The recent approval of the Lord Jeffery Inn expansion and restoration project by the Planning Board represents the culmination of a significant amount of work by the Planning Board, the Planning staff, Select Board and Town Meeting. The most important catalyst was the change in zoning proposed by staff, polished and approved by the Planning Board and Select Board and adopted by Town Meeting. I deeply appreciate this effort and look forward to the community enjoying the benefit of an expanded Lord Jeffery Inn. I must also acknowledge the vision of the Amherst College Board of Trustees and President Tony Marx. The Lord Jeffery Inn project will cost twenty million ($20,000,000.00) dollars. I appreciate the confidence that this investment demonstrates in downtown Amherst. The Lord Jeffery Inn project includes restoration of existing rooms, the addition of rooms, dramatic improvements to the restaurant and the creation of conference and banquet facilities.
New England Environmental has been approved for the construction of two environmentally sensitive buildings. That project would not have been proposed if the zoning changes that were proposed by staff, revised and recommended by the Planning Board and Select Board and finally adopted by Town Meeting were not enacted. The creation of new commercial space to support New England Environmental is exactly consistent with my vision of appropriate economic development for Amherst.
I wish Amherst College and New England Environmental the best as they move forward with these important projects.
Larry Shaffer, Town Manager
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3 comments:
Hey Larry,
Welcome back! Yes indeed, the Lord Jeff expansion is one of the most exciting developments for the downtown in over 25 years; although Barry Roberts revitalizing the Amherst Cinema or the old ‘College Drug Store’—now home to Subway—or the old ‘First National Bank’ are all tied as a close second.
The good thing is the town will eventually get $300,000 annually in property tax revenue from the Lord Jeff if the assessor simply values it at $20 million.
The bad thing is over the next year while it is closed for renovations the town will lose the 4% local lodging tax (probably around $50,000) that the Lord Jeff generates.
Of course the Umass Campus Center Hotel has never paid that local lodging tax (invoking their “tax exempt” status) to Amherst and they have never paid a dime of property tax either.
How much of the $20 million is going to construction businesses in Amherst and how much is going to compannies far enough from Amherst that the benfits to the town are limited to the increse tax revenue?
The college decided to renovate so that the trustees would have a decent place to stay when they came to campus for meetings.
Shaffer is really good at using high fallutant language and make the project sound like a big win for for the town manager and the town when in fact, he can point to very little specific benefit. Specifics.
Finally, the comments in the last post posed some specifics questions. The town manager has not responded to them.
Larry, your genuine enthusiasm for improving the community economically and socially is undeniable. This will be a beneficial project all around and I echo your thanks to those involved with the process. Thanks also for doing a blog.
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