By Nick Grabbe

Why are Amherst roads under construction in September, when traffic is at its heaviest? I asked Guilford Mooring, the superintendent of public works, this and other questions in a recent interview. Here are highlights of our conversation.

Road Repair in September

The repairs to Belchertown Road, which occasionally require detours to Stanley and South East Streets, will continue through this month. Other construction sites include Heatherstone Road, South Pleasant Street, and the intersection of Potwine Lane and West Street.

One of the most disruptive projects, because of its location, is due to take place this month or in October. It will be near the central intersection of downtown Amherst, as crews work to clean up the area around the North Common project, reestablishing grades at crosswalks and redefining curb heights, said Mooring.

I asked Mooring why road repair is happening this month instead of in June, July and August, which would have minimized the inconvenience to motorists. He said that the contractors in the area schedule their work so they can have a full season, typically April to November.

“This schedule has to take into account all their jobs, supply issues for some of the materials, weather, emergencies and any work restrictions placed on them,” he said. “To restrict Amherst road work to three months of a six-to-eight-month season is a little unrealistic, considering the number of communities and the state trying to do the same work.” 

Meanwhile, the town’s expenditure on road repair has been cut by half in the current fiscal year. That means fewer traffic-disrupting projects, but also more deteriorating roads. Click here to read my list of the top ten things to know about potholes in Amherst.

Roundabouts have eased traffic flow at several intersections around town, and there may be a new one soon. It would be at the intersection of Amity Street and University Drive, where traffic sometimes backs up to the UMass campus. The town is applying for a state grant for the project. 

Fire Station at Hickory Ridge

The preferred site for a new fire station is the former Hickory Ridge Golf Course, according to two Town Council members.

Amherst has been looking for a fire station site in the southern part of town for at least 40 years. The response time for ambulances going from the downtown station to deep South Amherst has been seen as dangerously slow.

We call it a “fire station,” but it could be called an “ambulance station.” The majority of calls for help relate to medical emergencies, not fires.

The previous plan was for a new fire station to be located at the current Public Works site on South Pleasant Street, if another site could be found for a new DPW headquarters. But neighbors complained about a site that Amherst College offered to donate, and it’s been hard to find another one that meets DPW’s needs.

Part of the 150-acre Hickory Ridge site, which the town bought in 2022 for $520,000, seems ideal for a new fire station. It has good road access and connections to water, sewer and electricity. Best of all, the town already owns the site, and it is expected that  fewer neighbors will oppose it.

The new fire station will have to co-exist with hiking trails that are expected to be completed next month, plus a solar energy project and perhaps housing.

It’s unclear what would happen to the Central Fire Station, which occupies prime real estate on North Pleasant Street but has long been ill-suited to firefighters’ needs. Would it be sold to reduce the amount of borrowing needed for the new fire station? Or perhaps used for an arts center or some other municipal purpose?

The cost of a new fire station was estimated at $20 million last year, but the eventual price tag will surely be more.

DPW Headquarters

So the DPW headquarters will probably stay where it is, with some of its functions transferred to other parts of town.

It occupies an old trolley maintenance barn, built over 100 years ago. Its roof leaks, there are cracks in the brick masonry, it has minimal insulation, and it doesn’t meet code standards for safety or electricity. If it were a private building, it would probably be condemned.

Click here for more on the problems with the DPW building. 

Wastewater Upgrade Needed

We can expect our sewer rates to go up, because the Wastewater Treatment Plant needs a major overhaul, according to Mooring.

The project, expected to cost between $0.5 and $1 million, will go before the Town Council soon, he said. The plant was regarded as state-of-the-art 40 years ago, but now it has old equipment that sometimes breaks, frustrating employees and requiring overtime.

“We should have done this sooner,” Mooring said. It’s too early to estimate what increase would be necessary in the sewer rate, which is currently $5.85 per 100 cubic feet. But the money for the overhaul would come from higher sewer bills, not tax revenues.

Water Upgrade on Tap

Residents of Pelham and the eastern part of Amherst will be the primary consumers of cleaner water because of new and improved technology at the Centennial treatment plant, Mooring said.

A new building is almost completed, and new equipment will be installed and operational in about a year. The plant, located in Pelham, provides up to one million gallons of treated water per day.

The plant was built in the 1980s, and because of the upgrade it will be much more efficient, Mooring said.

Nick Grabbe is a co-founder of The Amherst Current. He has been a resident of Amherst for nearly 40 years and served as writer and editor for the Amherst Bulletin and the Daily Hampshire Gazette 1980-2013.