Housing Study Preliminarliy Panned

 

Amherst Housing & Sheltering Committee this morning

The Amherst Housing & Sheltering Committee voted unanimously this morning to send a borderline inflammatory dispatch to RKG Associates, consultants working on a "Market Study Report."

The lead author of the remarks, John Hornik, even went so far as to raise the nuclear option of not accepting the final report if problems are not adequately addressed.

The $30,000 housing market study was approved by Amherst Town Meeting, but not without a fair amount of criticism along the lines of Amherst does too many studies and never seems to follow up on their recommendations.

The initial draft report was presented last month at a public meeting and as part of the contract  the consultants are required to appear at one more public hearing, probably late next month, before issuing the final report. 

Housing and Sheltering Committee members pointed out the consultants used the term "Pioneer Counties" as opposed to "Pioneer Valley," making it seem like they are unfamiliar with Amherst; and they use industry jargon like "Main Street USA", "exurbanites" or "laptops and lattes" which will turn off local readers unfamiliar with the trendy terms.

Committee Co-Chair Greg Stutsman thought the consultants were confusing "demand with desirability."  Obviously in a "college town" high demand for student housing is a given.  What the committee would like to see is a plan for attracting a more "desirable" demographic (in addition to students) with recommendations as to how to make that happen.

Town planner and liaison to the sheltering committee Nate Malloy agreed they "Can drive the report by asking the consultants to give recommendations for particular demographics." 

Ideally the consultants would come up with both a zoning and physical design blueprint that allows for a high-density development accommodating students, families, low-and-moderate income levels, as well as town employees.

Of course even if the consultants conjure up this Utopian design, it would require the exceedingly hard to acquire two-thirds majority vote of Amherst Town Meeting.

Maybe they can also recommend a good Voodoo priest.

Food For Thought

Food For Thought Books 106 North Pleasant Street, Amherst

Yet another floundering downtown business has sent up an emergency flare hoping consumers will throw them a lifeline.   And soon.

This time it's iconic Food For Thought Books, one of only two worker owned collectives in the downtown, and a mainstay for academic types -- or just plain book lovers -- since 1976, when Gerald Ford was keeping the White House safe for Republicans.  

 Funky exterior side wall

By now the story is all too familiar:  changing habits brought on by the Internet leave many a business high and dry.  Video rental stores, record shops, travel agencies, etc.  

In the case of local independent book stores it's a double whammy as they still have to deal with big box stores like the nearby Barnes & Noble, with plenty of free parking. 

The adjacent business, Souper Bowl, just went out of business but may soon become home to "All Things Local" a coop local food and crafts market.

The building is owned by downtown business mogul Barry Roberts, so no doubt the book business has been afforded every opportunity to remake itself into a sustainable operation. 

DUI Dishonor Roll

Amherst is currently on a record setting pace for DUI arrests

Despite July 4th weekend being the peak period nationwide for drunk driving arrests, Amherst had zero this past weekend, or even the entire past week.  I'll drink (coffee) to that.  

But before we get all celebratory -- and just to rule out APD may be slacking on the enforcement end -- arrests to date for the year 2013 stand at 80, or on pace for a record breaking 160-170.   

In 2011 APD arrested 144 drunk drivers; in 2012 it  had escalated to 155. At the 2012 half-way  point (6/30) arrests stood at 74 compared to today's 80.  

Unfortunately, when it comes to drunk drivers, it only takes one to unleash unforgettable devastation.

Public Documents Runaround

(click to enlarge/read)      Public Records appeal response:  late and stingy

Well that only took four months, relatively quick by Public Documents standards -- at least when dealing with the Amherst Public Schools.  And as usual the grudging response is pretty anemic.  Downside for the taxpayers of having a $225/hour school attorney is they have an economic incentive to be obstinate with these simple requests. 

Attorney Regina W. Tate

From: Larry Kelley
To: pre <pre@sec.state.ma.us>; donald.white <donald.white@state.ma.us>
Sent: Sat, Mar 2, 2013 10:20 am
Subject: Public Records Appeal of Amherst Schools

Shawn Williams, Director

Public Records Division

One Ashburton Place, 17th Floor

Boston, MA 02108

Dear Mr. Williams,

I wish to once again appeal the decision of the Amherst Regional Public Schools to stonewall my public documents request for legal settlements that have cost Amherst/Regional taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

As you may remember, your office sided with me last year on a previous complaint regarding ARPS settlement agreements with terminated employees totaling over $200,000.  The schools obstinately continue refusing to release those documents.

Now I wish to appeal the 2/26/13 decision of Rob Detweiler, Director of Finance and Operations, to withhold settlement agreements totaling $229,300, from recent "Special Education" legal cases. 

Obviously I understand certain information -- names of students for instance -- should be redacted to protect privacy, but certainly with that much settlement money involved the taxpayers have a right to know how many cases it represents and the details of those cases.

Even if the money was paid by an insurance carrier a Hampshire Superior Court judge found the settlement agreement between the Phoebe Prince family and South Hadley Schools were still a pubic document even though the $225,000 payout came from liability insurance. 

Your office has also repeatedly struck down the concept of "non disclosure agreements" citing Washington Post ., 690 F. 2d at 263 ( a government agency cannot circumvent the Federal Freedom of Information Act with a private agreement).

Please remind the Amherst Regional Public Schools that the general public has a right to know.

Sincerely,

Larry J. Kelley

Remember The Fallen

Not since 9/11 ...

Dear Governor Patrick,

While none of the 19 firefighters in Arizona who gave their lives to protect others were Massachusetts residents, any firefighter will confirm the profession is one big family, and  THAT includes a great many from Massachusetts.

When our state lost six firefighters in the horrendous Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire in December of 1999, American flags nationwide flew at half staff as a symbol of solidarity, uniting us in shared grief. 

Quit frankly I'm surprised President Obama has not ordered US flags to half staff to remember and honor the fallen 19, the greatest loss of life in fire services since that awful morning of 9/11. 

Since the funerals are this week, could you please order Massachusetts American flags down to half staff to remember and honor the tremendous sacrifice these brave individuals gave up so selflessly?

Lowering an American flag to half staff takes only but a moment ... the solemn respect it shows lasts forever.  


Larry Kelley

Take Cover

 

East Pleasant Street, UMass water tower 3:00ish

After the storm 8:30ish

Water Safety

 Atkins Reservoir, Amherst/Shutesbury line

 How safe is our drinking water?

According to the recently mailed 15th annual Town of Amherst Drinking Water Quality Report -- fine reading on a hot summer day -- the public water supply for our little town is perfectly safe.  I'll drink to that.

Every major test parameter (Inorganic substances, radioactive contaminants, disinfection residuals) tested below "violation" level. 

Amherst has a "complicated" water distribution system: two surface reservoirs, one located on Amherst/Shutesbury border (Atkins) and the other in Pelham, and five ground wells located in the Lawrence Swamp.

Operating at full capacity the system is capable of pumping out just over 6 million gallons of treated water daily.

 

Pelham Reservoir system

Last year average demand was 2.65 million gallons per day with peak demand occurring on July 19th, a thirst requiring 4.185 million gallons of water to quench.  UMass is our #1 consumer of water absorbing 31.04% of total, although they were not in session on the day of peak demand. 

In 2002 the state performed a Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) report for the town outlining common sense water protection methods for keeping the system safe, mainly by controlling/owning the land immediately around the water source (400 feet), called Zone 1.

In 2005 Tighe & Bond did a "Public Water Protection Plan" for the town which pretty much mirrored the SWAP report from three years earlier, where the main concern was dealing with inappropriate land use (industrial, farming, homes with septic systems, etc) too near the water supply.

Interestingly -- even though both studies are post 9/11 -- neither of them addresses sabotage.  Both reservoirs are located within spitting distance of paved roads, so it would be easy to drive a pick up truck almost directly up to the unguarded body of water and unload whatever you please.

 Atkins Reservoir with nearby road

Sure Atkins is pretty b-i-g with a maximum capacity of 200 million gallons.   However, if you dissolve in that body of water 1760 pounds (thirty-five 50 pound bags) of something, say arsenic, it would reach a level of one part per million.

EPA regulations for arsenic in drinking water set a maximum of ten parts per billion.

Massachusetts State Police briefly detained seven college aged trespassers (one of them from Amherst) around the Quabbin Reservoir almost two months ago, immediately setting off terrorism concerns.

Should you be concerned?  Probably not.  Highly unlikely anyone would try to poison an entire town.

But then, 12 years ago it was also highly unlikely anyone would hijack civilian commercial airliners and fly them into buildings.

 Atkins Reservoir