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

Amherst: Colorful College Town

Hampshire College, South Amherst: student population 1,400

Who needs psychedelic drugs when you have this outside your dorm?

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UMass Amherst, our state flagship: student population 28,635

UMass Southwest area houses 5,500 mostly freshmen, err, 1st year students

$10 million Paradis Steam Boiler Plant  that never worked

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Amherst College: largest property owner in town.  1,785 students 

Now you know why we call this College Street (or RT 9)

Living Building Taking Shape

 

Foundation and parking lot of new building at Hampshire College 

 

The Hitchcock Center's new super efficient 9,000 square foot "Living Building" on the grounds of Hampshire College seems to be coming along just fine.  The facility is expected to open in the Fall of 2016.

Hitchcock Center current building is too small

The Hitchcock Center has been leading the charge on environmental education since 1962, and currently operate out of the town owned building a few miles up the road at 525 South Pleasant Street.

They have a lease there until 2020.

Hitchcock Center current building according to new town Building Inventory 

 Town DPW is installing road/driveway over on the left as part of a previous deal relating to Atkins Corner roundabout construction a couple years ago

Public Private Partnership

Hampshire College this morning

Yes, that is our Department of Public Works doing construction on private property.

They are building Hampshire College a driveway that will connect the parking lot over on the left with West Street (Rt 116) below.

The construction at top of photo does not involve our DPW.  It's the new super efficient Hitchcock Center building, but it does look like it will share the new road being installed by the DPW.

 Although the town is getting plenty of loam out of the deal

This is part of a deal made a few years ago relating to the Atkins Corner double roundabouts where the town needed to take some property from Hampshire College and offered construction services instead of cash.

 Atkins Corner $6 million double roundabout project. Atkins Market top right

Why didn't the state simply pay Hampshire College for the property in the first place since the $6 million Atkins Corner project was a Department Of Transportation project?

They would have except the town "took over" Rt 116 from Atkins up to town center because they did not like they way the state was going to re widen along the  Pomeroy Lane/West Street Village Center.

This also means our DPW has to plow this stretch of road in the winter.

As some of you may remember Hampshire College refused to allow a detour through their campus during the Atkins Corner construction, a project that almost led to the demise of Atkins Country Market.

Hampshire College pays the town nothing for Amherst Fire Department emergency service runs which average close to Amherst College, who pays $90,000 annually.   UMass also pays $450,000 annually.

In reality none of the institutes of higher education pay their fair share.   But certainly anything is better than nothing.

At least the roundabouts work

Higher Ed Mooch?

As I mentioned a few days ago, unlike UMass/Amherst or Amherst College, Hampshire (our little "alternative" college in South Amherst) pays nothing for emergency services provided by Amherst Fire Department even though it is the third largest property owner in town.

Click to enlarge

Hampshire College also has the larges number of  "still alarms" which are automated fire alarms typically answered by at least one, and sometimes two, fire engines.   These responses are not paid for by insurance as the ambulance runs are.

 AFD raw number breakdown of 5,914 total responses (2nd highest in history)

In 2014 AFD had 188 total responses to Hampshire College with 106 -- 56% of them -- for false fire alarms, usually "cooking smoke."

In 2014 AFD had 1127 total responses to UMass/Amherst with 208 -- 18.5% of them -- for false fire alarms.

In 2014 AFD had 251 total responses to Amherst College with 55 -- 22% of them -- for false fire alarms.

In 2014 AFD had 5914 total responses within the five communities they serve (Amherst, Leverett, Pelham, Shutesbury, Hadley) with 1,436 of them for fire related emergencies, or 24%.   So the response profile of both UMass (18.5%) and Amherst College (22%) for medical vs fire comes in around average.

Unlike Hampshire College.

 Hampshire College from on high

If Hampshire simply paid the town the same amount annually as Amherst College ($90,000) we could afford to add two firefighters to bolster our dangerously low staffing levels.

Last year AFD had to rely on out-of-town "mutual aid" ambulances 44 times.  That too is insurance money that could have gone to increase staff, thus providing better, faster service to all.

Hey Hampshire: time to pony up!  (And you may want to start teaching students how to cook.)

Higher Education Subsidy?

Ladder 1 at UMass HVAC malfunction fire 12/2/14

Undoubtedly the presence of Amherst College (our #1 land owner), Hampshire College (#3 landowner) and UMass/Amherst (#2 landowner) provide the #1 opportunity for employment in town while also providing boatloads of "college aged youth" for our anemic business sector.

But do these tax-exempt institutions really pay their fair share, especially considering property taxes are the #1 revenue source for municipal services?

 AFD Engine 1 at Amherst College Crossett Christmas disturbance 12/7/14

A look at the cold hard facts reveals a simple answer:  Hell no!

In his budget presented yesterday to the Select Board and Finance Committee (and almost certainly to be passed this spring by Amherst Town Meeting) Town Manager John Musante allocates to the Amherst Fire Department $4,466,729.

 2014 was busiest year in history for AFD medical runs (2nd busiest overall)

In 2014 AFD had their second busiest year in history with a total of 5,914 runs with 1,566 of those going to our three institutes of higher education, or 26.5%, which works out to $1,182,789 worth.

UMass paid us $350,000 for AFD protection via a "5 Year Strategic Agreement" (that is now 2.5 years past due for renewal) and Amherst College paid $90,000.  Hampshire College paid zero. 

So total intake to the town coffers is $440,000 on a fair share of $1.2 million!  All these monies simply go into the town's General Fund, not directly to AFD.

Based on service provided, UMass (19% of AFD runs) should have paid us $848,678; Amherst College (4.25% of AFD runs) should have paid $189,835; Hampshire College (3.18% of runs) $142,041.

Amherst College is our #1 landowner and #1 taxpayer because of all the houses they own and rent to professors, and some commercial property (Amherst Golf Course and Lord Jeff Inn).

Last year Amherst College paid around  $490,000.  Hampshire College is our #3 largest landowner, but only paid $67,000 in property taxes on all their holdings last year.

 AFD on scene Hampshire College 12/9/14 for minor fire

Amherst College donated $90,000 to the town last year for AFD protection while Hampshire College -- one of the most expensive liberal arts colleges in America -- donated zero.

If the Town Manager could get our Colleges and University to pay their fair share for vital services, we could easily add a few firefighters to that overburdened public safety department.

And have money left over for a downpayment on the forever talked about, new South Amherst Fire Station.

Pernicious Top 10 List

Hampshire College founded 1970

Here's a sad story you will not read about too much in the local media:  Two-out-of-three Amherst based institutes of higher education made a (legitimate) top-ten list for reported per capita sexual assaults on campus.

And no, UMass is not one of them.  Not even close.

Washington Post 10/28/14

So yes that leaves Amherst and Hampshire Colleges, two of the most expensive liberal arts colleges in the country.  Clearly Hampshire College needs to take a long hard look in the mirror.

If the Washington Post updates its sexual assault story with current 2013 numbers, Hampshire (20 assaults = 13.3/1,000) our local "alternative" college would most likely be #1 in the nation.

 Amherst College:  Named after the town, not the General

To their credit, Amherst College would fall further down the list (9 assaults = 5/1,000).

The current #1 Gallaudet went from 18 to 17 rapes in 2013 and current #2 Grinnell College dropped dramatically from 18 assaults down to 8.  Thus Hampshire College would leap ahead of both of them.

UMass, where a tiny minority of nitwits want to return to the Animal House glory days by using the malicious moniker "Zoomass", has less than 1 sexual assault per 1,000 students (22 out of 27,269 students).

Or another way of looking at this astounding comparison is if UMass had the same 2013 assault rate as Hampshire College that would come to 363 assaults.

 UMass Amherst Clery Report

Other esteemed members of the Five College Consortium -- Smith College and Mount Holyoke -- also have tiny assault rates compared to Hampshire College, at 1.5/1,000 for Smith College and less than 1/1,000 (.87) for Mount Holyoke.

And the town of Amherst overall is lesser still at .45/1,000.

Hey Hampshire: You're doing it wrong.

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Only 20% of female college students who are victims of sexual assault report it to police. http://t.co/HpOTlVYv8i pic.twitter.com/5qoaZvmPZ4
— WBUR (@WBUR) December 11, 2014

A Fair Share

UMass, Amherst & Hampshire Colleges account for 27% of all AFD calls

On Thursday all the head honchos -- Select Board, Finance Committee, Town Manager John Musante and Finance Director Sandy Pooler -- will meet in Town Hall for the unveiling of the Town Manager's Fiscal 2015 budget.

Don't expect any earth shattering changes.  Although maybe, finally, a much overdue increase in staffing for our beleaguered public safety departments.

One thing that should be discussed is reimbursement monies from our three institutes of higher education.  You know, the reason why Amherst is a "college town."

The main one of course is UMass.  The original 5-year "Strategic Agreement", which pays the town $350,000 in new monies annually, expired June 30, 2012 but was extended for a year.

NFD mutual aid ambulance, AFD Engine 3 Pierpont Dorm UMass for ETOH student 

In 2013 Amherst Fire Department responded to UMass 1,162 times with 843 of those (73%) responses for medical emergencies requiring an ambulance, with 219 of those (26%) for "substance abuse."  So that means the other 319 responses required a fire engine.  Ambulance runs generate insurance revenues, fire engine runs do not.

 AFD Engine 2 on scene Crossett Dorm Amherst College

In 2013 AFD responded to Amherst College 212 times with 152 of those (72%) responses for medical emergencies requiring an ambulance, with 39 of those (26%) for "substance abuse."  The other 60 responses required a fire engine (or two).  Last year Amherst College "donated" to the town $90,000 as payment towards those emergency services.

Although after the Crossett Christmas incident last month let's hope they go back to the $120,000 they gave us in 2007.

In 2013 AFD responded to Hampshire College 184 times with 71 of those responses (only 39%) for medical emergencies requiring an ambulance, with 17 of those (24%) for "substance abuse."  The other 113 of those responses required a fire engine.

AFD crew heading toward Hampshire Dining Commons for an  ETOH female 12:20 AM

So out of the three institutes of higher education AFD protects, Hampshire College has by far the higher percentage of responses requiring expensive equipment that does not generate insurance reimbursement.

Last year Hampshire College paid the town zero, zip, nada for emergency services received by the town.  And as a tax exempt educational institute they paid almost nothing in property taxes.  Yet they are one of the most expensive colleges in America at $57,130 per year.

And last year Hampshire announced it would offer an "undocumented student" $25,000 per year to cover those high tuition expenses.  At least that student will be well protected (at local taxpayer expense).

Hampshire Hijinks (College That Is)

AFD crew heading toward Hampshire Dining Commons for an  ETOH female 12:20 AM

One of those damn Republicans must have culturally appropriated Wiccan abilities and placed a curse on Hampshire College this past weekend:

On Friday the negative press just started circulating on social media over the idiotic cancelling of Shokazoba because they were "too white" to play African music at their "Hampshire Halloween' event.

And then that festival ended up requiring SIX (6) transports by AFD for drug/alcohol related incidents!

   Hectic AFD weekend.pdf by larry_kelley_1

Which of course was simply a prelude to Sunday afternoon -- what could easily have been the mother of all disasters, a major structure fire.  As happened in Hadley a few hours later.

You have to wonder what they teach at Hampshire these days when a student thinks it's okay to dry a sweater in a microwave oven.

Sprinklers and AFD combined for a quick stop

And then leaves it smouldering on a wooden porch.  Yikes!

Start at the bottom and read up (response to ambulance photo tweet)

Hampshire College Fire

 Fire started on front porch deck and climbed strait up

A brisk but peaceful New England Sunday suddenly became energetic when a box alarm alerted Amherst Fire Department to a structure fire at Greenwich Dorm,  Hampshire College around 4:13 PM.

 Smoke screen after water hit fire

First reports indicated furniture on the porch had ignited and spread to the building, but later, after the fire was extinguished, a student told Hampshire College Police he had dried a sweater in a microwave oven.

Engine 2, the Quint, arrives and starts extending her 75 foot ladder

The sweater caught fire, was doused with water and placed outside, thinking the fire was safely out.  It wasn't. 

 Quint extended ladder to second floor window

Firefighters ventilate above where the fire started

One police officer was transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital by Northampton FD (mutual aid) as a precautionary measure after he suffered smoke inhalation going through the building to make sure everyone was safely out.  Give that man a medal.

And a warm thanks to the men and women of AFD ... just doing their public safety job:  keeping The Beast at bay.

 Students and staff of Hampshire College watch from a safe distance

Sorry, my iPhone doesn't do sound anymore

.

AFD reports

Fear & Loathing at Hampshire College

 

Fireworks light up the sky over Hampshire College Red Barn Friday night for Hampshire Halloween.  And now the fireworks have turned into a firestorm

UPDATE:  (Sunday later afternoon)

Hampshire College has posted yet another "official statement" on their website, only a slight tweaking from the one issued earlier this morning.  Of course anything short of an outright apology and admission of a major mistake isn't going to cut it.  

And this statement does neither.

They also use the "West Side Story" defense beleaguered Amherst school officials invoked after the nationwide firestorm erupted over the only cancellation of the award winning play in it's entire history.  

Officials said the fast brewing controversy had caused too much of an uproar, pitting (minority) students against (white) students, and it was interfering with a safe and healthy environment for education to take place.

The cancellation then had the effect of rolling a grenade into the middle of an ammunition dump. 

UPDATE:  (Sunday early afternoon):

UPDATE (Sunday morning):  Official Hampshire College response (Believe it or not.  Yikes!). "Reasonable conversation"?????

The student organizers of Hampshire Halloween contracted with a number of bands to play Friday night. Some members of our student community questioned the selection of one band, asking whether it was a predominantly white Afrobeat band, and expressing their concerns about cultural appropriation and the need to respect marginalized cultures. The students tried to be clear that they meant no disrespect to the members of the band in question, but wished to raise larger questions and deeper thought within our own community.

Unfortunately, voices unconnected to our campus and the planning for Hampshire Halloween drowned out a reasonable conversation about how to ensure that the entire student community could have a safe and happy evening. As can happen on social media, posts from off-campus individuals trivialized the concerns of our students and made them feel disrespected.

Late Thursday afternoon, the student organizers met with the concerned students. Following that discussion they chose to cancel the band’s appearance at Hampshire Halloween but to pay the band in full. Hampshire Halloween is student organized, paid for by Hampshire students in their student activity fees, and is designed to be a fun evening for our entire student community.

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ORIGINAL Post (Saturday morning):

So just when I thought nothing could match the "only in Amherst" moments brought to you by our local Regional High School -- cancelling a production of 'West Side Story' because it was "racist", but then five years later allowing young girls to publicly perform the R rated 'Vagina Monologues' -- another indigenous "education" institute reminds us why the term Only in Amherst still applies.

Hampshire College, that bastion of, um, liberal progressive something-or-other, suddenly cancelled the group Shokazoba, scheduled to perform at their infamous "Hampshire Halloween" celebration, because they were, for lack of a better term, too white.

Interestingly the (appropriately titled) "Hype" committee felt comfortable engaging in censorship on their official Facebook page.  Yeah, they have their priorities straight (sarcasm). 

Hampshire College canceled our set tonight because we are "too white" to play Afrobeat. Racist much? Please spread the word! Unacceptable!!!
— Shokazoba (@Shokazoba) October 26, 2013

Gawker Reports (as usual Comments are the best)

Fox News Reports

Phantasy Tour discussion board

MassLive Reports

Hidden Cost of Higher Education

 Amherst College (named after the town, not the General)

In addition to the $491,364 Amherst College paid the town last year in property taxes for faculty housing, Lord Jeff Inn and Amherst Golf Course --making them Amherst's number #1 taxpayer-- AC also voluntarily donated $90,000 Payment In Lieu Of Taxes specifically for fire/ambulance protection.

Last year AFD responded to the campus 180 times (58 fire, 122 EMS), or an average of $500 reimbursement per run. 

UMass pays the town $325,000 PILOT under a 5 year strategic agreement that expired July 1st, but was e-x-t-e-n-d-e-d for one year because UMass was once again playing musical chairs with its leadership and the new Chancellor just started only this summer.  Last year AFD responded to the campus 915 times (234 fire, 681 EMS), or an average of $355 reimbursement per run.

 Hampshire College

Hampshire College, one of the most expensive schools in the country and the town's third largest landowner, required 178 AFD runs last year (107 fire, 71 EMS) and paid the town zero for PILOT, or an average of zero per run.  Yes, I said zero.

The town of Amherst required 3,189 AFD runs (956 fire, 2233 EMS) and paid $4 million in taxes to fund the entire department, or $1,254 reimbursement per run.  And yes, insurance receipts for ambulance runs totaled $2 million so the net cost to taxpayers is cut in half--but that still works out to $627 cost per run.

After 20 years of discussion the town is finally getting serious about building a new fire station in South Amherst to bring better response time to deep South Amherst, including Hampshire College and any new development that springs up around the Atkins Corner reconstruction (if it ever finishes).

The new fire station will not be cheap, $10 million minimum, and will require an increase in staffing, also not cheap.  Currently however, AFD is understaffed and Central Fire Station is falling apart.  All of this will be expensive.

But one way or the other we're going to pay:  either in actual dollars now, or an unforgettable tragedy in the near future.  

Thus, everyone who benefits --and everyone will benefit-- should pay their fair share.  If all the non profits on this list simply paid the $500/run Amherst College paid (and in this current year they are contributing $92,000, so reimbursement per run may actually go up slightly) it would have amounted to an additional $332,675 this past year.  And that's real money!

Tale of the Tape:

Hampshire College 178 runs @ $500/per equals $89,000

UMass Fraternities & Sororities 86 runs equals $43,000

Sunbridge Care & Rehab in Hadley 136 runs equals $68,000

UMass campus extra $145/run for 915 runs equals $132,675

AFD Annual Report Fy12

Can't get there...

Mill Street Bridge

The town just closed Mill Street Bridge near Puffers Pond in North Amherst for an indefinite period.  Not that it will inconvenience any businesses out that way since the bridge is pretty out of the way, and one can still walk or bike across it.

 South Amherst Village Center

Meanwhile nicer signs have appeared around South Amherst advertising Atkins Farm Country Market and how to get there. The Atkins Corner construction/destruction has reached the farthest point north, passing the main entry to Hampshire College.  Now maybe they will get a tiny taste of what Atkins has endured these past few months.  

Lower West Street (RT 116) just above main entry to Hampshire College 

Hampshire College is not in session during the summer but they do rent out their facilities for summer camps.  Perhaps that's the main reason they decided not to aid Atkins by allowing a simple, easy cut through campus from Rt 116 over to West Bay Road to come within a frisbee toss of Atkins.  Now of course you have to drive miles out of the way to get there.

Unfortunately,  when faced with those extra miles, more than a few customers go elsewhere.   And every customer counts--especially at this time of the year.

Puffers Pond dam shot from Mill Street Bridge (and not from my car)

Well this should stimulate business (depending on how large his staff is)