The University filed an Environmental Notification Form (ENF) with the state about its proposed new dorms. UMass should have to re-do the ENF because it was inaccurate.
The condensed version of the ENF available on the Web said: "Phase II site is currently an open field with small amounts of vegetation located just south of Eastman Lane, and southeast of the existing Sylvan Housing Complex. The site borders open fields once used as horse pastures but are currently not utilized. There is a significant grade change across the site compared to the Phase I site. There are not existing utilities currently located on the Phase II site."
That description is incorrect and misleading. The Phase II site is in fact directly across the street from Sylvan dorms, and it is almost half wooded.
I believe that description, which seemed to remove the threat to the old trees, caused some people to decide not to attend the meeting May 3rd with state officials about the project. Luckily, a few of us did. I was expecting to have the opportunity to congratulate University officials on having avoided the trees. Instead, almost an hour into the meeting, Alexandra Dawson commented that the two maps displayed at the front of the room "don't show the same place." The overall map of the campus, purporting to show the areas that had been studied, indicated an area in fields southeast of Sylvan. But the actual site map showed new dorms right across from Sylvan - and in the woods.
The University had every reason to know that the exact location of construction could be controversial. People have called the Physical Plant asking for information several times since late January; the Amherst Public Shade Tree Committee sent a letter to the Chancellor about it in March. There are soil test pits that were dug in the woods before the third week of February. Consequently, it's hard to believe the inaccurate description in the ENF was a simple mistake of failing to notice a recent change in plans.
There is also a problem with jurisdiction by state environmental agencies. The University's position is that "no state money will be used" and therefore the state's jurisdiction is limited to the two issues that "triggered" the ENF: drainage and the number of parking spaces. That a state institution can claim to be using no state money on the face of it seems absurd; the explanation is that the dorms will be paid for by student fees, not state appropriation. I know that in the town, enterprise funds are charged for the time of professional staff (such as the Town Manager) expended on enterprise fund business; I don't know if the trust fund for student residences pays a percentage of the salary of the Director of Facilities and Planning, for example. But there is another issue: the students who will live there are receiving an education that is state- supported. This argument was used by another state environmental agency, the Department of Agriculture, to collect money for a fund supporting agriculture from the School for the Performing Arts, a charter school in Hadley.
Newly-elected Select Board member Rob Kusner was also there, objecting to the number of parking spaces being provided for student cars. Kusner said many campuses do not allow first or first and second year students to bring cars to campus, and called on UMass to consider such policies. Using space for parking may be partially responsible for the encroachment on the woods.
Traffic flow is an issue that became apparent later, as we walked the site. The plan is to re-do the entrances to both the new parking lot and the lot that currently exists behind Marks Meadow School, converting a driveway on the south side of the School of Education (between it and the UMass playing fields) into the principal entrance and exit for parking. The driveway that goes around Sylvan, which currently allows entering the parking lots from Eastman Lane, may be made one- way. I believe this change, which is not discussed in the ENF (we were told there is a separate traffic study under way), will increase the traffic passing close to Marks Meadow as well as at the corner of North Pleasant Street and Eastman Lane.
The next stage is for the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office to decide whether the University must submit a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Comments on the ENF, including whether a full EIR should be done, are due May 13. Comments may be sent to Briony Angus, using email (briony.angus@state.ma.us) or fax (617 626-1181).