Et Tu, Select Board?

Amherst Select Board 6:29 PM 9/8/14

So it looks like Amherst Select Board Chair Aaron Hayden is taking lessons from former Regional School Committee Chair Lawrence O'Brien when it comes to stifling public comment at a public meeting.

And that, Mr. Hayden should take note, is the key reason why Mr. O'Brien quickly became a former Chair. 

Two weeks ago both John Fox and I appeared before the SB during the 6:30 Public Comment period with our own pet peeves and asked to be placed on the agenda for the 9/8 meeting to have a full public discussion.

Apparently none of the 5 members of the board thought it important enough to request the matters be officially placed on the agenda.

According to Massachusetts Open Meeting Law if an item does not appear on a published agenda at least 48 hours before a meeting, the body cannot discuss it -- let alone take a vote. So that's why questions and concerns brought up during the 6:30 Public Comment period cannot be acted upon, although they do have the benefit of media amplification.



But it sounds to me like Mr. Hayden, who used up over 5 minutes making his comments, is rethinking the entire Public Comment Period.  Maybe he will call it the "Shut The Hell Up" Period.

Then we can change the unofficial town motto from "Amherst, where only the H is silent" to "Amherst, where even the H is silent."

An Unattended Death

Body recovered on north side of Amity Street/West side of U Drive in the woods

SAD UPDATE (2:35 PM):

Click to enlarge/read

#####

A huge police presence this morning at the busy intersection of University Drive and Amity Street near Rafters indicated something serious was amiss.  An unattended death in the woods over on the UMass side of the intersection was the reason.  Sadly, a possible suicide. 

AFD was on scene, but not much for them to do

Since the tragedy occurred on UMass property (immediately abutting Amherst and Hadley) there was a large number of UMPD personnel on scene as well as APD detectives, patrol officers, Captain Jennifer Gundersen and even Chief Scott Livingstone.

No confirmation about either the cause of death or the identity of the person, but it could be related to yesterday's highly publicized case of a missing Amherst woman.  

 

Hadley PD also assisted with traffic control

Oops

Planning Board 9/3, David Webber Chair (center)

The Amherst Planning Board & Zoning Subcommittee will have to reschedule tomorrow's meeting due to late posting with the Town Clerk.  Although now that The Retreat is dead, the Planning Board will have lots of free time on its hands, and less likely to make these kind of rushed scheduling errors.

At last week's 9/3 meeting the PB pretty much acknowledged the controversial "Inclusionary Zoning" (affordable housing) bylaw that was suddenly pulled from last spring's Town Meeting due to business community concerns, will not be ready for the upcoming fall Town Meeting, as promised.

It also doesn't help that the nine-member board has a vacancy that needs to be filled by the Town Manager. 

Public agendas (posted on time) are important because they give the general citizenry a heads up with issues that may be important to them.

And again, with the demise of The Retreat, we see how citizen pressure at pubic meetings can bear fruit.

Although at times, a very bitter fruit.

UPDATE (2:30 PM):

And Looking Pretty

 

Callery pear, aka Pyrus calleryana

Three new large cedar tree boxes, complete with Callery pear trees, were installed this morning along Main Street from in front of Town Hall up to South Pleasant Street, significantly brightening the heart of downtown Amherst.

 Let's hope they don't obscure UMass football banners

The Business Improvement District paid for the boxes ($500 each) and the town provided the trees and people power to install them.

The hardy ornamental trees blossom in the spring, participate in fall foliage and produce only small, hard fruit that doesn't leave a squishy mess on the sidewalk to attracts bees. 

The Retreat Surrenders

 And so they did

The Retreat, a controversial student housing development proposed for the 147 acre woodlands of northeast Amherst, is no more -- killed by protracted battles with organized neighborhood resistance and quite simply the high per unit cost of development.

 

Letter hand delivered to Town Clerk on Friday from Landmark Properties

The Planning Board did not seem overly enthusiastic about granting all the variances required as part of the Definitive Subdivision Plan for 123 lots, which would have housed 641 tenants -- all of them UMass students.

UMass is the #1 employer in town and #2 property owner but because they are an educational institute pay no property taxes. The town assessor had projected the private development would have paid almost $400,000 in property taxes annually if built. 

Landmark Properties had a Purchase & Sale agreement with W.D. Cowls for $6.5 million, but only put down $50,000 which is non refundable.  In addition they have done upwards of $1 million in due diligence site work leading up to the Planning Board hearings.  

Cinda Jones will now pursue other development opportunities with the improved property.

Is nine too many?

110 Logtown Road

The occupancy capacity of the little house at 110 Logtown Road,  a one family unit which is limited by a generation-old town zoning bylaw to no more than "four unrelated occupants," comes up for discussion at a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing Thursday night.

The landlord and tenants are appealing a Notice of Violation, "Cease & Desist" order issued by Amherst Building Inspector Jon Thompson in mid-July.  If the ZBA overrules the Building Inspector the proposal for a waiver of the 4 person limit will then proceed to the Planning Board as part of a Site Plan Approval.

At less than 1,250 square feet of finished space the house is kind of small for even four people, let alone the request for nine.

The main concern in a "college town" with increasing density per unit of housing is that it will result in "college aged youth" negatively impacting a residential neighborhood with loud noise, inappropriate activities children should not be exposed to, and general unsightliness with housekeeping bringing down property values.

But since these particular youth are involved with farming, the usual negative neighborhood fallout is probably not going to happen.

Still, that house is awful small for nine people.

Click to enlarge/read

It would help of course if the building owner, Onesta Properties, had a better reputation.

 

What A Difference 1 Year Makes

AFD at Kennedy Dorm for ETOH female

The exciting thing about living in a "college town" is every year around this time we absorb a tidal wave of new exuberant youths making Amherst their home for 7.5 months out of the year over the next four years.

The not so exciting thing is the learning curve involved with them fitting in.

Last year (9/6/13) between 6 PM and 7 AM Friday-into-Saturday-morning Amherst Fire Department transported 7 "college aged youth" from UMass for "substance abuse".  This past Friday (9/5/14) into Saturday morning, one year later, AFD transported 13! 

And another 3 transports from just off-campus that in all likely hood were UMass students.


So why the dramatic difference? 

This year (9/5/14) the average temperature between the hours of 11 PM and 1:30 AM, when the majority of ETOH calls occurred, was 23 degrees higher than last year (75 vs 52 degrees).  Warmer weather brings out the herds to roam the streets in search of a party.

And beer does not help with hydration.

Even with four extra firefighters paid for by UMass to cover the peak weekend demand, we still had to rely on surrounding fire departments five times.

Like for instance the cyclist who crashed his bike on North Pleasant Street and sustained a serious head injury.  Northampton FD transported him to Baystate Critical Care unit in Springfield.

 Cyclist down North Pleasant Street (awaiting ambulance) 12:45 AM

How many more warm weekends can we look forward to before winter sets in?  How many more seriously injured citizens will have to wait for an out-of-town ambulance to arrive?

   AFD Weekend Run Summary 9/5/14

 Left column humidity, right column temperature