Site work has begun in preparation for construction of Amherst Community Homes 15 duplexes for 30 first-time homeowners on Montague Road in North Amherst The project will take about a year to complete with home-owners moving in by the end of summer 2026 Valley Community Development Corporation (Valley CDC) Executive Director Alexis Breiteneicher welcomed neighbors praised the project participants for working collaboratively commented on some of the wonderful programs and facilities in this part of town like the Survival Center and Mill River Recreation Area Project Manager Jessica Allan has pulled together lenders and neighbors to piece together the many components of the project and neighborhood buy-in with such success that it seems everyone is not only on-board but delighted we joke that we are YIMBYs (Yes In My Backyard) about the project and applaud the fact that Valley CDC not only listened to abutters and other neighbors well before plans were finalized but  made adjustments to accommodate their concerns including construction of an attractive wooden fence and moving a parking area neighbors had two major concerns unrelated to specific details of the project. Because the site had been the decades-long location of a trucking company operating long before environmental regulations mandated safe disposal of oil and other toxic materials, we assumed the ground would be contaminated with oil and fuel. Valley CDC hired experts to conduct an extensive investigation of the site and concluded the ground was not contaminated. When neighbors continued to be concerned not wanting young families of modest means to live on top of a toxic site the District One Neighborhood Association hired its own hydrologist and soil expert to  review the site That researcher came to the same conclusion A second concern has been that the project would disrupt a very well-established wildlife corridor that crosses the field where the homes will be built. For the last month — since the construction fence has been constructed encircling the site and with numerous trucks and heavy equipment in constant motion five days a week— we continue to have deer in our backyards and I confess that last week bears destroyed two bird feeders that we accidentally left out overnight Just this week a neighbor had her bird feeder ripped off a tree. The wildlife seem to be getting around just fine The 30 families who will become homeowners will be selected by lottery and there were several hopeful candidates at the ground-breaking.  Valley is already training would-be home-owners about the ins and outs of home ownership Our neighborhood looks forward to welcoming our new neighbors to our wonderful part of Amherst I can already see Pulpit Hill Road closed for a big welcome to North Amherst barbecue!  Read additional reporting about the Amherst Community Homes project in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Building for families is the foundation for Amherst’s civic participation and civic renewal Congratulations to all who made this project work and congratulations to North Amherst for welcoming and supporting it The Amherst Indy welcomes your comment on this article. Comments must be signed with your real, full name & contact information; and must be factual and civil. See the Indy comment policy for more information Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Read Part 1 of the Mills and Industrial History of North Amherst here. The heyday of North Amherst’s industrial history relied on the Mill River and the presence of things we can’t see today – the mills themselves But other elements for success were its workforce of laborers women as well as men who worked here; and the built infrastructure that supported all this industrial activity that in part survives to this day Much of the land and the industrial history of this area is now protected by the town of Amherst on parcels managed by the Conservation Commission and/or by other agencies both at a state and local level; and the area is also supported and protected by a group of important private local stakeholders and businesses.  The Mill River Project’s researchers have uncovered as many as five different blacksmiths working in North Amherst over the time period of its industrial history It seems that there was also a blacksmith called Henry Kellogg who in 1843 leased a property/blacksmith shop very close to the site of the North Amherst Library today.  The shop may have been made of brick or stone since these were  the preferred building materials for this dangerous trade (The granite-block blacksmith shop at Old Sturbridge Village The resources necessary to set up a blacksmith shop intrigues me as a topic perhaps because I grew up in a household with a father who worked from home and he mostly worked out of the front parlor in our home When my brother and I were small we would peek in playing with his vice and messing with bits of wood lying around a blacksmith’s shop (and forge) would be a much more dangerous place for curious children to be And to become a blacksmith you had to have built up the body of knowledge associated with your trade as well as a set of tools: a bellows as well as the actual furnace and a stove pipe the capital outlay for such a trade as well as the costs of an apprenticeship would be considerable for most people.   There were other blacksmiths who worked on Pleasant Street and also on Summer Street Below is the historic trade card of the Summer Street blacksmith These days it is often only possible to see this kind of skilled tradesperson working in a craft-based studio during an open house or at places like historic sites or house museums Photographs of this kind of activity (one vintage and one from a piece of historic film footage come from the working forge at a historic arts and crafts village in Arden Delaware and this suggests what North Amherst’s smithies looked like Dams and CanalsNorth Amherst’s historical industrial hub also owes its history to larger historical shifts in New England in the late 1600s through the late 1800s – when the Mill River area was extensively and (from an ecological perspective) quite violently worked – representing a series of economic interventions that proved so consequential for current generations The waters of the Cushman Brook and the Mill River have been dammed many times; there was even a canal that was built along its path at one time (still visible from the Mill River Recreation Area.) One of the earliest dams from the early 1700s (not made by beavers) was a log crib dam [made using a timber frame filled with rocks and gravel) that impounded water to power both a grist and a sawmill in the north-east part of town recruited from nearby farms to work in the spinning sheds and it was felt at the time that they needed to be supervised by a boarding mistress or keeper The mill owners in Holyoke were also in the business of housing large numbers of workers many of whom were immigrants from Ireland The Hadley Falls company housing was extensive and still stands on the intersections of Lyman and Canals Streets Worker housing in the Mill River Project area is much more modest in scale but some of it is still preserved today along Summer Street and State Street where there are two remaining dwellings that date to the mid 1800s.  There are other examples of early to mid-nineteenth century single family homes where workers could board and one of these is the Peter Ingram House in the Greek Revival style a full one third of the housing in Cushman was owned by local mill businesses for their workers There is a pleasing visual coherence in this area in terms of architectural style and building materials Housing has also been preserved on Summer Street built originally for the workers of the paper mills Hills Hat factory workers; these homes are all located east of a stream 158-164 Summer Street (currently for sale) and at 182 Summer Street on the corner with Mill Street in a small cottage known as the Dwight Graves House.  For these historic communities to thrive, other kinds of structures came to define the village core, such as small dry goods stores on Pine Street and Bridge St and a local post office (that we know today as the café and store, Cushman Market and Cafe. One house 86-88 Bridge Street is an imposing Greek Revival style that was built as the Lewis Draper tavern By the time the North Amherst mills were less profitable and were being outperformed by larger mills in Turners Falls (also known as Great Falls and the site of metalworking and machining mills) and the Holyoke mills (where the first profitable canal in our area was located at South Hadley Falls0 these North Amherst hamlets at Cushman and “The City” (Factory Hollow) continued to live on. The Cushman Red Mill survived for a while as a social hall where people flocked to dances on Saturday nights a men’s club that is still identified as a site on one of the trails by the common There were still some tobacco barns in this part of town (one survives on Pine Street) Broom corn continued to be grown for brooms and also was a raw material that had been used in the making of some kinds of wrapping paper Located near the building that was the Cushman post office and is now Cushman Market were a number of purpose-built structures (factories rather than mills by their appearance) that made tissue paper – not the kind we think of today for gift wrapping but instead And small sawmills for planing lumber and for making products like window sash continued to operate in North Amherst after operating as well-known sash makers for about 70 years The trade passed down from father to son over the generations and the company was known for their specialized work for homes near Historic Deerfield and for the historic Pelham Town Hall-Church complex an old-fashioned term for the delicate lengths of wood on which plants were hung to dry Holden’s factory was razed and replaced by a gas and service station with the rise of automobiles in the early 20th century.  Puffers Grist Mill and the CanalA major change took place between the first and the second World Wars Even though most of the mills had disappeared by this time the dam at Factory Hollow and much of the land on either side of the Mill River were now owned by the Puffer family They had also operated an historic grist mill on Montague Road Puffers Grist Mill continued in operation with mill stones that had been imported from France but in all other respects a very local operation This was possible thanks to a canal constructed along the north side of the Mill River Recreation Area The water exited “into the downstream river near the Mill River Bridge” although it is easy to miss the bridge today This industrial site to the west of Cushman and Puffers Pond is fascinating as the Puffer family lived across the street from the Grist Mill that later became a much beloved gift shop Stephen Puffer (1914-2011) remembers this era in his reminiscences of more recent times recalling working in his father’s ice works that had been created at the same time as the first World War The Puffers first built an ice elevator (1912) and then an icehouse (1916); these were located on the southern edge of the shore of Puffers Pond above the dam that can be seen from Mill Street today (now a one-way street.)  The icehouse site is now a portion of what is called South Beach on Puffers Pond the Puffer family harvested ice and delivered it to families in Amherst reading this column who remembers their grandparents (maybe) having an ice box in which to keep the block cool in the summer months The sandy shorelines of both North and South beach at Puffers Pond recall another industrial activity in North Amherst Not far from the pond is a street called Sand Hill Road that links Mill Street and the Pulpit Hill area to Pine Street and the Cushman neighborhood.  Researchers have commented that the glacial hills of sand and gravel deposits in North Amherst are “poor for agriculture” [the accepted cry is “We have rich farmland one side of Route 116 and just rocks the other side!”] Sand dunes take us all the way back to this area’s prehistoric and ancient beginnings when Owen Drive East Pleasant Street (near North Amherst’s old burial ground) and the UMass Student Farm were the eastern edges of Lake Hitchcock we could paddle or look west across to an island that is Mount Warner today.  There is still an operating sand and gravel operation on Route 63 just by the Leverett town line and the town-owned site that was the Ruxton Company (on Pulpit Hill Road) which was one of the ‘mouths’ of the Mill River from the same time frame as Lake Hitchcock The gravel extraction operation had drawn pond water for its businesses the Ruxtons and the Puffer family donated the dam and the pond and the gravel operation site to the town of Amherst That decade deserves its own story as it is clear to me now that this part of Amherst had long been a community destination within living memory especially for people who enjoy open space The scenic value of the Mill River and Puffers Pond along with the Mill River Recreation Area have been preserved coinciding with a period of “greatly expanded enrollment” at UMass in the early to mid 1960s Preservation and conservation projects have sought not only to protect water quality but also greenways sensitive ecological areas and wildlife habitat The Town of Amherst’s Conservation Department had begun to acquire properties along the Mill River starting in 1961 and by the end of the decade a new vision had been born for the whole of North Amherst Read previous Amherst History Month by Month columns here I do remember ice being delivered to my grandparent’s kitchen outside of Philadelphia Part 1 of Hetty’s North Amherst series was revelatory because it brought a vanished past to light This Part 2 touches more recent history but is revelatory in a different way As developers and builders are currently changing our town’s landscapes to accommodate a more transient population it is important to be reminded that until recently “the book and the plough” (and the forge) co-existed – not always easily – as a town of scholars permanent residents with long family histories and a commitment to the Town that was based on that permanence we are deliberately burying it in the name of density and infill I hope Hetty will do a Part 3 of this wonderful series focusing on North Amherst’s farming past and present and the essential part that families of eastern European origin played in the history of this community Echoing my outside-of-Philadelphia compatriot and friend I too look forward to such a Part 3… But good examples where that’s not happened are the UMass Agricultural Learning Center farm to the east and north of the former Marks Meadow School and Wysocki house; and North Amherst Community Farm (formerly the Dziekanowski farm) a bit further to the north fronting on both North Pleasant and Pine Streets Surrounded by housing for thousands of North Amherst residents these two farms book-end a complex agricultural and silvicultural landscape of a couple hundred acres threaded by streams and wetlands with riparian and field-bordering forests And if I’m biking or walking home after dark on the paths and old farm roads there I might make up and belt out some silly songs just to let a wandering black bear know I’m also in the neighborhood ;-)!) I chose the neologism “micro-geology” to echo the term “micro-climate” since both affect what grows where Our household used the term icebox throughout my childhood Within a few years Georges lived in South Hadley allowing one for each of his 2 oldest sons who began to use motorized “wagons” to make their deliveries from whom I inherited my grandfather’s ice saw which now adorn the barn board wall in our mudroom Thank you Hetty for resurrecting lovely memories It was torn down to be replaced by a Sunoco gas station on the site of the now North Amherst Library parking area received funds from the town public arts commission several years ago to construct a horse head sculpture made from horseshoes excavated from the library addition site Residents must ask the public art commission why this project isn’t happening It would certainly be an exquisite reminder of the working man history of this site I remember the ice man and the coal man delivering to my neighbors in Needham Massachusetts during WW2 Milk was delivered by horse and cart to save gasoline for the troops (We kids had victory wagons to collect tin cans and newspapers to fulfill our obligations toward the war effort.) Some nearby public libraries have passes to Historic Deerfield #LoveOurPublicLibraries AMHERST — A section of North Pleasant Street north of the University of Massachusetts campus Townehouse and Brandywine apartment complexes will be examined by Planning Department staff as an appropriate area to significantly increase housing density With favorable views from members of the Planning Board at its April 2 meeting Senior Planner Nate Malloy was directed to develop a possible overlay district that would allow developers to at least double or triple the number of the 650 existing apartments permitted at a time when the town zoning allowed such developments Malloy said density could double by allowing buildings to rise higher than the current two- and three-story buildings Through flexible parking and dimensional standards Malloy said the number of apartments could triple even without making the buildings much higher than they are Planning Board member Bruce Coldham said this is a good place to start discussing a new overlay district as developers could build apartments two or three stories higher at the western end of the site “It solves the problem we’re trying to solve at the moment which is primarily student housing,” Coldham said Planning Board member Jesse Mager said this would be a great way to increase density without changing the North Pleasant Street experience The idea would be to maintain the height of buildings closer to the street and then have denser and taller apartments farther away from the street’s single-family homes and the Black Walnut Inn Mager added that this would be an easier sell to the community than other areas of town where density might be sought “I think it’s relatively simpler than the others,” Mager said Malloy showed information originally presented to the Zoning Subcommittee in 2013 when it was considering an overlay district for all apartments that would have changed standards and dimensions across town “Is that something we think is appropriate here and what does that mean?” Malloy said the Town Council was scheduled to take up the Planning Board-recommended rezoning of University Drive that would allow more apartments and mixed-use buildings closer to the southern end of the UMass campus Another area being considered for denser residential development is East Amherst village center such as Colonial Village and Alpine Commons But the North Pleasant Street apartments are closer to UMass “I’m excited about putting density in here,” said Planning Board member Karin Winter Winter said this is a good location to be without cars there would not be too much resistance from those who live nearby and larger and taller buildings can be explored One note of caution came from Johanna Neumann who said she is largely supportive of more density in already developed areas but it gives her pause that the town would create an overlay featuring a gap The Farview residential neighborhood of single-family owner-occupied homes would not be included meaning that the high-rise buildings on the UMass campus along Eastman Lane and Governors Drive would not connect to taller buildings at the apartment complexes rather than concentrating density,” Neumann said Mager said trying to overlay the Farview neighborhood would be problematic and likely met with pushback The only member of the public to offer comment was Janet Keller of Pulpit Hill Road Keller said the North Pleasant area is already congested with traffic at certain times of the day Keller said she would prefer planners focus on densifying Belchertown Road Because the area of North Amherst has seen problems associated with the unsanctioned pre-St Patrick’s Day party Blarney Blowout in recent years and in the past the Hobart Hoedown party was held on Hobart Lane Planning Board Chairman Doug Marshall suggested that Planning Department staff speak to Amherst Police about how adding residents would impact their workload Malloy said he would talk to both police and UMass officials you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users president of the North Amherst Community farm board in front of the farm store that is now vacant Referring to Jeremy Barker-Plotkin and David Tepfer who operated Simple Gifts Farm on the community farm property for nearly 20 years Coldham said: “Finding Jeremy and David was a fluke in a way — they just seemed to want to farm but it’s been difficult to replace them.” STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS “Finding Jeremy and David was a fluke in a way — they just seemed to want to farm and we just seemed to have one AMHERST — A new owner for a 30-acre farm in North Amherst center continues to be sought as a nearly 20-year relationship between the managers of Simple Gifts Farm and the board that oversees the North Amherst Community Farm winds down Almost a year after the Simple Gifts farm stand closed in late March 2024 and with the farm managers ending their active operation and seeking to sell their financial interest in the 1089 North Pleasant St the North Amherst Community Farm board is making a push to find a successor lessee With the likelihood of a second year of the farm’s 20 acres of tillable agricultural land not being used the organization’s most recent newsletter outlines possible approaches including acquiring the farm’s buildings and equipment should Simple Gifts managers Jeremy Barker-Plotkin and David Tepfer be unable to find a buyer Barker-Plotkin and Tepfer own the buildings and equipment and have listed the property on the New England Farmland Finder website we had to acknowledge the fact that this was not the way it was originally intended to operate it was not be to fallow,” community farm board President Bruce Coldham said in a phone interview this week While Simple Gifts and the North Amherst Community Farm continue to have a 50-year lease agreement with three options to extend that lease for another 50 years much as it was when the organization bought the land in 2006 “Now it’s a much more difficult challenge to figure out how to move forward,” Coldham said “We have to think about how we transition this.” Coldham said any new farm enterprise must first meet the current $950,000 asking price for Simple Farm’s equipment and structures and then have sufficient income to support the lease for the land and cover other costs associated with running a farm Barker-Plotkin and Tepfer added active greenhouses built barns — there are now four on the property —renovated the farmhouse installed a modern irrigation system and built the year-round store where organic produce and pasture-raised meats and eggs had been sold When announcing their departures from active farming last year Barker-Plotkin said he had joined the American Farmland Trust and Tepfer went to All Farmers an Agawam-based organization supporting refugee and immigrant farmers He cited the ongoing difficulty in making a living doing what they love “I don’t think that we’re only closing down because of a couple tough years … but for sure part of the reason we’re moving on is it’s always been difficult making a living with what we do; we’ve been doing it because we love it,” Barker-Plotkin said at the time Barker-Plotkin said the search for a buyer nearly led to a sale late last fall it’s a fantastic opportunity for someone,” Barker-Plotkin said Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency loans for first-time farmers are capped at $600,000 and there are other costs to consider beyond the lease “A lot of young people are interested in farming but the barriers to entry are pretty high,” Barker-Plotkin said The North Amherst Community Farm acquired what was known as the Dziekanowski Farm in 2006 for $1.2 million preventing it from becoming an upscale housing development The organization used a variety of financial sources including Community Preservation Act money placed an Agricultural Preservation Restriction on the land with assistance from Ketsrel Land Trust and was provided with an affordable mortgage held by the Dziekanowski family who had farmed the land for more than a century Barker-Plotkin and Tepfer both came to the site from Belchertown and two building lots were carved off the property where homes were built for each of their families to live “Finding Jeremy and David was a fluke in a way — they just seemed to want to farm and we just seemed to have one,” Coldham said but it’s been difficult to replace them.” Since Barker-Plotkin and Tepfer’s decision to sell their financial interest Coldham said they’ve also enlisted assistance from Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture in South Deerfield and Land for Good in Keene CISA Communications Manager Claire Morenon said that CISA has provided support including references for technical expertise though it is not a clearinghouse for connecting farmers to available farmland While no new crops have been planted since the 2023 growing season Simple Gifts Farm was active for some time last year Asparagus was harvested in May and then a pick-your-own strawberries operation followed in June “We had a little bit of a season,” Barker Plotkin said strategies being explored for the future include acquiring the buildings and equipment themselves giving the organization control of the entire farm The newsletter explains: “This idea is in a formative stage but has the advantage of giving NACF more control over how the land is used,” it reads “It also has the promise of greatly expanding the number of prospective successor farmers.” But the organization doesn’t have the resources to do this which has been renovated over the years to accommodate apprentice farmers charging competitive rents that could help cover some of the costs of buying the other buildings and equipment then we have a revenue stream,” Coldham said Some of the land could also be used for solar by companies who might lease a portion of the site that wouldn’t compromise farming activities Barker-Plotkin said he understands that some young farmers are looking for smaller sites of 5 acres or less While he is disappointed there’s no farming up and running he doesn’t think the public should be concerned for the future “People really liked what we were doing here,” Barker-Plotkin said “I’m not worried about what’s going to happen to the land because it’s a really good opportunity for someone.” the for-profit farm located at the community-owned North Amherst Community Farm (NACF) has been shuttered for the past 15 months after long-term farmers Jeremy Barker-Plotkin and David Tepfer took other jobs and were unable to find a buyer to continue the organic farm and its associated farm store Further efforts by NACF to find a buyer for the farm over the past year have also been unsuccessful NACF Board President Bruce Coldham explained the history and current situation at the farm He wrote that NACF was created in 2006 to preserve one of the last working farms in North Amherst. Thanks to generous contributions from many residents this 30-acre farm is protected from commercial development in perpetuity. The 18-year partnership with Barker-Plotkin and Tepfer resulted in the construction of a year-round farmstand and much more.  Through their collective efforts NACF and SGF formed a successful public-private partnership that promoted sustainable and organic farming methods provided healthy farm products to the region educated the community on food and farming issues and helped preserve the agricultural heritage and character of the North Amherst Village Center NACF’s efforts have been successful. Nevertheless the continued financial viability of any small organic family farm struggling to survive in New England is threatened by the corporately controlled industrial food system. Two years ago decided to sell their financial interest in the farm. For the past two years they have negotiated with several potential buyers but at this point have been unsuccessful. SGF operated the farm and farmstand at a limited scale last year but since both farmers have accepted other jobs the farm is not currently in operation. NACF is now looking to make a decision about what happens next. The current situation is that NACF owns the land and SGF owns the buildings and equipment. With no suitable buyer one of the things the board is considering is that NACF could acquire the farm buildings from SGF and then look for a farming enterprise that  could lease the farm without first having to come up with a hefty down payment but has the advantage of giving NACF more control over how the land is used It also has the promise of greatly expanding the number of prospective successor farmers NACF doesn’t currently have the financial wherewithal to purchase the buildings and equipment currently owned by SGF. However it does have the remodeled and renovated farmhouse that could be rented to generate income. The original intent for the farmhouse was to serve as an affordable accommodation for farm workers. Renting the farmhouse at market rate would prevent this original purpose temporarily but could serve the farm’s larger mission in the long run. The NACF board has not made any decisions regarding this idea but we think that it is worth exploring.Coldham concluded “We acknowledge that this news may be surprising to many of our most loyal supporters and Simple Gifts CSA customers  We have been quiet for the past two years while Simple Gifts was in negotiation with potential new farm managers.  But at this point we felt we needed to share the situation with you even as we have many still unanswered questions.  You should know that we are committed to the long-term vision of maintaining a working organic farming operation in North Amherst.”  Read More: A Lot of Farm to Love: Simple Gifts Farm Assets for Sale as North Amherst Community Farm Seeks New Tenant (Daily Hampshire Gazette) is beginning with cold-weather games and activities at Mill River Recreation Area and the Mill District in North Amherst on Saturday afternoon street hockey with high school hockey players The day is organized by Amherst Recreation said in a statement that most events are free or have minimal admission costs A full schedule of events is at amherstma.gov/WinterFest2025 with more information at facebook.com/WinterFestAmherst Other programs during the week include a WinterFest Story Walk with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment; a “Step Back in Time” at the Beneski Museum of Natural History; art and activities at the Mead Art Museum; a program about how people have kept warm over the years at Amherst History Museum; and the science behind ice cream at Herrell’s Ice Cream in the Mill District The Jones Library and its branch libraries are also hosting events for all ages There will be free performances during the week by Roger Tincknell and Carrie Ferguson and the Grumpy Time Band with ice sculpture creation starting at 3 p.m. a wood carving demonstration by Cody Stosz of Kodiak Carving and a Fire Department truck and a fire-juggling performance by Matica Circus at 5:30 p.m The day is capped off by a luminaria at 6 p.m Several Amherst police officers recently received recognition from Police Chief Gabriel Ting for their work to keep people safe and for their community service A letter of commendation went to patrol Officers Dominick Corsetti Stephen Worthley and Andrew Coblyn related to a Nov The officers were able to provide medical treatment and get the man to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for an evaluation Jesus Arocho and patrol Officer Scott Thurston got a letter of merit for their response to an Aug 2024 incident in which a man shot himself in the leg at the Norwottuck Fish & Game Club They applied a tourniquet to the man’s thigh to stop the bleeding and located the entry and exit wounds on his right calf before paramedics got there Both Detective Marcus Humber and Detective Joshua Harris earned letters of merit for investigations into possession of child pornography that led to convictions against perpetrators with their work beginning in 2019 and 2022 in which teens were found undressed in a vehicle and which led to a man being sentenced to four years on charges of rape of a child and enticing a minor under 16 The most recent recognition was for the response of patrol oOfficers Justin Satkowski and Anthony Clark who got a letter of appreciation for their service on Jan The officers “exhibited extraordinary professionalism and compassion by comforting and engaging the two young children hours at a time” as they were overcome by grief The officers have also returned to do check-ins on their well-being Amherst Regional High School’s quiz team will be facing off against Minnechaug Regional on the “As Schools Match Wits” program hosted by Beth Ward and taped at Westfield State University Amherst Regional has won the competition 11 times Aster + Pine is holding a one-year anniversary party The celebration will include a wine tasting with Beauco Wine and oysters from Protocol from 3 to 5 p.m will be a wine tasting by Pure Italian and music from John and Kai Coban came to a potluck meal at the Mount Toby Meetinghouse on Feb 8 to learn more about six ongoing projects in town as part of a new initiative by Leverett Together The “Building Community in Leverett in a Time of Uncertainty” event included presentations by Steve Weiss from the nonprofit Leverett Educational Foundation; Leverett Library Director Hannah Paessel who introduced landscape plans for community gatherings; and Cynthia Baldwin who talked about the North Leverett Sawmill’s renovation into a museum and community space Jacob Park updated the gathering about the recently launched Amherst-Leverett Alliance the Leverett Co-op’s ongoing improvements were described by Martin Pittman and Seth Seeger announced that the listserv Leverett Connects has more than 900 subscribers invited attendees to brainstorm for future community events Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Planning Board The meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded Staff: Nate Malloy (Senior Planner) and Pam Field-Sadler (Assistant) More Density Encouraged for Existing Apartment ComplexesThe Planning Board continued its discussion of March 5, which explored creating an overlay district between North Pleasant Street and Route 116 south of Meadow Street to Presidential Apartments This area contains several large apartment complexes created in the 1960s and ’70s that are primarily student housing for UMass Most of the buildings are two-stories and there is “generous parking” for residents The Planning Board suggested increasing the number of units available by allowing three- to six-story buildings and reducing the total amount of required parking Rather than have the affordable units scattered throughout the complex as specified in the town’s bylaw he suggested that they should be clustered together in a separate area in the complex away from the buildings largely occupied  by students The Planning Board expressed enthusiasm for the concept of the overlay district Jesse Mager suggested limiting the height and scale of the buildings closest to North Pleasant Street to maintain the character of the street Larger and higher buildings could be built farther to the west Planning Board Chair Doug Marshall felt that the overlay could serve as a template that could be applied elsewhere in town Only Johanna Neumann voiced some hesitation I’ve been pretty supportive of the idea of adding density to this The one thing that gives me a little bit of pause is that we end up leapfrogging instead of concentrating density When you’re at the rotary on the north end of the UMass campus there are buildings that are four or five stories tall and then on the north side of the rotary you end up with very small single-family homes on individual lots basically what we end up with is density on the college campus then a mile and a half of relatively low density I would be inclined to concentrate the density [closer to the university].” Other board members pointed out that the intervening neighborhood just north of campus is a well-established neighborhood and even Neumann admitted that it is a “nice little neighborhood.” Winter and Coldham suggested a dedicated bicycle and pedestrian path to campus from the apartment complexes and noted that there is good bus service in the area.  Janet Keller expressed concerns about the traffic impact of adding as many as 3,000 more units to North Amherst Marshall pointed out that much of the traffic is probably university students driving through North Amherst from more distant lodging and that creating more housing near campus may actually decrease the amount of traffic the board would like to get feedback about the proposal from the managers of some of the large apartment complexes and from the Amherst Police Department about behavioral  problems “Do they think we’re nuts to propose to double or triple the number of people in this area from a public safety point of view?” Marshall asked Malloy will begin drafting a sample overlay proposal for the board to discuss at future meetings Malloy wondered whether K-P Law was being too conservative in its criticisms of the draft bylaw in order to protect the town He suggested that the Planning Board defer further discussion of the bylaw until the Attorney General has commented on it North Carolina two years ago,  said his family chose to move to Amherst because of its character and that he looked forward to contributing to the town He said that he valued input from varied sources but added that it was important to base decisions on sound policy even if the decisions were not popular He spoke of maintaining a balance between encouraging development and keeping the character of the town although the members suggested that the group consider a simple shed roof rather than the mansard roof In the diagram and using the same pewter color as the roof for the siding and trim The shed will sit on a gravel pad at the west side of the site There will be an accessible gravel path leading from the parking lot to the shed Rhodes said it would not be visible from the street entrance Coldham suggested that the roof be made out of translucent material to allow natural light into the shed Rhodes said that the shed would only be used briefly and always in the daytime and pointed out that cost is a big consideration for the organization but she will look into other designs a mainstay on Old South Street at Thorne’s Marketplace in downtown Northampton will be opening a pop-up shop in the North Square at the Mill District in North Amherst by the end of July with plans to have a permanent location there in the near future The arrival of the ice cream shop on Cowls Road in North Amherst this summer means that people visiting Mill River Recreation Area as well as North Amherst Library throughout the year will have a place to get their ice cream fix a short distance away explained that the decision to expand the business comes while looking for a site with a good mix of both restaurants and retailers “We expect it to be a delicious place to eat ice cream and frozen desserts of all kids plus a cool place to work and shop for all Puns intended,” Herrell said in a statement Herrell’s makes its ice cream in small batches in Northampton It has more than 400 gourmet flavors of ice cream as well as dairy free No-Moo frozen desserts and frozen yogurt and sorbet Company founder Steve Herrell introduced the concept of “Smoosh-in” in which popular cookies and candies were ground up and placed in the ice cream has at times described her vision for the North Square at the Mill District as bringing back “the old American downtown,” and an ice cream parlor has been seen as an important element The North Square already includes Provisions 3 Amigo’s Restaurant and the Mill District General Store while at the Riverside Park Shopping Plaza on Montague Road are Big Basket International Market Amherst House of Pizza and Cumberland Farms Herrell’s will use space formerly occupied by Graze Craze charcuterie boards That will be the site until the permanent space for Herrell’s is ready between Carefree Cakery recently relocated from the stand-alone Cow Barn to a corner spot across from the Trolley Barn While downtown Amherst  has had dedicated ice cream shops over the years including Bart’s Homemade and Baskin-Robbins similar enterprises have largely been absent from North Amherst hot dogs and kielbasa dogs in the early 2000s and in the mid 1980s the Riverside Park plaza had a short-lived ice cream and popcorn shop called Shimmy’s A version of this article appeared previously in The Amherst Current. It is reposted here with permission Bryan Harvey Lecture: The Mills of Factory Hollow, March 14Bryan Harvey will be the speaker at the Amherst Historical Society’s “History Bites” lecture series on March 14 from 12:30-1:30 p.m Harvey will speak about the Mills of Factory Hollow in North Amherst and the ongoing District One Neighborhood Association’s Mill River History Project A summary of what the Project has learned to date is provided below The Mill River in North Amherst: The History You Probably Don’t KnowDriving along Pine Street in North Amherst you may have noted that the road falls off on one side to a deep ravine Visiting Puffers Pondyou may have wondered why there is a pond there at all Venturing down the Mill River Conservation Trail you may have noticed a few piles of rubble or paused briefly at some long-crumbled stone foundation But you may not appreciate that the name “Mill River” is about all that is left of what was once the most heavily industrialized section of Amherst home to dozens of mills and factories over a period of more than two centuries. The rise — and fall — of that dynamo is one of the most remarkable stories in Amherst’s history yet it is one we have only dimly understood Three years ago, the District One Neighborhood Association (DONA) a community group focused on life in much of North Amherst took on the task of exploring the Mill River through time With a small grant from the town’s Community Preservation Act And the extent is certainly full. Beginning in 1727 the River powered a whole series of grist and saw mills to serve the then sparse and agrarian community which began as part of Hadley’s “Third Precinct.” The turn of the nineteenth century saw the beginnings of a shift to manufactured goods for trade Daniel Rowe built a paper mill in 1798 (remains of which can still be seen) using a laborious hand-production process to make fine rag paper which he shipped to Albany via oxcart. Also in 1798 Ebenezer Ingram built a woolen fulling mill up at “the great falls” (by the current bridge on Bridge Street).  And then in 1809 “modern” industry came to the river: Ebenezer Dickinson (a distant relative of Emily’s) erected the Amherst Cotton Factory a large and modern-for-its-time textile mill just downstream of the Factory Hollow Pond (now Puffers) on the site of the current Mill Hollow Apartments.  In just the brief period 1830-38 the Cushman family built its first modern paper mill up on East Leverett Road; the Ingram family built a second fulling mill downstream of the first; Alvin Barnard constructed a forge (later reputed to manufacture equipment for the new railroad); and the Dickinsons built a grist mill on Montague Road that stands to this day (acquired by the Puffer family in 1844 who operated it continuously for the next ninety years).  By the onset of the Civil War the river had added another three paper mills and six textile mills of various kinds opened a plant on the Mill River in 1856 water power started to give way to steam (and eventually electricity) and the relatively modestly sized Amherst mills struggled to compete with large-scale operations in Holyoke By this time many of the Amherst factories had burned or been washed away But a final industrial chapter in the river’s story spanned the turn of the twentieth century. The textile mills were either gone or going but paper still used the river for the manufacturing process if not for power The Cushman paper mills off Bridge Street were replaced with large factories producing leatherboard Substantial planing mills were erected downstream the Puffer family built its Ice House on the current beach at Puffers Pond and harvested and distributed ice from the Pond until well into the 1930s.  But by 1940 nearly all the traces were gone The large mill pond above the bridge at Bridge Street was drained; the mostly wood structures of the mills had disappeared; and the river’s course was mostly deserted the town began to acquire much of “Factory Hollow” for conservation purposes.  the North Amherst and Cushman communities that grew up around them remain and the stories of the lives of those who lived and worked there still echo down the years Those of us working on the project have found it endlessly fascinating Matias Martinez and Jose Diaz co-own a new restaurant called 3 Amigos in the Mill District of North Amherst along with Antonio Marques “We are three really good friends from different countries,” Martinez said explaining that they met while working at Mexcalito a taco bar in Amherst center that closed last year The restaurant reflects that diverse background offering Caribbean-infused Mexican cuisine a taco bar in Amherst Center that closed last year AMHERST — Inspired by meals their mothers prepared for them while growing up the owners of a new restaurant in the Mill District in North Amherst are bringing Caribbean-infused Mexican cuisine to a wider community the best dishes from Chile and the best dishes from Mexico,” says Matias Martinez located in The Trolley Barn at 68 Cowls Road The owners give two examples: Pastel de Choclo a popular Chilean oven-baked pie filled with ground beef hard-boiled eggs and topped with a corn souffle a Puerto Rican dish featuring two pork chops Martinez is running 3 Amigos with Jose Diaz dubbing their restaurant Latin American Gastronomy The trio is hoping to offer something unique both to the region’s dining scene and to a part of town where there are limited options for meals They then began talking about starting a restaurant with various dishes and “We decided to make Mexico food infused with Latin America,” Diaz said “We have tried to bring the best ideas from other restaurants and try to do the best job ever,” Martinez said is drawn from the way it is made by Marques’ grandmother and then drizzled with a walnut cream sauce and topped with pomegranate seeds and a sprinkling of parsley A version of Chile en Nogada would typically only be available at high-end restaurants “It’s one of the fancy plates and really tasty an explosion of flavors when you try the plate,” Martinez said 3 Amigos is also the fourth restaurant to call the space home Originally Bread & Butter when it opened in 2015 that was followed by Jake’s and Cisco’s Cafe all of which have specialized in breakfast and brunch The ambience inside has changed a bit to have a Caribbean feel with a large painting of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo greeting customers and also ornamentation from Puerto Rico and Chile The business has relied on word of mouth so far starting slow before the University of Massachusetts and local colleges are back in session “We are trying to make a good kitchen working slowly toward when students are coming,” Martinez said which has a children’s section for “amiguitos,” also has appetizers such as empanadas and chips and guacamole While tacos are among the most popular items there are also options for vegetarians and eventually there will be gluten free offerings For those seeking a more conventional meal the restaurant’s menu has a variety of angus beef burgers and salads Main dishes range in price from $17 to $27 a breakfast menu is available until 2 p.m. 3 Amigos doesn’t yet have an alcohol license Customers are allowed to bring their own alcohol beverages and across the street is Provisions where they can pick up a bottle of wine or a craft brew Cowls President Cinda Jones said that 3 Amigos is the latest in a line of businesses in the fledgling area with Herrell’s Ice Cream to open a stand and the Cow Palace previously occupied by Provisions before moving to its bigger space Jones said she looks at it as a “dynamic downtown” on the edge of the outdoors with proximity to Mill River Recreation Area and trails near Puffer’s Pond One indication of their success so far is that Martinez and Diaz have both had the opportunity to serve their own mothers receiving compliments on the quality and presentation of the dishes The owners hope to introduce cuisine from more countries possibly adding Peruvian and Argentinean food “The plan is every three months assessing the different specials,” Diaz said Herrell’s Ice Cream opened its new pop location at 83 Cowls Road in the Mill District on Wednesday every day and features the same premium ice cream as the Northampton store A larger celebration is planned when the store moves to its permanent location at 69 Cowls Road between the Carefree Cakery and Provisions in December Owner Judy Herrell said that ice cream will continue to be made in small batches at the Northampton store the pop-up store will also have ice cream sodas and sundaes The permanent location will offer a larger menu Neither the pop-up nor the permanent Amherst store will have a display freezer large enough for ice cream cakes Herrell said she had been looking for space in Amherst for some time The manager of the Northampton store attended the Christmas market at the Mill District last December and suggested that the location would be ideal for a branch of the ice cream store will mark the start of Herrell’s 45th year in Northampton AMHERST — A $20.5 million development in North Amherst featuring 30 affordable homes is getting another influx of money from the town a commitment that should ensure ground can be broken next spring The Amherst Affordable Housing Trust Fund voted unanimously Thursday to provide an additional $350,000 to Northampton nonprofit Valley Community Development for what is being called Amherst Community Homes: 15 duplexes to be constructed over 9 acres situated between Ball Lane and Pulpit Hill Road and just off Montague Road/Route 63 real estate project manager for Valley CDC is the “final funding push to get shovels in the ground.” With all permitting at the local and state level complete Allan said the hope is to have families begin moving in to their new homes in February 2027 the town pledged $750,000 from the Community Preservation Act account and $375,000 from the housing trust Numerous other funding sources are also covering costs of the development with the largest being $7.5 million from the CommonWealth Builder program That initiative of the quasi-public MassHousing agency aims to make single-family homes and condominiums affordable for communities of color The CommonWealth Builder program provides a subsidy for first-time homebuyers looking to increase homeownership for Black Indigenous and people of color communities and enhance generational wealth real estate development director for Valley CDC said the housing trust’s pledge of additional money will speed up the development and save money in the long run “Time is of the essence with all of our work the sooner we can contain those construction costs,” Baker said Allan said the Ball Lane homes are moving full-speed ahead with Valley CDC working with general contractor Keiter Corp of Florence to reduce costs through so-called value engineering much of the infrastructure work should be done including having water and sewer lines connected from the state highway to the site there have been improvements to sidewalks along Montague Road Getting this work done before winter should speed up the timeline for building the actual homes next spring Twonnisha Winbush is handling the fair housing marketing plan for Valley CDC and will help applicants through the lottery process and bank Winbush told the housing trust in July that this process will extend through September 2025 While members of the trust supported the extra money they understand that other developments in town are looming that may also need assistance such as the 78 mixed income apartments at 31 South East St. That WayFinders project will be coming before the Zoning Bopard of Appeals to begin the comprehensive permitting process under the state’s Chapter 40 B law on Aug That evening is likely to provide an overview of the project and a vote on the town’s status in safe harbor meaning the town has at least 10% of its housing stock in the subsidized housing inventory who is a voting member of the housing trust said the Ball Lane development is one of the best and most important projects for the town since it’s a homeownership opportunity “This is really generational change,” Bockelman said But Bockelman said his concern is that the trust is looking at projects haphazardly rather than in a comprehensive manner Senior Planner Nate Malloy said there aren’t other projects currently in line for funding and there is more CPA and other trust money to fall back on That town contribution is also less than $50,000 per housing unit Affordable Housing Trust members looked favorably on the spending Carol Lewis said Ball Lane is an incredibly important project while Erica Piedade said it’s an opportunity to promote positive cultural change for the larger community One of the cosat-saving aspects of the project is to defer having solar panels on the roofs of the duplexes at the start instead depending on a $500,000 earmark in the state’s recently adopted housing bond bill to install them later Allan said the hope is for full panel installation on each home before residents move in as it will reduce energy costs for the owners Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com Cassandra Clare is unable to attend this event on the scheduled date for health reasons The event will be rescheduled and when a new date is set it will be announced in the Indy Amherst is fortunate to be the home of numerous successful writers tucked away in our various neighborhoods.  The District One Neighborhood Association (DONA) is organizing a series of ‘Conversations with Amherst Authors’ to be held in the new community room in the recently renovated North Amherst Library Kicking off the series will be an afternoon with Cassandra Clare and Holly Black in the community room of the the North Amherst Library   Fans can bring up to four books to be signed after the conversation.  Space is limited so don’t be late Few local authors are as well-known as Cassandra Clare and Holly Black best-selling authors of novels for children and young adults.  Among her 27 published novels Clare is best known for her lengthy series The Mortal Instruments is The Ragpicker King (Book 2 in the Chronicles of Castellane series published by Del Rey).Black is a known both for her children’s books and for young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the New York Times bestselling young adult Folk of the Air series She is also well known for The Spiderwick Chronicles a series of children’s fantasy books.  She has won a Nebula Award and a Newbery Honor.Not only do Clare and Black live in Amherst they are also good friends and their novels occasionally overlap with characters moving back and forth Spending time with these lively women is not to be missed Stay tuned for the next Conversation with Amherst Authors coming soon to the North Amherst Library With the upcoming opening of Herrell’s Ice Cream in North Square in the Mill District Amherst will no longer be an ice cream desert A pop-up branch of the celebrated Northampton Thorne’s Market store is set to open at 83 Cowls Road while a larger store at 69 Cowls Road is being constructed The pop-up store is almost complete with just a few small details needing to be worked out before it can open The plan is for the ice cream parlor to move to a larger venue a few doors away in December Owner Judy Herrell said the Amherst store will have the same full selection of premium homemade ice cream as the Northampton store but will not have the capacity to make frozen yoghurt The ice cream will continue to be made in small batches at the Northampton store The Mill District is close to the Mill River Recreation Area and offers a healthy mix of stores and restaurants in North Amherst The store’s permanent location will be between the Carefree Cakery and Provisions craft beers as is the Mill District General Store and Local Art Gallery A soft opening is planned for the pop-up store at 83 Cowls Road with a larger celebration to take place when the store moves to its permanent location 2025 will mark the start of Herrell’s 45th year in Northampton The Amherst store will be open from noon to 9 p.m Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Historical Commission The current owner of a North Amherst home was given permission to demolish a carriage house built in the 1890s in order to construct a larger two-story garage and carriage house at 1146 North Pleasant Street belonged to his grandparents The family needs more space than is provided by the carriage house which was built in an era before carriage houses became auto garages around 1916 The carriage house has no foundation and is beginning to degrade According to Historic Commission member Hetty Startup who made a site visit Parker said his family has maintained the house although his grandparents demolished a small building which had been used as a butcher shop They also removed the front porch from the main house He has several old photos of the property over the years and there are pictures taken during the 1939 flood and before Dutch Elm disease decimated the surrounding trees.  The commissioners said they were impressed with the amount of history available about the site They did feel that the carriage house is historically significant but Chair Robin Fordham said she felt that it may not be feasible to preserve it She added that reusing the materials in the carriage house in a new structure is not the same as preserving it.  Parker noted that he has had three contractors look at the structure and all said that it can’t be saved and will need to come down sooner or later He said his family has devoted significant  resources to maintaining the large barn and is committed to keeping the property in the family.  Commissioner Madeleine Helmer stated that the carriage house is quite visible from the road and that the arrangement of buildings is typical of the era it was built She suggested that any new construction be set back from the road to maintain the historic appearance of the site Fordham said that ideally she wishes that the carriage house could be preserved but thinks there is no clear way to save the structure and instituting a demolition delay would serve no practical purpose The commission voted 4-0 that the carriage house should not be “preferably preserved,” and the demolition permit can go forward The Historical Commission will next meet on April 7 Staff: Chris Brestrup Planner) and Pam Field Sadler (Assistant) Plan to Increase Density in Existing Apartment ComplexesPlanner Chris Brestrup brought back a 2013 plan drafted by then Planning Director Jonathan Tucker to create an overlay zone for existing apartment complexes to allow them to increase the density of units Brestrup explained that most of Amherst’s apartment complexes were constructed before a change in zoning made them nonconforming They could not be built today with the existing zoning bylaw Tucker proposed creating a Multi-Family Apartment (MFA) overlay zone that would allow the complexes to add additional floors or buildings Brestrup said the current Building Commissioner favors approving additional density by Special Permit as was done for new buildings at Southpoint (47 more units) and Presidential Apartments (54 more units) recently Creating an overlay zone would permit the expansion of the complexes by site plan review a less involved process than special permitting which can be denied by the Zoning Board of Appeals Planning Board member Fred Hartwell was unsure if the owners of the complexes want to expand them and Brestrup agreed that they may not want to lose income by being unable to rent units during construction She thought that allowing an increase of three to five times current size might give them an incentive to create more housing saying owners should be informed that the town supports this expansion and that they should “be creative.” Brestrup said that there are no downsides to this plan Planning Board Chair Doug Marshall thought that the idea was fairly “low hanging fruit,” and was less of a challenge than creating housing on undeveloped land or on land where there are occupants But he did say the implications of increased density for town infrastructure such as water and sewer need to be explored all complexes should not be treated the same depending on their location where there are four large adjoining apartment complexes noted that residents may fear larger “Blarney Blowouts” and Hobart Lane-type parties with more density He felt there is a need for a thoughtful process regarding this plan although he hoped adding units to the complexes would take some housing pressure off other districts Mager said the apartment complexes will be the discussion topic for the Planning Board’s Housing Subcommittee Tuesday which lists available affordable rentals throughout Massachusetts Barrett Consulting is currently preparing the Housing Needs portion of the HPP. Brestrup encouraged Planning Board members to review the data obtained from the recent survey and community meetings and submit comments to Senior Planner Nate Malloy Mager said that he already submitted a comment to Malloy He said that the plan largely does not address student homes He asked if the huge number (43.9%) of households under stress because of paying more than 30% of their income for housing is largely due to the number of student renters with no income He wondered if someone can use this data against Amherst because there is so much “unmet need.” Hartwell also asked to what extent student occupied homes are considered in the housing burdened statistics He said he is aware of a permitted Accessory Dwelling Unit in the general residence district that the owner is clear will be rented to students.  The project has received a variance permitting a fifth story from the Zoning Board of Appeals and Roberts wants to ensure that it remains in effect The proposed preliminary subdivision plan includes three building lots on a cul de sac Reidy emphasized that there is no intention to build this subdivision The plan is only to allow the mixed-use development to proceed in case the new zoning does require a change in the design of the mixed-use building State law allows this procedure to freeze zoning A definitive plan must be submitted within seven months if there are plans to build the subdivision Reidy was unsure if the subdivision would be residential or non-residential Brestrup pointed out that the preliminary plan presented does not contain the topography of the road or the requirements specified by the fire department Those would need to be included in a definitive plan the Planning Board approved it by a 6-0 vote with the conditions that the definitive plan The approval of the preliminary plan is inconsequential since it is only the action on the definitive plan that is binding Reidy hopes to have updated plans for the mixed-use building presented to the board for the January 22 meeting He said Roberts is hoping to have the project completed by August of 2026.  Coldham Questions Process of Using Subdivision Plan to Freeze ZoningPlanning Board member Bruce Coldham voiced his frustration with the process of creating a subdivision plan that is never intended to be built in order to protect against an impending zoning change He stated that the process involves planning staff time and involvement of the fire department and town engineer He asked if there is a way to freeze the zoning without relying on a “pretend plan.” Brestrup replied that state law provides this mechanism for freezing zoning on a parcel, and the town does not have the ability to change it; it has to comply with the state statute. W.D. Cowls used the provision to freeze the zoning for the proposed Shutesbury Road solar project in light of the solar bylaw being developed Brestrup was hopeful that there would not be many of these cases someone could object to the freezing of zoning.” because I know the time and effort that goes into it on everybody’s part.” He noted that a preliminary plan is much less expensive than developing a definitive plan and it gains the developer seven months.  Planning Board Chair Doug Marshall explained that “the state statute probably originated in the 1950s when people were building a bunch of subdivisions and freezing the zoning was a necessary part of getting a subdivision built over time The purpose of that statute has sort of been flipped on its head to where it’s used mostly to freeze zoning rather than to enable a subdivision.” Reidy concurred “I can’t tell you how many I’ve done in the past year they’ll try to get together to change the zoning so that the project can’t go forward I’ve seen more freezes than in the 10 years prior.” Planning Department StaffingThe Planning Department recently added two new planners both of whom came to Amherst with experience in other towns The department is still looking for a Planning Director to complete the staff There is a still a ton to optimize with the existing non-conserved land If you really want a big yard neighboring towns can provide this easily I wasn’t necessarily talking about a big yard I wasn’t talking about neighboring towns The Town of Amherst will host it’s annual Amherst Rubbish Roundup on Sunday This community cleanup event aims to bring residents together to beautify our beloved town All town residents and groups are invited to participate and any small groups or individuals eager to connect with their neighbors and even more beautiful than it already is.  Participants are asked to sign up by Sunday, March 30 at amherstma.gov/RubbishRoundup2025 Volunteers will report to cleanup sites throughout Amherst including Mill River Recreation Area in North Amherst and any other areas suggested through the sign-up form.   Each site will be staffed by a team of captains with supplies Supplies will be provided but participants are encouraged to bring their own work gloves and eye protection (safety glasses or sunglasses) and apply sun protection for comfort and safety.  The Amherst chapter of the Young Feminist Party (AYFP) unveiled a striking mural entitled “Four Waves of Feminism 2025” at the Mill District on a frigid February 2 The mural was uncovered by Young Feminist Party founder Marisol Pierce Bonifaz and Director of Outreach Ada Paessel who adapted and updated Cinda Jones’ 1986 design The mural will remain on permanent display on the wall southeast of the  pink wall in the Mill District Mill District developer and WD Cowls President Jones said that it was fitting that the mural find a home at the North Amherst location She said,” The Mill District has been run by Feminists since before the First Wave. Sarah Cowls didn’t have the right to vote but she did have the right to own property. And she did. And she ran a major dairy operation on this site next to her father’s sawmill.  Although it was 100% her business which she ran independently from her father and husband Sarah Cowls’ five-gallon milk cans had her husband’s name on them. My Uncle Denny told me that I’m just like Sarah Cowls and knew what she wanted. I hope in the future these traits are even less surprising to find in a woman Feminism is generational here in The Mill District It’s amplified by today’s Young Feminists.” Jones said that she designed a feminist mural when she was a student at Amherst Regional High school and based it on the same 1831 Japanese woodcut by Katsushika Hokusai as the original design proposed by the current AYFP.  However Paessell abandoned her own original four-panel design and adapted Jones’ design to incorporate the four waves of feminism The mural depicts a young woman gazing out to the audience while her hair flows behind her in waves made up of protesting figures The waves are portrayed as the four waves of feminism: the first focused on suffrage and the introduction of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Wade  and the push for a more inclusionary movement and the fourth on the present day demand for bodily autonomy and the publication of the ERA The Amherst Young Feminist Party’s statement explains “This imagery urges the viewer to reflect on the history of feminism and to imagine themselves in the future of the movement as well.” youth-led intersectional organization demanding widespread gender equality and bodily autonomy for all The event in the Mill District Local Art Gallery was well attended and amply supplied with food and drink from Tres Amigos and Futura Coffee a beautiful cake depicting the mural by the Carefree Cakery and free scoops of ice cream from Herrells Artwork from local artists surrounded the attendees Amherst Media filmed the event and interviewed the organizers.  Young Feminist PartyYoung Feminist Party is a youth-led movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and advance gender equality in the United States of America Our mission is to build a coalition of young people across the country leading an intersectional feminist revolution that empowers and advocates for the full equality of young women Uptown Tap Grille and UMass Downtown in Amherst Those attending a recent ribbon-cutting for the new UMass Downtown retail store and event space in Amherst center were invited to an afterparty at the Uptown Tap & Grille which despite having a seemingly different geographical designation is a neighboring business in the same building Organizers of the post-event reception had fun with that telling those who might want a drink or a meal at the restaurant that they would be heading “from downtown to uptown.” Though the businesses at 104 and 108 North Pleasant St use different identifiers for their locations this may demonstrate how terminology is ever evolving For at least some of those who grew up in Amherst in the 1970s and 1980s much of the commercial area in Amherst was referred to as “uptown,” such as when leaving the Amherst Regional High School campus for the day It was similar for those attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 1990s especially if they were heading for a night out at the bars Amherst Business Improvement District Executive Director John Page who grew up in Pelham and went to the high school especially with the Amherst BID using the URL amherstdowntown.com and a home page that states “Experience Downtown: a walkable mile of cuisine music and independent film at the center of legendary trail networks for hiking noting he has tended to call it “downtown.” the the only formal use of “downtown” is at the new UMass store while “uptown” is in the names of both the Uptown Tap & Grille and McMurphy’s Uptown Tavern Uptown Tap & Grille is run by mid-1990s graduates of UMass How “uptown” and “downtown” came to be used in the vernacular of those living in Amherst isn’t clear though one observer notes the downtown bars 40 years ago were considered The Pub all located in the East Pleasant and Pray streets area alongside the former Delano’s and Barselotti’s That jibes with the presence from February 1993 to August 1994 of a pizzeria called Uptown Pizza which competed with Antonio’s in the vicinity of those uptown bars and a 2001 Massachusetts Daily Collegian article referring to Barselotti’s as “situated in the heart of uptown Amherst slap-bang in the middle of Club Sidewalk.” a former restaurant on Main Street opposite Town Hall in an advertisement in the Gazette in the 1980s described its location as “uptown” Amherst in the early 2000s also used “uptown” Amherst in its ads to distinguish that from its Hadley location If geography plays a role in how the area is identified then students attending both Crocker Farm School on West Street and Fort River School on South East Street have to physically go up to get to Amherst center Cowls President Cinda Jones said that she would have to go uphill to get to the center Jones said that the Mill District in North Amherst Amherst’s mercantile and civic centers have changed over time notes retired Planning Director Jonathan Tucker with town center in colonial times on lower Main Street where North East and South East streets converge now part of the East Amherst village center and even before the Revolutionary War the business center came to be on top of the hill associated with the First Congregational Church “downtown” is more general and seems to refer to historic commercial and civic centers while “uptown” is a more urban term and historically refers to an urban residential area within or associated with a mixed-use center who grew up in North Amherst and has worked for the town for 20 years said it’s likely in his high school days that he would have referred to the center as uptown but that in his municipal position he knows it mostly as Amherst center Former Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tony Maroulis attributes the frequency of saying “downtown” to Jerry Jolly Jolly founded an organization called Promoting Downtown Amherst a precursor to the formation of the Amherst Business Improvement District Gabrielle Gould is the former executive director of the Amherst BID and continues to oversee the Downtown Amherst Foundation Gould said she believes the terms to be geographical in origin as heading south on North Pleasant Street to the main intersection of Amity and Main streets the road has a noticeable rise Whatever the case for the use of the terms Gould said having side-by-side businesses using both designations is interesting said he’s invested in the success of Amherst so he wouldn’t discourage people from using whatever they want to refer to Amherst’s main business district as You can help us make our events calendar more comprehensive by sending us your listings and including contact information and/or a link for more information. Send events listings to amherstindy@gmail.com Join Berkshire Hills Music Academy’s Mary Westgate for a fun Mary Westgate has been reading Braille books and singing with children for over 10 years Mary is a day student at Berkshire Hills Music Academy (BHMA) in South Hadley, MA She is a talented musician and participates in bands and ensembles at BHMA Mary plays the autoharp and loves to share her music and singing with children Free with museum admission.SATURDAY JANUARY 18: DON’T TELL COMEDY All comedians remain unknown until the moment they take the stage we carefully curate lineups of 4-7 different comics to create a hilarious and diverse show The best part is—you never know who might show up $25 at the door.MONDAY JANUARY 20: Community Card Making Event. 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. MA 01002. Brighten someone’s day by making a card with a positive message Donations for the Amherst Survival Center food drive will also be collected here Sponsored by the Recreation Department.  Jones Library staff invite you to a group show featuring our art in a variety of forms and mediums NOW THROUGH SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1: GORDON M. GREEN AND GK KHALSA EXHIBIT WORK AT GALLERY A3. Gallery A3, 28 Amity St. 1D. Thursday-Sunday, 2 p.m.- 7 p.m. Gordon M. Green displays abstract paintings that improvise with gestural brushwork to evoke a naturalistic landscape, while GK Khalsa presents a retrospective of drawings, spanning more than four decades.  More information NORTHAMPTON — A research-and-development laboratory previously in Amherst where studies and tests were ongoing to improve lubrication systems in military jets and helicopters so they will last longer and use less oil recently relocated to a larger production site in Northampton in June began leasing a more than 5,800-square-foot building at 106 Industrial Drive like it had been in Amherst for more than a year But the new site will now allow the company to expand the engineering and manufacturing of its “packaged oil delivery system.” Before moving from the 2,300-square-foot garage in North Amherst Zulu Pods performed an engine test using its flagship product which is described by the company as “the world’s first modular fluid delivery system that combines the function of a reservoir self-pressurized and hermetically sealed packaged oil delivery system.” That test showed that the ZPod significantly reduced the volume of lubricating fluid required in the engine enabling more efficient use of fuel to extend the range for what are known as mission critical applications The larger facility allows the company to shift toward commercialization of the ZPods while continuing to explore new product and application segments for the fluid delivery technology in aerospace and defense The company contends that the ZPod is lighter placed right in the working zone of the engine bearing or gear compartment and meters the minimum amount of lubrication required for optimal performance ZPods can also be used for primary lubrication on limited life engines backup lubrication during a loss-of-lubrication event or supplemental lubrication to extend oil interruption capability In addition to expanding its engineering and operations teams Zulu Pods is enhancing its core focus on supporting U.S military emphasizes through supply chain readiness meeting the Department of Defense’s demand for rapid scale and deployment of munitions “Supply chain risk mitigation is tantamount to technology capability in the eyes of our customers and end users,” Rob Sladen One area the company notes is showing promise is corrosion prevention on critical mechanical systems understanding that the Department of Defense spends around $20 billion annually on maintenance due to corrosion Corrosion also significantly affects the availability and safety of systems and equipment which can severely impact combat readiness The Anti-Corrosion Smart Pod is building off the same patented oil pod technology with the introduction of health monitoring data acquisition and automated maintenance for long-term asset storage in maintenance bays Sladen said the initial conversations with those using the Anti-Corrosion Smart Pod is positive “We see immense potential in reducing labor costs and potential failures of critical mechanical systems that are stored for extended periods of time,” Sladen said Amherst History Month by MonthThis is the first column in a five-part series Even renting a home or an apartment can be very expensive in Amherst Writing about historic preservation here in the Indy has meant that I have contributed a couple of articles about housing. Then, a year ago, I wrote about where I thought we were in terms of preservation issues locally and posed this question: “Has investing in historic preservation principles helped Amherst embrace a variety of housing choices for people wanting to move here Are we making sure that any new structure is compatible with our existing built environment and that development has some degree of environmental sensitivity?” Coinciding with the preservation and sustainability aspects the reality of a lack of affordable housing in town creates its own pressure cooker It also makes for a tricky environment in which to deliberate – as I must do as a member of the town’s Historic Commission – on demolition delays due to the perceived crisis level of need While trying to save local historic buildings of architectural significance there has occasionally been the unspoken argument made in public hearings that ‘surely you can…’ grant demolition requests due to space being needed for housing.  This past October, our town engaged the Barrett Planning Group to conduct demographic and market research hoping to involve residents and others in developing a new plan that might “identify housing types needed in Amherst; and consider various approaches to secure affordable housing for all residents.” It got me thinking again partly in an historical context and partly in contemporary terms about the topic Social housing was a special study of my graduate work in architectural history and the history of housing policy has helped shape our current situation.  The prevailing highly individualistic culture that we all inhabit and sometimes help to shape doesn’t make owning or renting a home feel like something most of us can achieve And yet home ownership is held out as a (leftover Puritan?) virtue We’re raised to adulthood with the aspiration to help grow a home-owning democratic culture as well as to create personal assets and/or amass wealth The economic and social benefits of being a homeowner even seem proof of a life more honorably lived somehow even if this is due – not to individual effort or beneficent providence – but to the benefits of class 58% of respondents said they have experienced a housing cost burden at least once in the past year and 39% said they are consistently cost-burdened every month.) Adding to the issue is that demands on most of us or childcare costs against mortgage payments or all the above over the costs of food: all that juggling makes the dream less attainable.Lev Ben Ezra the Executive Director of the Amherst Survival Center (ASC) shared this story in the November 2024 ASC newsletter:  “A couple of weeks ago a young dad was pushing his cart full of groceries and a coloring page she had drawn while waiting for their turn in the [food] pantry. “You find everything you needed?” I asked as I held the door open. He paused and said simply – “I found rent.” For him these free groceries meant he could make rent that was due a few days before.” A further contextual factor contributing to our housing woes are the very high costs of purchasing land and building materials Unsubsidized home construction is also very expensive.  Housing in New England HistoryThe ‘local history’ dimension of this topic is interesting especially when trying to track modest housing and homes for the many rather than stand-alone mansions for the few The story begins with the beginnings of the Republic itself As our country began to take shape – lagging immediately in terms of equities of race and class – towns and cities in the Northeast began to grow and to experience population change The process happened unevenly in the emerging and newly industrializing nation New kinds of housing emerged that dramatically recast the landscape of New England especially in the 1790s and early to mid-1800s I will introduce this history here and talk more about it in subsequent articles workers’ housing created by individual industrialists or small corporations operating philanthropically began to be built in the early 1800s The form this took was in the design of row houses or congregate housing such as the homes built for workers in the Massachusetts mill town of Lowell The boarding house was bought in 2020 by a town resident who was concerned about its future and the plan is to rehabilitate the building for use as a creative arts center that includes letterpress printing classes.)  Coinciding with new building types were some crucial technical innovations in the construction industry: the invention of balloon-framing techniques from around 1830-32 helped to streamline construction of multiple-unit buildings for a village or town setting Standardization came slowly but did eventually make the provisioning of smaller Many workers in the boom years of industrializing New England were often housed as tenants or boarders in the homes of people who either had room or needed additional income themselves Social housing was different from housing bought managed or built as a “benefit” tied to employment at a mill or factory Some factory and mill owners built “fit-for-purpose” housing for their workers.  Here are two historic examples that are not listed as historically or architecturally significant but that survive as examples of mid-to-late 19th century affordable housing that were possibly planned with workforce housing in mind While the Buckland/Shelburne Falls example may have been constructed to offer nearby rented housing for people working at the grain store (now the Salmon Falls Marketplace the Northampton example may have provided housing for workers at the nearby Belding Silk Mill on Hawley Street Mill owners continued to house workers who they employed in existing housing stock: here, some of these mill workers were boarders, paying rent to their employers via their wages. Overcrowding could be an issue; in a house owned by a cotton mill in Olneyville, Providence, RI for example eight people of Polish heritage lived in three small rooms That renting could be a hardship for people of modest means sometimes necessitated a ’moonlit flit” that meant being evicted It was considered the plight of the poor at the time the provision and construction of congregate housing or other homes financed from private sources was a crucial contribution to housing stock The founders of the settlement house took an existing townhouse on Tyler St in the South Cove and over time expanded it to four connected dwellings.  So the provision of adequate housing for the general population comes late to our country and in the interim is a need that is met in all sorts of informal New architectural designs for multiple housing emerge but it is not until the 1930s that a national housing policy really comes into being I will explore further more recent histories of housing in our part of the state and also endeavour to come up closer to the present time This article along with the photos is amazing A big thank you to the author for the work involved A re-tooled plan to expand the Jones Library in Amherst Massachusetts has been going before various committees about a month before library officials put the project out to bid again Some hope dropping certain aspects of the project will be enough to get shovels in the ground After stalling in the spring, the project meant to expand and modernize the century-old complex in the center of town has been undergoing review Under examination are design changes to the initially $46 million project – the product of what those overseeing it have called “value engineering.” The changes have ranged from “deferring” Goshen stone benches and a children’s courtyard to opting for asphalt instead of synthetic slate shingles for the roof – all on the table after project overseers consulted with architects earlier in the year following a struggle to solicit bids during the spring The initial value engineering also proposed not reinstalling much of the historic millwork in the library after it would be taken down for construction An estimate in May indicated around a million dollars could be saved by skipping reinstallation but according to Board of Trustees President Austin Sarat “We had originally thought of taking the historic millwork down we asked the architect to put it back in and so it will be where it was in the prior design,” Sarat said while answering a question from the public during a Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday The proposed changes have been part of a broader effort to decrease the project’s price tag after only getting one general contractor bid in April which was rejected after it came in about $7 million above what board members hoped for In the weeks that followed, the project faced a vote from the town council over whether to recommend proceeding with it, which failed 7-6 and hoping to have the project go out to bid in September design changes went before both the town’s Design Review Board and the Planning Board in late July “The Planning Board is typically not able to actually reject a site plan,” said Planning Board Chair Doug Marshall during the July 31 meeting Marshall clarified the board’s role during a July 31st meeting citing an influx of emails residents had sent regarding the project with some in support of the library expansion and others calling for the project to be halted Maria Kopicki of South Amherst called the project “an exercise in futility,” saying changes like the switch from shingles to asphalt were “unacceptable,” and part of broader changes that were a “disservice to the unique and historical nature” of the building She also claimed the project lost out on significant tax credits “I just want to also point out that the Massachusetts Historic Commission has twice rejected the historic tax credits for this because the designs that have already gone through and that would still be in place violate five of the ten standards that they have for those tax credits,” Kopicki said Supporters of the project say delays have only led to ballooning costs – and that further delaying it would only lead to more issues says the project is as an investment in the town’s youth “I think what's being proposed right now is extremely reasonable and still extremely valuable and I think my focus is on making this the best it can be for my future so that we can have this library be sustainable as an institution and continue to exist,” Handlen said The Planning Board approved the revised project subject to conditions like one that would “require the retention of the use of synthetic slate” for the roof Marshall noted that in the event asphalt ended up needing to be used the Board of Trustees must return before the Planning Board The roof raised similar concerns with the Design Review Board a week beforehand – which voted to recommend the project keep synthetic slate in its base proposal The DRB’s recommendations went to the planning board One of the next town bodies to examine the revised plan is the Amherst Historical Commission on August 22nd at 6:35 p.m Be one of the first to know what's coming up on WAMC See additional subscription options Eleven residents of the Farview neighborhood in North Amherst attended an information session presented on October 10 by the UMASS Amherst Office of Community Relations regarding several capital and infrastructural projects that directly impact the neighborhood Executive Director of Campus Development at UMass Amherst and with input from Tony Maroulis Executive Director of Community and Strategic Initiatives Associate Vice-Chancellor of University Relations the audience was updated on two ongoing construction projects and heard about two slated to begin in the upcoming months:  a UMass geothermal project and town streetscape changes Located just north of the UMass Amherst rotary the Farview neighborhood is sandwiched between the two ongoing construction sites — the building addition to the Computer Science Center on Governors Drive and the new School of Public Health and Health Sciences at North Pleasant and University Drive neighbors shared concerns about the near-constant noise caused by these projects David Dower also described two streetscape improvement projects scheduled to begin in late winter/early spring The first will repair damage to the rotary at the north end of UMass Amherst; the second will see repairs to a segment of sidewalk on North Pleasant Street Farview neighbors can expect further noise from this work and Buffone noted that while these streets technically belong to the Town of Amherst UMass Amherst will cover the cost of repairs Large Geothermal Project ComingThe majority of the meeting concerned the large-scale implementation of a geothermal project with the drilling of deep geothermal wells, slated to begin in November, 2024, and continuing until May, 2025, if all goes according to schedule.  With the admirable aim of kickstarting UMASS Amherst’s trajectory to become a zero-carbon campus by 2050 this initiative will involve drilling 70 geothermal wells to a depth of 800 feet each and installing a 2.2 million gallon thermal storage tank the well field will be located under Parking Lot 31 on the north side of Governor’s Drive across the street from the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences and very close to Farview neighborhood homes One audience member asked why the wellfield is not located further away in Lot 26 which is considerably farther from any residential neighborhood While Lot 26 is bounded to the west by wetlands it appears to be sufficiently large to be useable even with the requisite environmental setbacks While UMass continues to work towards approval from the Conservation Commission the geothermal project is moving forward despite a near total absence of input from and involvement by abutting neighbors Members of the audience voiced other concerns including the inevitable physical vibrations caused by drilling noise from the drilling rigs and other machinery noise caused by drilling five wells at a time into bedrock although the plan is to keep Governor’s Drive open throughout and narrowing the traffic to one lane when necessary to accommodate heavy equipment UMass does not appear to have a noise mitigation plan in place Some also worry about the unknown environmental and infrastructural impacts of the proposed drilling particularly so close to a residential neighborhood the UMass representatives noted that there is reliable evidence for the safety of this technology but did not share environmental impact statements They cited the fact that Dartmouth and Amherst Colleges are both working on similar geothermal initiatives these other campus projects appear to also be in the very earliest stages of development and implementation Many community members support clean energy initiatives such as geothermal technology and UMass’ aim of becoming a zero carbon campus by 2050 it is unclear why the well field needs to be located so close to a residential area when other options clearly exist there is a growing discomfort with UMass’ failure to provide plans and concrete data that support the University’s assertion that drilling is without risk We are residents of the Farview neighborhood of North Amherst, that abuts the well field planned by UMass-Amherst as part of a large geothermal project with 2.2M gallons of thermal energy storage which will then be piped to an energy exchange center The project is slated to begin on November 11 Our neighborhood is already subjected to substantial noise and vibration from ongoing UMass construction projects we attended an eleventh-hour UMass information session and sent follow-up questions about the environmental and health implications of the geothermal project but to date Given the magnitude of this project and the uncertainties associated with it we are asking UMass to move the well field to a nearby site that does not abut a residential area We applaud the commitment of the university to attaining net zero carbon emissions the University has not responded to our critical questions about the process of choosing this particular site and about the project’s short- and long-term impacts —Did UMass conduct feasibility studies and/or prepare an environmental impact statement for the geothermal project If yes,.why have these not been made available to the abutters —Why was the project sited for a lot directly adjoining homes in a residential neighborhood?  —What is the rationale for not moving the project approximately 500 yards to the west and duration of noise and vibration will result from the drilling noise mitigation measures has UMass put in place both for the proposed six-plus months of drilling and beyond?  —What research can UMass provide to reassure neighbors concerned about a) possible cracking of their foundations; b) airborne emissions; and c) contamination of ground and/or surface water —It appears that UMass or the Town of Amherst failed to notify the residents of the Amherst Housing Authority duplexes on Fairfield Street whose homes are closest to the proposed well field Given the scope of this project and its potentially critical impact on our health we demand that the proposed geothermal well field be relocated to Parking Lot 26 or another location on the UMass Campus that does not abut a residential neighborhood The signatories are residents of Amherst’s Farview Neighborhood Robin Wood                                                                                                                                                               UMass could create a system whereby residents could join the network at inception or when they are ready to upgrade their heating systems Amherst College could do the same with its geothermal project Amherst History Month by MonthThis column is the third in a series of 10 on towns surrounding Amherst.  Previous columns covered Pelham and Shutesbury Sunderland is a gem of a town that adjoins Amherst where the Franklin and Hampshire county lines meet Sugarloaf (although this stunning landmark is in South Deerfield) and a beloved roadside cafe called Sugarloaf Frostie Sunderland extends south from its ancient caves (a part of Mount Toby) in the north through the neighborhood of Cliffside apartments ‘down’ (south) to Plumtrees and the town border with North Amherst.  Most of present-day Sunderland was portioned off in 1673 from Hadley with Plumtrees added in the 1730s after a period of intense warfare ((Queen Anne’s War 1702-1713) and the Wabanaki-New England War (aka Gray Lock’s or Dummer’s War) – 1722-1725)) Sunderland’s western border hugs the Connecticut river (Kwinitekw in Nipmuc) but today – if we just examine one street in town – it is hard to imagine that School Street (once Bridge Street) a little side street running from North Main Street to the shoreline was the crucial access for most transportation and ferry traffic for the region.  Try thinking back about 200 years to visualize the early 1800s and see a toll house (booth) there (swept away in subsequent ice floes and flooding) People in town then made a living up and down the Kwinitekw River running small businesses or trades that needed a dependable source of water for their survival a Sunderland resident named Ben Toczydlowski built a service station/ice cream store on this same street When a new bridge was built over the river 116) in 1938 and then converted the building into a liquor store A major change of use (that today we would call zoning) to School Street came in the late 1800s when it became much more residential and several homes were built by the shore of the river A new Bridge Street road – parallel to the current School Street – was added in the 1930s a Classical Revival style school building graced School Street designed by Karl Putnam in 1922 (now the town offices).  and offers views of the South Deerfield – Sunderland bridge (just resurfaced) and of First Island It is worth remembering that this mighty body of water has multiple Native names like Quinnehtukqut or Quinetucket (Mohegan) and Kwanutekw (an Abenaki word meaning long river); the word Connecticut takes these different indigenous names creating what is called a “corruption” from the original languages This little guided ‘time machine’ exercise may tell us how much Sunderland has changed but also how much folks here have worked to preserve it There are many helpful resources if we care to learn more although they are too numerous to fully incorporate into this article But one resource is always around and available to us (if we take care to preserve it) and that is the way Sunderland as a town looks today telling us so much in a material sense about New England’s architectural styles. Today you can walk from Millstone Market (itself a modest roadside gem) or the historic Warner Farm/Mike’s Maze on South Main Street down to  #1 view the Benjamin and Thankful Field Graves House built in 1753 As is typical of the saltbox style – seen in places like nearby Hadley and Historic Deerfield a characteristic of this “Georgian” architectural style (named for British kings George II and George III) also known as the First Period architectural style (1675-1775) one of the founding proprietors of Sunderland apparently built this house and lived here His descendants lined Main Street with maple trees and their family descendants still live in town and own the Millstone Market The word “saltbox” tells us about the shape of the house with a roof that extends down at the back to the first story but it is also possible to view the angle in this photograph a person called Erastus Pomeroy lived here from South Hadley to Northfield before the beginning of either rail or trolley systems Freight – still a sight on the railroads today – was later first transported on flatbed trolley cars to the Massachusetts Central Railroad in Amherst that really helped farmers get their goods to more markets (goodbye to scenes from poems in books like ‘The Ox-Cart Cart Man’ by Donald Hall) Both North and South Main Street in Sunderland are lined with historic homes that demonstrate many of the different styles of architecture prevalent in New England since before the Revolutionary War all the way up to the post World War II period But don’t let your guard down for there are other towns around Amherst that show this history What is often harder to see and appreciate on our streets today is the pre-modern history associated with historic plantation settlements This is evident in Sunderland in the form of its older name and in the documentation of its earlier indigenous trail systems that existed prior to the First Period/Colonial era in architectural history in other words before the Graves house was built.  According to many historians who now study this period it is more widely known that land transfers then could have been fraudulent or in some way legally problematic Swampfield’s “plantation” of colonial buildings was imposed on older trail networks and ancient thoroughfares stewarded by generations of Norotuck Incorporated as the town of Sunderland in 1718 the local historical society still bears the name of Swampfield as does a road in town by the new Elementary School When the town’s founders (called proprietors) called a minister to settle the first meetinghouse built around 1717 (now long gone but close to School Street (near the Sunderland Convenience Corner) they were compensated for their labors in pork from pigs raised on the land) and in crops harvested nearby on the Connecticut river Like the richer communities of nearby Hadley and Hatfield, where the “River Gods” lived Sunderland farmers began growing broom corn as a cash crop and then settled on tobacco around 1859 Unique barns for this crop start to dot the local landscape by the mid-nineteenth century there were about 666 people living in Sunderland Most were farmers who began to stall-feed cattle learning that by rearing cows inside in the long winter months they could feed them up then take them to market in Brighton to be sold in the spring Middle Connecticut River settlement farmers also learned trades associated with livestock farming like making butter tanning and curing animal hides to diversify their businesses Two places in Sunderland had tanning shops (no not that kind!) on North Main Street in the mid-1800s A few farmers made churning butter their specialty a traditional craft that was mostly done inside the household  There is a delightful poem by a young Seamus Heaney called “Churning Day” that offers an insight into the miracle that is butter forming from cream in old Northern Irish farmhouses but the atmosphere might also have been found here: They poured hot water then, sterilized a birchwood bowland little corrugated butter-spades.Their short stroke quickened suddenlya yellow curd was weighting the churned-up whiteheavy and rich in a wide tin strainer, heaped up like gilded gravel in the bowl.” there was a local bank at 108 North Main St that became a general store in 1832 and is now the Blue Heron restaurant A Town House – at 104 North Main St – was designed in the Greek Revival architectural style between 1820-1828 church and state separated in Sunderland and a parish formed with a Congregational church My other architectural gem comes from an area closer to Amherst [The Plumtrees area was added to the town in 1729 and was settled in 1730.] This is Sunderland’s only brick Federal style house with a hipped roof Window lintels and sills are all made of granite The main door is framed with a semicircular fanlight (shaped like a fan made of glass) over supporting pilasters (columns that suggest structural weight-bearing but are decorative) and recessed sidelights of small glass panes This house was built by Charles Cooley in 1815 a great grandson of Simon Cooley who was one of the original Sunderland proprietors It may have been connected as a property to #3 Plumtrees Road Similar brick Federal homes are in North Amherst (the Joseph Cowles House known now as the Black Walnut Inn built in 1821) that is attached to a Stick style barn and Historic Deerfield’s earlier Federal home called the Stebbins House (1799) that possibly revealed the hand of the architect Asher Benjamin In case the editor finds this poem a bit too obscure https://mathworld.wolfram.com/PerfectNumber.html For information on the origin of the name of the town of Sunderland and other towns in this series, see the wonderful, detailed podcasts about Western Mass History https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/western-mass-history/id1632995122 .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Liesel NygardAs temperatures drop next week Amherst will open facilities for people to “stay safe and warm,” town officials said in a statement Individuals are encouraged to visit these locations on Tuesday One of the locations will be inside the Bangs Community Center in the glass room at 70 Boltwood Walk The space will be staffed by the Community Responders for Equity offering hot beverages and information on available resources “Anyone in need of a warm place during the extreme cold is encouraged to visit,” Amherst town officials said in a statement Amherst’s public libraries will also be open to the public during normal operating hours In addition to the warming center and libraries, Craig’s Doors at 434 N Residents can contact the shelter at 413-256-0704 if they need information on available shelter space or resources after standard hours People can also warm up in the lobby of the Amherst Police Department during the coldest nights Those who experience heating system malfunctions during extreme cold and the landlord is unresponsive are encouraged to contact the Town of Amherst Inspection Services can be reached at 413-259-3030 from 8 a.m people can call the police department’s business line at 413-259-3000 “The Town of Amherst prioritizes the safety and well-being of all community members during this time,” the release states “We urge everyone to take necessary precautions check on vulnerable neighbors and utilize available resources.” For more information about the warming centers contact the Public Health Department at 413-259-3077 or email publichealth@amherstma.gov Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from Herrell's in Northampton “It’s a stripped-down Herrell’s,” said Herrell’s owner Judith Herrell “It’s just going to be cones and cups and sundaes.” president of Herrell's Ice Cream in Northampton contractors are extending plumbing for dipping wells and building a front counter and side table for all those goodies and Herrell’s famous hot fudge The pop up will be in the former Graze Craze space But this less-than-1,000-square-foot location is a first step. Herrell said Wednesday she plans a larger 1,500-square-foot shop in a nearby space — between Carefree Cakery and Provisions — in this same Mill District complex. It will take longer to build out and won’t be open until sometime this winter. The site will have more products, but manufacturing will stay in Northampton. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Mill District (@themilldistrictna) The Mill District offers foot traffic and visibility that Herrell said she’s been looking for “It just felt like the right place to go,” she said The Mill District is just 25 minutes from Herrell’s main location in Thorne’s Marketplace in downtown Northampton “This is going to be the first of an expansion of company stores,” Herrell said It’s also the first new location owned by Herrell’s in 25 years Herrell’s offers ice cream wholesale to shops — Herrell’s Spots, they are called — including Lickety Split in Williamstown and Richardson’s Candy Kitchen in Deerfield Herrell’s ex-husband, Steve Herrell, founded the business in Somerville back in 1973 and is credited with having created the ”smoosh in,” which is ice cream with chunks of candy or broken cookies The Mill District is a creation of ninth-generation family-owned W.D. Cowls Inc “We are very excited,” said Arthur Haskins Cowls’ vice president of real estate and community development “We have been trying to build an experiential downtown The commercial and residential properties in The Mill District opened in 2019 and 2020 but filling them was delayed by the pandemic There are only two commercial spaces left vacant (three after Herrell’s vacates its pop-up) spirits and gourmet food shop that also expanded from Northampton; Carefree Cakery; The Mill District General Store; The Closet; The Mill District Local Art Gallery; Soulful Pet Studios; Futura Coffee; 3 Amigos Restaurant; The Lift Salon; Big Basket International Market; Amherst House of Pizza; and Cowls Building Supply View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Mill District (@themilldistrictna) AMHERST — A future site for supportive affordable housing and a permanent homeless shelter on Main Street is ready for development following the recent demolition of the former VFW headquarters for the Earl J featuring a banquet hall on one floor and a bar on the lower level Town officials are hoping to use the property just under an acre and acquired for $775,000 from the Earl J for a new building that may include affordable apartments currently located in a North Amherst church Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek said the town continues to work with The Narrow Gate architects of Boston on the plans and in September will be presenting findings from that forum and likely unveiling conceptual plans for the site town officials toured Father Bill’s Place and MainSpring in Quincy to get ideas including a temporary shelter that includes transitional housing along with a resource center for people to find jobs Many people in town have memories of the building that was built mostly by World War II veterans funerals and other gatherings held in the hall over the years; and the downstairs dining area and kitchen where the public could order fish and chips on Fridays The last drinks were hoisted at the bar in February 2020 just weeks before the onset of the COVID pandemic The Narrow Gate is also working with Way Finders on developing 70 or so affordable homes in East Amherst Bluebird on East and Bluebird on Nine are the names of those developments the former incorporating the former East Street School while the latter is planned for vacant properties on Belchertown Road AMHERST — The splash pad at Groff Park is reopened after repairs were completed Wednesday afternoon by the Department of Public Works The repairs were finished after a replacement motor that had been ordered arrived in town While the spray park is back open for the first time in July the restroom facilities at both Groff Park and Puffer’s Pond remain closed The bathrooms aren’t operational due to a water main break near the Mill Lane site At Puffer’s Pond off State Street in North Amherst though people can use the beach and the trails nearby Water samples are collected and tested from both the north and south beaches and even if one tests as safe and within the normal E the entire pond is closed to swimming out of an abundance of caution including the full-size War Memorial Pool and Mill River Recreation Area Pool AMHERST — Puffer’s Pond is being closed to swimming after high levels of E coli bacteria were measured in the water in the latest round of water analysis testing After being closed for several weeks at the end of last summer due to the same concerns over E had remained open for swimming throughout the warm spells this spring and summer Assistant Town Manger David Ziomek said Tuesday he will be putting up signs at the beach and parking areas that Puffer’s will remain closed for the next week to determine if the water has returned to safe levels A warning is also posted on the town website we recommend not swimming in Puffer’s Pond until new water testing results are posted.” Ziomek told the Conservation Commission that various studies are ongoing in an effort to determine why the E coli bacteria often exceeds limits and how to improve the pond coli bacteria tests come after rainy weather and downpours though it’s uncertain how runoff from the brooks and streams that feed Puffer’s Pond contribute to this The samples collected at the pond are brought to the Department of Public Works’ wastewater treatment plant on Mullins Drive The closing of Puffer’s Pond comes as the spray park at Groff Park recently broke down and is offline with a part ordered so repairs can be made Amherst Communications Manager Samanthan Giffen said with the splash pad not in use families with younger children are encouraged to head to the wading pool at Mill River Recreation Area both the full-size Mill River and War Memorial pools are open daily the cost is $5 for a day pass and for children residents the charge is $4 for day pass The town website has more details about the admission charges season passes and the times when there are open and lap swims AMHERST — A working group may soon be formed to examine the future of a public golf course in North Amherst that has long relied on municipal funding to remain solvent greens fees and assorted other revenues are supposed to cover all operating expenses With annual deficits continuing in the operating budget for Cherry Hill Golf Course Recreation Director Rey Harp told the Recreation Commission at a recent meeting that he will be submitting a proposal to create the Cherry Hill Working Group to Town Manager Paul Bockelman While Harp said the golf course doesn’t have to be a money maker for the Recreation Department or turn much of a profit the $54,000 and $50,000 shortfall between anticipated revenues and actual expenses in the first two years he has overseen the department is an ongoing worry “I’m in trouble if I bring in a budget that is that far overspent,” Harp said “The budgetary complication is being underfunded The fiscal year 2025 budget book prepared by Bockelman shows that the town will appropriate $234,923 for personnel and operating expenses at the 323 Montague Road site with revenue projections at $226,144 from the sale of memberships greens fees and money from the pro shop that sells associated products for both conventional golf and disc golf Adult memberships for Amherst residents are $615 and for nonresidents $667 with prices reduced for those 17 and under and those 62 and over Harp said the current structure is not sustainable “Our budget doesn’t align with operational responsibility right now,” Harp said The budget book also references upcoming objectives including expanding Family Day features to bring in parent-child groupings thus introducing Cherry Hill to families and new generations; looking at the structural and financial long-term viability of the course under the existing budget; and working in partnership with other town staff North Amherst community members and business leaders and Cherry Hill members to develop the clubhouse and increase the revenue it can bring in to make recommendations to the town manager should look at what the real costs of running a golf course are by looking at comparable municipal nine-hole golf courses One consideration could be hiring an outside management company to handle operations The working group may also assess the general long-term viability of golf in Amherst The working group would be assembled by the town manager though the hope is to have Recreation Commission members serve on the panel alongside other town residents The rounds of golf in recent years peaked in fiscal year 2021 and went down to 8,829 in fiscal year 2023 Weather can play a role in fluctuations of how often people are out on the course designed by Dave Maxson and opening in 1963 as a private enterprise frequently came under criticism from late Amherst resident and Town Meeting member Larry Kelley after the town bought the golf course and surroundings and preventing a private housing development Leisure Services and Supplemental Education which was renamed the Recreation Department Kelley estimated that in the first 20 years the golf course cost the town $900,000 in deficits said he would like to see if there are other revenue sources The annual WinterFest has been staged on site Commission member Chris Pariseau said revenues may depend on having members bring more guests and having more options Even reducing membership fees may bring in more revenue if more memberships are sold acknowledging that raising these fees to closer to what it costs to join private golf clubs may push people toward those other options While Cherry Hill had been competing with two private clubs in town Recreation Commission Chairman Andrew MacDougall said there is a question about whether the town can have a loss leader that is for the public benefit during a discussion with the Select Board about the shortfalls between revenues and expenses “we need to decide if it’s an activity we want to support financially.” MacDougall said he finds that the golf course is in good shape and that it should be an attractive option for those who play the sport “We just need more people to come out and golf,” MacDougall said Report on the Meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded. It can be viewed here After owning and running the Black Walnut Inn at 1184 North Pleasant Street for over 30 years Daniel Burbine plans to sell the 10-room bed and breakfast to Justin and Meaghan Killeen Managers Gail and Darren Chevalier will live in the carriage house on site which is listed on the Massachusetts Cultural Information System of the Massachusetts Historical Society represented by Attorney Tom Reidy of the Bacon Wilson law firm requested a change in the previously-issued special permits that state that the permits expire with change of ownership Reidy asked that the permit be modified to require the new owner to appear before the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) for approval of the management plan He also asked for an updated site plan to be approved since the previous site plan included a second parking area off Meadow Street that was never built There was no public comment on the modification of the permit and little discussion among ZBA members The permit and site plan modification were approved unanimously Hearings on Red Gate Lane and North Whitney Street PostponedAccording to Reidy Jonathan Klate requested that the public hearing on his request to sell a flag lot at 47 Red Gate Lane for construction of a single-family home be postponed until October 10 to give him a chance to continue to speak to neighbors about his plans Mathena Morrissey asked that her proposal to convert a single-family home at 180 North Whitney Street to a non-owner-occupied duplex be postponed to July 25 Upcoming ZBA HearingsIn addition to Morrissey’s proposal for North Whitney Street the July 25 ZBA meeting will include an update on the Shutesbury Road solar project and an application for a renewal of the permit for the Lane Quarry at the Notch Attorney Jonathan Murray will outline the general aspects of solar permitting for the ZBA.   The official ribbon cutting for the expanded North Amherst Library took place under sunny skies and 80 degree temperatures on Thursday librarians,  town employees and grateful North Amherst residents was the anonymous donor for the $2 million project who Town Manager Paul Bockelman revealed to be long-time North Amherst resident Hilda Greenbaum Greenbaum missed the festivities due to illness but the program was recorded for her to enjoy Greenbaum’s son Joel and daughter Jessie were in attendance Joel said that his mother is an avid reader and a long-time user of the library but several years ago realized that the charming 1890’s building had significant shortcomings a single restroom in the basement and no accessible entrance She approached her family about remedying the situation with a new addition containing accessible restrooms and a community room “I already called Paul,” Joel recalled his mother telling him The rest of the family felt this was a fitting legacy for Greenbaum to give to the town.  an elevator running between the main library and the lower level containing the community room and restrooms and a revitalized interior including a welcoming A series of speakers praised Greenbaum for her service to the town and shared stories of the importance of the North Amherst Library in their own lives.   The ribbon cutting ceremony  was enhanced by beautiful plantings newly planted by Facilities Maintenance Manager Jeremiah LaPlante and delicious cupcakes sandwiches and beverages provided by the District One Neighborhood Association Music was provided by the North Amherst String Band District 1 plans to hold its public meetings in the new meeting room.  The North Amherst Library’s hours are Monday 3:30-7:30; Tuesday 10:00-2:00; Wednesday 3:30-7:30; Thursday CLOSED; Friday 10:00-2:00; Saturday 10:00-2:00; Sunday CLOSED Such an generous and impactful contribution Amherst is SO fortunate to have you as a community member I’m glad that we can publicly acknowledge Hilda’s great gift to Amherst And thanks to all whose work and vision sustained the beauty character and scale of this great building I’m overwhelmed by these gracious comments I knew of the Holden window factory but did not know they made Deerfield interiors I remember when it before removed for the ugly gas station A big part of my motivation was to beautify a gateway to the Town—very shabby and more and more embarrassing as UMass improves its campus thoughtful contribution to our community that will last forever!!! Hilda but your son Joel and family did a very nice job in your absence I couldn’t help but think of Louis and how pleased he would be I always thought of you as quite a positive And thank you to Hilda and the Greenbaum family for their extraordinary generosity and public spiritedness I hope that the North Amherst Branch serves the community well for decades to come plays during the reopening of the North Amherst Library on Monday Following a $1.7 million expansion project the library is now fully accessible and offers public bathrooms for the first time Art and Maura Keene descend the stairs to the lower-level addition Barbara and Jocelyn Ford walk up the stairs during the reopening of the North Amherst Library on Monday Pam Rooney looks over a DVD with Hilda Greenbaum during the reopening of the North Amherst Library on Monday Art and Maura Keene descend the stars during the reopening of the North Amherst Library on Monday Molly Turner looks over the community room during the reopening of the North Amherst Library on Monday The North Amherst Library reopened during its Monday reopening AMHERST — Arriving at the North Amherst Library from their home a short distance away Monday afternoon parked their scooters at the base of a new staircase and chairlift excitedly looking up from the $1.7 million addition into the original 1893 building “Do we have to pay?” Zahir asked his mother The children then climbed the stairs into the main building through a space where the grand fireplace had once been located reacquainting themselves with the familiar part of the building Elsia found a book and settled into a chair “This means access to a library without having to go downtown.” She also cited the importance of having restrooms “No bathroom here was challenging for kids,” Kazazi said with public restrooms available for the first time added 1,200 square feet of space for restrooms the chairlift between the original floor and the addition and a community room that can accommodate 40 to 45 people The work was completed by Wright Builders of Northampton One of the first through the library’s new entrance from its large a longtime North Amherst resident whose late husband once served as an elected trustee for the Jones Library there was a line of people waiting to get in “I think it’s a miracle,” said Merrylees Turner along with Hilda Greenbaum and Patricia Holland spearheaded a Town Meeting appropriation to study how to modernize the building Turner said she is an advocate for Amherst having multiple library venues “It’s very good to have branches — it relieves pressure on the downtown Jones and serves more people than just those in downtown,” Turner said a member of the District One Neighborhood Association “I’m thrilled because this project keeps the heart of our town.” The steady stream of people dropping by Monday to check out the new space included many families whose children had the opportunity to participate in a scavenger hunt do “take-and-makes” and receive tote bags and gift certificates to the Mill District General Store greeted patrons and checked out books throughout the afternoon and evening After operating from a storefront at the North Square at the Mill District for more than a year Pendroff said the staff was just as excited to get back into the branch Pendroff said some shelf space was adjusted to make sure all spaces are fully accessible to wheelchairs DVDs and other materials back where they had been as much as possible though these may be limited until furnishings arrive for the community room Others who dropped by also complimented the finished product “This is beautiful,” said Cushman resident Barbara Ford “This is really wonderful,” added resident Maura Keene who has led the development of the Mill District dropped off a peace lily plant and praised the attention to detail in the building including matching woodwork on the inside and the style of windows “This is thoughtful architecture,” Jones said Not having restrooms previously limited the use of the building for Cory Rundle who was celebrating a birthday by doing a coloring activity who even though he had only been to the library once before recognized that it now has more space “It’s double the size of the previous one,” Ezra said The library will be open Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will be closed on Thursdays and Sundays The North Amherst Library reopened on Monday afternoon (2/5) after being closed for 20 months for renovations There was no formal opening ceremony; that will come in the spring but there was a festive atmosphere nonetheless as Amherst residents packed the cozy building to get a look at the new space. Renovations included expanding the original 926 sq comprised of a community meeting room that can accommodate 50 people and a wheel chair accessible lift providing access from the rear parking lot and community room level to the main library.   The delight with the new space was apparent among the visitors although several expressed disappointment that the community room was locked and is unfurnished.  There were no indications when the room would be opened to the public Architect Chris Farley was on hand and received accolades from those who recognized him the other two being the Spear Memorial Library in Shutesbury and Meekins Library in Williamsburg The project for the addition took form in 2017 when Town Meeting allocated $50,000 for a design study. In 2018 the Friends of the North Amherst Library requested $45,000 of Community Preservation Act historical preservation funds to begin raising money for a single unisex bathroom and an elevator an anonymous donor offered to fund the more ambitious expansion which was completed at a total cost of $2 million.  See additional pictures of opening day and another story in the Daily Hampshire Gazette I stopped by this morning to check out the new space and it is beautiful Thank you to the donor who paid for the addition I hope furniture can be shared from other places in town (the Jones both seem to have plenty of folding chairs) so that the community room can be put to use This library is far more convenient for me to pick up interlibrary loan books since it is closer to my home and has free parking right outside At a ribbing-cutting ceremony Thursday to mark the reopening of the North Amherst Library the public found out for the first time that resident Hilda Greenbaum was the anonymous donor who funded the $1.7 million project A ceremonial ribbon-cutting took place on Thursday for the completed renovation of the North Amherst Library At a ribbing-cutting ceremony Thursday to officially mark the reopening of the North Amherst Library Standing with Greenbaum is Barbara Puffer-Garnier AMHERST — An avid reader throughout her life who often brought her three children to the North Amherst Library as they were growing up Hilda Greenbaum saw the need to improve the 1893 building to ensure it would continue to serve future generations “North Amherst Library has been a home away from home,” said Joel Greenbaum speaking at a ceremonial ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon The event was an occasion to recognize and thank Greenbaum and her family for making what had been an anonymous $1.7 million donation to fund the expansion of the 1,080-square-foot which reopened to patrons earlier this year The project added 1,200 square feet of space for restrooms a chairlift between the original floor and the addition and a community room that can accommodate 40 to 45 people While Hilda Greenbaum took ill and couldn’t be at the ceremony Joel Greenbaum said the rejuvenated library exemplifies everything about her from the concept of historic preservation to the gardens that surround the building joking that all that was needed to make it like home was a few bird feeders Joel Greenbaum said the donation also represents the generosity of his family’s time and service to the town where both his parents were Town Meeting members Hilda Greenbaum continues to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals and her late husband Louis Greenbaum was an elected member of the Jones Library trustees including a performance by the North Amherst String Band and was being recorded so Hilda Greenbaum could enjoy it “She said the show must go on,” Joel Greenbaum said Town Manager Paul Bockelman recounted the process of receiving the gift with Hilda Greenbaum telling him she was to make the donation and then beginning the process that led to a Town Council vote to accept the gift and subsequent approvals of plans by Kuhn Riddle Architects and construction by Wright Builders Bockelman said he offered praise to Greenbaum but couldn’t divulge her name publicly until this week “I had the honor of being the first person to say thank you to Hilda,” Bockelman said The library has been open for several weeks but the community room will get its first use when Cathy Schoen and Freke Ette hold a district meeting there May 19 at 3 p.m “This beautiful gift you’ve given North Amherst is just amazing,” said Council President Lynn Griesemer Mindy Domb said Greenbaum represents a role model of someone who gets things done for the community North Amherst resident Mary Sayer said Greenbaum who she calls the “fairy Godmother,” understands the magic of libraries and that the gift extends the life of a building and opens it up for other uses Others who were thanked included Molly Turner a former president of the Jones Library trustees who was in attendance who both joined Hilda Greenbaum in advocating for the branch library at Town Meeting Several councilors and current trustees and former branch librarians were on hand to cut the ribbon Rhode Island resident and the great-granddaughter of Charles Henry Haskins Hankinson said the builders did a reasonably good job of matching the addition to the original and she appreciates that the library will continue to be part of the community of the village center Hankinson brought historic photos that were displayed inside the building showing the evolution of North Amherst center and her family’s involvement in it including grandfather Henry Haskins being the architect for the former North Amherst School Aspen Heights Partners is completing its 197-unit student housing development called Aspen Buffalo along Interstate 990 in Amherst Construction has increased in this area of the town which used to be notable for how wide open it was A construction site on Dodge Road near Sweet Home Road in Amherst is part of an increase in the use of undeveloped land in the northern portion of town the more rural northern parts of Amherst are seeing a surge of new development projects that are bringing hundreds of new apartments aimed at young professionals A five-acre property on North French Road that houses the Greater Buffalo Gymnastics Center may get another retail building while Amherst plans a new inclusive playground in Dana Heights From the new student, senior and market-rate housing near University at Buffalo’s North Campus, to Muir Woods, to projects along Dodge Road developers are eying the vast swaths of undeveloped land in Buffalo’s largest suburb seeing new opportunities to meet a seemingly insatiable demand That has made the area a hot spot for new construction while also adding some more retail space to the market And it has Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa concerned about what all the development will mean for the rest of Amherst Houses line a pond at the Preserve at Muir Woods property What it means at the moment is a lot of construction activity and new buildings in an area that used to be notable for how wide open it was At Muir Woods, Ryan Homes built a new housing subdivision called The Preserve while Aspen Heights Partners is completing a 197-unit student housing development called Aspen Buffalo And Severyn Development has kicked off work on its $72 million Sawyer’s Landing to complete the trifecta of development with another 180 apartments and duplex units Anthony Cimato’s Cimato Enterprises and Elliot Lasky’s Forbes Development are teaming up for a residential and mixed-use project on North French Road sandwiched between Interstate 990 and the CrossPoint Business Park This site plan shows the layout of the proposed new mixed-housing development being proposed for Amherst between the Interstate 990 expressway and CrossPoint Business Park The duo is proposing to construct a combination of 275 single-family homes as well as the eastern part of 999 Campbell Blvd although only 47.5 acres would be disturbed with the rest as wetlands and stormwater detention ponds The wooded and grassy site is bordered by the highway with a National Grid right of way running north-south through the center It is across from the intersection of Miller Road and North French A map showing the location of the proposed mixed-housing development being planned by Anthony Cimato and Elliot Lasky the developers – through SBLC Development Corp – are first asking the Town Board and Town Planning Board to amend the bicentennial comprehensive plan and the zoning for the properties from recreation and suburban agriculture to suburban corridor also will be combined into a single parcel it will include 27.46 acres of single-family zoning and 17.05 acres of multifamily zoning the project requires area variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals site plan and subdivision approval from the Planning Board The developers also plan to seek tax breaks from the Amherst Industrial Development Agency the project would be constructed in four phases from March 2025 through 2028 Work is set to begin in July on a solar energy project in northwest Amherst now that the town has granted most of the necessary approvals and the company has received the tax breaks it sought North Amherst has some of the town’s highest concentrations of available land but officials say they want to proceed judiciously in reviewing future growth in this part of Amherst Kulpa said in an interview that the town wants to preserve land historically used for farming and has worked to slow down requests from developers to reclassify properties zoned for suburban agriculture use New development in north Amherst has a townwide impact and stormwater in that part of Amherst has to be taken seriously,” Kulpa said once the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village shifts from its current home at Tonawanda Creek and New roads the town would offer a section of the former museum property and the neighboring former Oakwood Golf Course to a developer and he has envisioned using the land for cricket fields and pickleball courts “I would never want to see that developed for anything but recreation purposes,” he said Another issue for north Amherst residents is a financial one Kulpa pointed out: They pay the highest fire district taxes in the town because there are so few residential and commercial properties within the North Amherst Fire District “We have to figure out a way to deal with that,” he said without sacrificing some of the town’s most valuable remaining green space He declined to comment on the specifics of the Cimato and Lasky development plan because it is just beginning to make its way through the review process though he noted the parcels in question are more centrally located near the 990-North French interchange “I’m interested to see what the Planning Board has to say about it,” Kulpa said last week In an initial blow to the project’s prospects Planning Board members Thursday night voted 5-0 to recommend that the Town Board deny the developer’s request to amend the comprehensive plan Reach Jonathan D. Epstein at (716) 849-4478 or jepstein@buffnews.com Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly Email notifications are only sent once a day Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa speaks at a Town Board meeting on Feb Electricity generated by the array will be used by the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority which maintains housing for low- and moderate-inco… The board’s action concludes a regulatory saga that has dragged on since Cimato’s first application to the town in 1999 Marrano Homes is ready to start the final phase of its Heather Woods residential neighborhood in the Town of Lockport those tax breaks were worth $71.37 per person across Western New York The company is seeking a delivery rate increase that would add about $19 a month to the monthly bill of a typical residential customer using 6… The area around Campbell Boulevard and North French Road in North Amherst near the I-990 is being transformed by development Severyn Development will receive $8.5 million in sales property and mortgage-recording tax breaks from the agency in support of its $54 milli… Severyn Development is reducing the number of apartments in its Sawyer's Landing mixed-use project at Muir Woods and trimming its retail space… Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account closed since the spring of 2022 for a $1.7 million project to make the 1893 building fully accessible and provide public bathrooms for the first time added 1,200 square feet of space for bathrooms the branch’s services were offered from a temporary space at the North Square in the Mill District with identical hours every Monday and Wednesday who represents the part of town where the library is located said at a Town Council meeting earlier in January that there is much anticipation for the branch’s reopening as well as a willing group of donors who will help purchase chairs so the meeting room can be usable The project also included creating a larger parking lot to the rear landscaping and removal of a dilapidated service station A ribbon-cutting is likely later this year for when the weather is appropriate for an outdoor gathering others condemn federal report urging therapy as brazen UMass researchers discover rare rabbit ticks in Maine that carry new strain of bacteria AMHERST — University of Massachusetts researchers have uncovered rabbit ticks in Maine that harbor a new strain of bacteria related to pathogens known to cause spotted fever in humans The library design is in the Queen Anne style which was typical of much of Putnam’s work  The project for the addition took form in 2017 when Town Meeting allocated $50,000 for a design study of the library an anonymous donor offered to fund a more ambitious expansion of the library to include an accessible addition with two bathrooms a community meeting room that will accommodate 40-50 people and Wright Builders will do the construction The construction will add 1,210 square feet to the library’s current 926 square foot building and is expected to cost $1.7 million The library will close in July and construction will likely take 10 or 11  months once begun The library’s collections will be moved to a space in the nearby Mill District and will remain accessible during construction In preparation for the renovation/expansion project the last day of services at the North Amherst Library will be Saturday staff will start boxing-up materials in order to get ready for them to be moved to the interim location at 81 Cowls Road (The Mill District) I think it’s great that the town takes architecture and historic preservation seriously because it’s these historic buildings that give Amherst a special sense of place The North Amherst library addition demonstrates that in the hands of talented architects these older buildings can be adapted to current needs without losing their original character.” Town Manager Paul Bockleman opened the ceremony by thanking all who had made the day possible He noted that this was the first new building to be constructed in Amherst in decades and he hoped that it marked the first of several such ceremonies to be held in the near future He also observed that the plans for the  design of the addition were received enthusiastically and without criticism which he termed a possible first for Amherst “The renovated library will be an iconic addition to North Amherst Center and fits in perfectly into its setting.” Town Council President Lynn Griesemer gave heartfelt thanks to the anonymous donor and recognition of the three women who she said got the project started Cowls president Cinda Jones for providing space for the library collections in the Mill District during renovation conceptualized the project (along with Pat Holland who was not present) and shepherded it from start to finish Turner is a former Jones Library trustee president and Greenbaum has long been active in historic preservation efforts around town who has lived on Summer Street in North Amherst his entire life and was her school bus driver Nancy Jenks Hankinson  grew up in North Amherst She told of how her great-grandfather built the North Amherst library in 1893 we’re getting something that is the same design as what he created way back when!” She brought pictures of North Amherst Center from the 1900s as well as pictures of the library when it was brand new and it was reported in the Daily Hampshire Gazette of his time that he had “the best private library this side of New York City” Muspratt said,  “[Putnam’s] reverence for books shines forth in his designs….I think it’s great that the town takes architecture and historic preservation seriously because it’s these historic buildings that give Amherst a special sense of place Jessica Mix Barrington spoke on behalf of the District One Neighborhood Association (DONA) which has been a consistent advocate for the North Amherst library renovation and has worked to build strong community ties and commitments in North Amherst She said that the library is “the heart of the North Amherst community” and welcomed the enhancements that are now under way “These changes will allow us to bring more people together under the library’s roof more often,” she said W.D Cowls President Cinda Jones said that her family calls North Amherst “the dirty hands district,” as this is where the farms and the factories used to be located She said it is a place where hard work and dirty hands get things done She recounted some of the history of North Amherst great-grandfather was one of the 45 dues-paying members ($45 dues) who created the North Amherst Library Association (NALA) which was responsible for building the library She said that soon after the library was completed 65 residents created the North Amherst Village Improvement Society She pointed to the continuity of community involvement in North Amherst saying that yesterday’s NALA is today’s anonymous donor Town Councilor Cathy Schoen (District 1) recounted how important the North Amherst Library was to her kids who used to hang out there after school used the library nearly daily and was well-known and warmly welcomed by the librarians Town Councilor Michele Miller (District 1) said she is looking forward to holding district meetings in the community room at the library Note: Meg Gage contributed to this article. See her preview of the groundbreaking here. sensitively done to the original library’s look Many thanks to the donor’s generosity and thoughtfulness a page will be taken out of this book for the Jones Library Build on the beauty of what we have in Amherst–and add to it It was truly a joyous community event much appreciated by all who attended I felt it duly honored the generous anonymous donor So sad that only one current Jones’ trustee came and Director Sharon Sharry was nowhere in sight And three cheers for the designers who recognize the importance of historic preservation And three loud cheers for the community members who have brought this long needed project to fruition without burdening taxpayers News 4 Buffalo Amherst Police in apparent stand-off on North Bailey Local film industry happy with proposed foreign film tariff Buffalo-Niagara Honor Flight Mission 19 was the 'time of a lifetime' Veterans and organizers from Buffalo-Niagara Honor Flight discuss Mission 19 parking ramp authority in proposed NYS budget A look inside Upstate Steel’s production of steel for new Bills stadium NF man found incompetent to stand trial for fatal assault Buffalo Police mourns officer’s death due to flu North Park Theatre provides moviegoers with new 4K laser projection Ryan calls on Scanlon to stop alleged plans to ‘sell off’ city’s cultural assets Buffalo man facing murder charge after allegedly stabbing teen sister to death We urge the residents of Amherst to join us in supporting the proposed Valley CDC project “Amherst Community Homes,” to build 30 homes to be owned by first-time home-owners on the parcel on the corner of Montague and Pulpit Rill Roads.  We live across Montague Road from the site and also own the home on Pulpit Hill Road many reasons to support this project which we are confident you have heard Amherst needs more affordable housing particularly for home-ownership; the building design is based on sustainable development principles and passive solar PV systems are anticipated; resale restrictions will assure properties won’t be flipped for profit; a large part of the property will remain open with opportunities for community gardens We are delighted with all of these features.  However our enthusiasm is also rooted in how wonderful this project will be for North Amherst.  While almost all parts of Amherst are struggling to maintain affordable family neighborhoods in the face of speculation and a rental market that is off the charts North Amherst has been hit harder than most.  North Amherst abuts the north end of campus and is the site of ten apartment complexes and entire streets that are almost entirely rentals.  Our North Amherst community will be greatly enhanced by 30 additional families who own their homes and aren’t going anywhere North Amherst is a part of town that welcomes affordable housing We are proud to be the home of the Survival Center and some people are more directly affected than others.  But generally and will welcome these families to our neighborhood Steve King (steveinamherst47@gmail.com) and Meg Gage (meginamherst@gmail.com) are residents of North Amherst Thank you for this support and for letting residents know how to voice theirs as well Without the maximum local preference we will fall further in the hole As a North Amherst neighbor to this proposed project I agree with Stephen and Meg I do however want to state here as I have in the feedback portal for the planning department that the town needs to earmark funds and commit to immediate major pedestrian safety and traffic flow changes to North Amherst center Not only in preparation for an increase in car traffic and young family pedestrian traffic related to this project If you have ever sat for 15 minutes and then navigated the clusterf**k intersection of Pine Montague Rd(Rt 63) and Sunderland Roads mornings and afternoon and after work evening time you can understand the challenge Those of us who live here and need to navigate through this part of town to get to work or shopping multiple times a day have major concerns that have yet to be addressed in any long term plans for this part of town more cars entering and exiting the main streets and we have a potential tragedy in the making We have been witness to quite a few near misses accidents and deaths due to poor visibility insufficient traffic flow controls and safe pedestrian and bike options We are excited to welcome young families and to increase the diversity of our beloved North Amherst community and are expecting the town to invest in the health and safety measures necessary to safeguard all of us We struggle to make ends meet every month Are we eligible for one of the homes to be built in Amherst owner of the Amherst House of Pizza (AHOP) in Riverside Plaza for the past 13 years a breakfast and lunch eatery at the former site of Jake’s in the Trolley Barn Although the North Amherst restaurant has been open for about three weeks the official ribbon cutting took place on Friday December 16 with celebratory mimosas and a full house of patrons When asked why he wanted to open a second restaurant Perez said he felt that Amherst needed another breakfast place He also wants to do something different by offering Salvadoran dishes in addition to traditional breakfast fare and omelets and features coffee from Esselon and Pierce Brothers Perez said that the staff at Cisco’s is a completely different crew than the team working at AHOP Because Cisco’s is open Tuesday through Sunday He hopes business at Cisco’s will pick up as people become aware that it is open and want to sample a different type of breakfast fare.After connecting with her seventh constituent while dining at Cisco’s on Friday morning District One Town Councilor Michele Miller exclaimed: “This place feels like Cheers – everybody knows your name – and is so welcoming I look forward to hosting district meetings here I tried the Huevos Rancheros and it was delicious.” Amherst Area Chamber Executive Director Claudia Pazmany was excited to bring out her gigantic scissors for the fourth grand opening event in the Mill District in recent months “I have had the joy of witnessing this Mill District neighborhood blossom They have pulled the community together for outdoor cinema Cisco’s Café Amherst is a welcome addition that helps complete The Mill District as a community.” Cisco’s is the latest addition to an expanding collection of community oriented businesses in the village center in North Amherst, centered on the Mill District Highly recommend- had delicious pupusas yesterday I was there on Sunday and saw many familiar faces there too The veggie omelette (with home fries and toast and added bacon) was delicious So happy to have a good breakfast option in North Amherst