasant Street safely and has now taken up residence between Realignment (pocket) Park and (expansive) Kendrick Park.

Hope is part fundraiser for the homeless, part pubic art and mostly fun for kids (and adults) to hop aboard for a photo shoot.  The move was necessitated by the impending construction of One East Pleasant Street.

 Jada wishes Hope could fly

There They Go Again

North end of downtown, finally, getting infrastructure improvements

As usual the Town Meeting warrant article that made the most common sense for quick passage -- deemed a "no brainer" by one member --  created the longest discussion of the night, although it did easily attain more than a two thirds vote, 119 to 32. 

As "keepers of the public way" the Amherst Select Board has already unanimously approved a roundabout for the important East Pleasant/Triangle Street intersection, a main gateway to UMass.

 Bank of America ATM (red roof)

Land required in yellow

In order to make it safer for pedestrians via a sidewalk the town needs a sliver of land from Bank of America, who is willing to donate it in exchange for some help fixing a water pipe connection to their brightly colored ATM.

But naturally, fuddy-duddies in Town Meeting who prefer the old fashioned signalized intersection continue to engage in guerrilla warfare, trying to stop progress.

Fortunately a couple years from now they will figure it out -- after easily negotiating the roundabout on their horse and buggy.

DUI Dishonor Roll

Should marijuana be legalized in our progressive state these kinds of dangerous driving incidents will no doubt increase.  Interesting that a Breathalyzer is used to rule out alcohol as a factor for impaired driving.

 Lenno Carter, age 40, stands before Judge Thomas Estes

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In Eastern Hampshire District Court on Monday the Commonwealth requested $2,000 bail for Mr. Carter but it was denied by Judge Estes.  He was released on his own personal recognizance and will return next month for a pre-trial hearing. 

Charter Commission: All Ears

Amherst Town Meeting is 258 years old (and showing its age)

Charter Commissioners have an astonishingly powerful potential:  To help change our local form of governance, to declare our independence from an unwieldy, inefficient, unrepresentative legislative body otherwise know as "Representative" Town Meeting.

But of course the blueprint they craft over the next year will be subject to voter approval.  And this time I have a feeling they will get it right -- both the Charter Commission and the voters.

Click to enlarge/read (and then show up for the meeting)

I hope the state mandated 1st public forum of our 9 member Charter Commission gets better results than their predecessors did 15 years ago, when only a dozen citizens took the initiative to speak truth to power.

   Amherst Charter Hearing 5/15/01