A Question of Priorities (Sort Of)

Police Station was derided as "too big"; Town Hall renovation "too expensive."

The picture of what four major building projects looming on the not so distant horizon will look like is quickly developing -- like one of those classic Polaroid instant photos -- and the results are nothing less than shocking.

At the Finance Committee meeting Wednesday night members engaged in a one hour discussion of the BIG picture i.e. an overview of all four projects, something that has not been done to date.

 Finance Committee.  Kay Moran's final meeting (out with a bang)

Co-acting chief financial officer Claire McGinnis filled in the Town Meeting financial advisers with the latest dollar figures that Amherst will need to come up with exclusive of the state money involved with the Library expansion and new Mega School.

The projected grand total is a whopping $105.5 million dollars, or one-tenth of a BILLION:  $33 million each for the new elementary school and DPW building.  $22 million for the new South Fire Station.  And $17.5 million for the Jones Library expansion.

Although Library Director Sharon Sharry puts the number at $20 million of town money with the Library attempting to raise $5 million in private fund raising.

Finance Committee member Steve Braun lamented the current state of affairs saying the process has been "skewed" by the state grants and the two projects (Library & School) involved have -- almost unfairly -- gone to the head of the line.

Others joined in, complaining that "affordability for the average taxpayer" has not been an overall priority and each individual project seems to act like they are the only project.  Kind of like those college professors who piled on work like they were the only course you were taking.

Outgoing Finance Committee Chair Kay Moran said, "It will come down to which projects the people wish to pay for."

That supposes of course that all four will be put to the voters as an Override, but that may not necessarily be the case.  Town Meeting twice approved Overrides for Town Hall renovations 20 years ago and both times the voters said "no".

Town meeting then went ahead and did it anyway by use of borrowing, which also required a two-thirds vote, but bypassed the voters.

The American Way

Land off Moody Bridge Road/South Maple Street, Hadley

The guaranteed way to preserve a scenic view is to buy it. And as long as you don't use tax dollars that come out of everybody -- even those who don't like scenic views -- conservatives have no problem with it.

For instance, over a 100 neighbors in North Amherst signed a petition article for the town to take the Cherry Hill Golf Course by eminent domain thirty years ago and we ended up paying $2.2 million ($4.4 million in today's dollars) simply to avoid a 134 unit high end housing development around the golf course.

Cherry Hill absorbs a lot of sun, and tax dollars

Since then the municipally operated white elephant golf business has gone on to squander over $1 million in operations.

But the plea to save the beautiful open space in our neighboring farm town will use privately donated money, and the land has nothing to do with the luxurious game of golf.

So I wish them well.

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Seeking Solutions

APD arresting intoxicated homeless man at CVS for trespassing this afternoon

In addition to being a danger to themselves homeless people suffering from substance abuse tie up our first responders, making them unavailable for a more serious need -- not that intoxication or drug O.D. is not a medical emergency.  

 Yesterday AFD had to treat a 62-year-old man at APD HQ who was assaulted by a homeless man

When APD makes an arrest for trespassing, disorderly conduct or assault and battery it only takes the arresting officer out of action for a short while.

But when AFD has to transport to Cooley Dickinson Hospital, which happens all too frequently, those two firefighters are out of service for an hour.

And these days we only have 7 total on duty.

Friday morning 6:00 AM

Last Minute Development Tweak

One East Pleasant within close proximity of (5 story) Kendrick Place (top right)

 Carriage shops sold to Archipelago for $4.6 million and will soon be demolished

Archipelago Investments who brought us a bunch of five story places -- Kendrick Place, Boltwood Place, Olympia Place -- have a (sort of) do over Special Permit request going before the Planning Board later next month.

 Boltwood Place, town center

Olympia Place near UMass

Essentially it's only a tweak as they are not asking for any real physical changes in height or coverage for their proposed One East Pleasant Street, but simply a reshuffling of units in the building as well as an increase in green space.

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   One East Pleasant July 2016

If Vince O'Connor's zoning article mandating 10% affordable units for any project requiring even the slightest use of a Special Permit had passed Town Meeting last month this current proposal would have been impacted, thereby requiring ten of the 135 units be "affordable."

Gothic Renewal

32 North Prospect Street, Amherst town center

It will be interesting to see if the usual NIMBY suspects turn out for the June 30th  Zoning Board of Appeals Special Permit hearing on 32 North Prospect Street, located in a residential neighborhood, but about as close as you can get to being in the actual downtown.

The historic beauty is currently owned by the legendary Hastings family, who founded A.J. Hastings, Inc in town center over 100 years ago.

 A.J. Hastings, Inc  45 South Pleasant Street, town center

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The proposed project would leave the beautiful building intact although doubling occupancy to two dwelling units (currently the house is a "one family" unit); and perhaps more controversial, constructing a new 4,700 square foot two-story structure out back housing an additional four dwelling units.

Thus the town gains an additional five units of badly needed housing within (sleep) walking distance of the downtown business core, which will directly benefit A.J. Hastings, Inc and all our starving restaurants.

And the sacred "Master Plan" that everyone seems to love quoting does call for this exact type of infill. The Design Review Board and Historical Commission have already supported the project.

   32 North Prospect Street: Hist. Summary

Parking: Reality vs Perception

Amherst downtown core is a five minute walk end to end

With four major municipal building projects costing over $100 million in town money looming on the immediate horizon the likelihood of adding a new parking garage to that expensive short list is pretty close to zero.

 Downtown Parking Working Group

Especially after yesterday's presentation to the new Downtown Parking Working Group by Nelson/Nygaard consultants Jason Schrieber and Liza Cohen.   Their recent study showed peak demand never absorbs more than two-thirds of total parking available (within 10 minute walk) although that includes private parking lots.

Jason Schrieber and Liza Cohen

And the $40,000 study also concluded overall demand has remain essentially unchanged since the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission parking study in 2008, which also found plenty of parking available, but just not at the right time when consumers prefer it.

   Amherst Parking Study 2016

This is not the entire presentation

When asked about a new garage after their 40 minute presentation Schrieber responded "The reality is you have plenty of parking spaces."

And he pointed out that a garage is very expensive with no state funding available these days so you have to charge a minimum of $1 per hour to cover the capital costs, which scares away customers.

CVS side of lot was full at 1:30 PM but only 3 customers in store

CVS portion of lot on right

Other cheaper solutions are to work out deals with private owners to share parking.  For instance the town could start a pilot program with CVS for their parking lot, which is contiguous with a town lot.

By allowing free parking for the first hour or two it would take care of any potential CVS shopper and more than double the amount of parking available to them.

 Amity Street lot is currently off line for renovations

The CVS lot has also been talked about as the location for a new parking garage, but besides the high cost that would require a zoning change and the Boltwood Parking Garage was a bitter enough battle in Town Meeting 20 years ago, resulting in too small a structure.

 Tiny Boltwood Garage was built with possible expansion in mind

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There He Goes Yet Again

Luke Vincent Gatti arrested May 28th, 2016

Not surprisingly Luke Gatti, aka the infamous UConn Mac & Cheese kid, who got his start with alcohol fueled mayhem at UMass Amherst, has been arrested yet again.  This time in sunny Florida.

In our little college town Mr. Gatti was arrested twice within three weeks on infamous Phillips Street:

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Page 2 continues:  "a temper tantrum like behavior.  Mr. Gatti then clenched his hands and held his arms in a defiant manner consistent with an agitated state.  He was arrested for Disorderly Conduct."

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And yes -- in the interests of being fair and balanced -- I did reach out back then to young Gatti for comment:

Maybe now his dad will stop bailing him out, and get him the help he so obviously needs.

Luke V. Gatti (center) and father (right) appear before Judge John Payne September 15, 2014

Story is already going viral hours after I first posted