Renewing and Preserving the Town of Longmeadow

Longmeadow, like many towns across America, is facing an infrastructure crisis. Our roads and sidewalks are in disrepair. Our water and sewer lines are aged and in need of reconstruction.  Our recreation facilities are in need of modernization and expansion to meet current needs.

These deficiencies are a result of normal aging and deferring maintenance for years because of inadequate funding.  Although deferring maintenance is a common practice used for stretching funds, it always costs you more money when you defer maintenance.

Over the coming days and weeks I will post information on suggested steps to reverse our present course and improve our maintenance of the Town’s cultural, capital, and natural resources.

As this initiative moves forward I welcome public comments and suggestions. Through this partnership, I encourage a balanced approach as we continue to improve our quality of life for Longmeadow residents. 

Although I am a Select Board member, these are my personal views and observations and are not necessarily the opinion of the Longmeadow Select Board.  

Richard Foster-rfoster@longmeadow.org

Keeping Longmeadow Great by Alex Grant

            I have thrown my hat into the ring.  I have written this column every two weeks for five and a half years, an experience which has surely earned me the disapproval on at least one occasion, and perhaps many more, of every reader of the Longmeadow News.  After all, one cannot please all the people all the time, and I have scarcely tried.  With that inauspicious beginning, I have gathered the necessary signatures and will be on the ballot for this Spring's Select Board election.

            I am running for the same reason my family moved here six years ago, because Longmeadow is a great place to live.  And it really wasn't about the schools.  My wife and I assumed the schools were pretty good, but then again, there are other towns where dedicated students with mindful parents can do just fine.  Our concerns were more basic.  We had lived on a street in Washington, DC where we could hear sirens blaring all night, where drug deals took place just a few doors down from our stoop, and where three shootings had occurred within one block during the last 12 months.  A young man had recently died on the corner from swallowing crack cocaine after the police had stopped him.

            We came to Longmeadow because the streets were safe, the town was a short distance from our jobs, and there were decent homes we could afford.  The leafy green avenues of Longmeadow looked picturesque, and with parks and conservation land and town pools, the town seemed like a perfect place to raise a family.  And at night, it was blissfully quiet.

            National magazines have rated our little suburb a top place for families and for retirees, and they were not wrong.  One can see the sense of community on the youth soccer fields, where there is overwhelming participation by kids, parents, and grandparents.  Greenwood is a microcosm of our town, with seniors rubbing elbows with preschoolers and all of the kids in the parks and recreation programs.  The countless volunteer hours expended by parent teacher organizations and at the Senior Center show that we believe in something larger than our individual selves.  Every year, I marvel at Longmeaddowe Days, which is nothing less than a rededication to our history and to our community.

            Our form of town government also makes Longmeadow great.  We have held on to an unadulterated, direct democracy that Longmeadowites of the 1700s would recognize.  Our charter makes the voters at Town Meeting, and no one else, the legislature of our town.  It is a testament to the notion that men and women are fit to govern themselves.

            The challenges facing Longmeadow are modest in comparison to those facing many towns and cities across America.  We are not tasked with constructing a sense of community where none exists.  We are not faced with the job of revitalizing a once great community ravaged by crime, de-population, and financial ruin.  There are towns wondering how to make themselves walkable, or pondering how to create green space, or fighting to control sprawl.  We need only to keep Longmeadow great.

            I start this campaign with an appeal to our hopes and aspirations, rather than a discussion of grievances and limitations.  Above all, I aim to open up our town democracy.  In recent years, town politics has been a conversation involving a fairly small number of people, that is, people who hold elected office, people who serve on committees, people who attend Town Meeting.  If Longmeadow is going to do great things in the future, if Longmeadow is to remain a place for all ages, our town politics has to engage a larger number of voters.

            Opening up town government requires elected officials to explain what they are doing and why they are doing it.  Watching a meandering, lengthy meeting on LCTV, if it is televised, is no substitute for a cogent explanation of the policy choices and the trade-offs that the Select Board makes.  A Select Board member, having taken the time to study the issues and having the relevant documents at hand, can distill the Board's decisions down to their essence.

            If elected, I will continue this column, and I will reach out in other ways.  If elected, I will know more about town government, and the voters will know more.  In the next couple of months, I will stake out my positions on the important issues facing the town, and I hope to debate the other candidates in this race in as many venues as possible.  I intend to make this campaign the most informative and substantive we have had in recent years.  Longmeadow deserves nothing less.

Alex J. Grant is a lawyer living in Longmeadow.  His email address is alex.grant68@yahoo.com.

Chef Extraordinaire- Allen Lefferts

Allen Lefferts is a man of many talents. Currently the chef at the Longmeadow Adult Center, his culinary talents are well known. He is an artist when he designs a plate of food and a gourmand when he plans the menu.

He adds flair to traditional favorites which draw crowds most days. Special meals sell out in the first few days of every month. On an average day, he produces over 100 meals for the dining room and the Meals on Wheels program. He is aided by two sous chefs and a team of volunteers who deliver meals to tables and to homes.

Allen moved to Springfield from New Jersey as a young child. He grew up in Forest Park, the youngest of five children. He attended high school at the Suffield Academy. He went to college at Keene State for almost a year, which he describes as the longest, best, most expensive party ever.

At loose ends, he was close to joining the military when a friend invited him to Long Island. There he found the work that he has done periodically ever since. A manager of 5 school cafeterias trained and hired Allen to run the cafeteria in an elementary school.

When he returned to this area, he became the Assistant Manager at Wilbraham Monson Academy where Paul Calberg was the Manager. (“Chef Paul” later worked at the Longmeadow Adult Center.)  In addition to schools, Allen managed employee cafeterias in several businesses. He spent 5 years managing the cafeteria at Spaulding Co. where he also accumulated a lot of golf balls.

Allen enjoys himself by composing classical music. Without formal training, he has learned to chart orchestral compositions which, he claims, only he likes. He also deals in antiques of the modern era, which is predominantly arts and crafts through mid-20th century. For eight years, he had an antique store on Bridge Street in Springfield until the Entertainment District drove up prices and drove away buyers.

Allen landed at the Adult Center on June 1, 2010. We are so lucky to have him.

[reprinted from The Voice of Longmeadow newsletter/ Longmeadow Adult Center, April 2013]

Candidate Forum

 
Longmeadow’s Annual Town Elections will be held on Tuesday, June 11.

The only contested race is for Select Board for which there are three open seats and three candidates running.  Incumbents Mark Gold and Mark Barowsky will be running against newcomer Alex Grant for the two 3 year seats on the SB.

Newcomers Kimberly King and Janet Robinson will run unopposed for the two 3 year seats on the School Committee. Current SC members Gerard Kiernan and Jennifer Jester will be not be running for re-election.

LongmeadowBiz is inviting each of the three SB candidates to post information of interest to voters on this LongmeadowBuzz blog.  Hopefully, as the election draws closer, this forum will become a means to discuss important issues related to the election.  Mr. Grant has already accepted this invitation.

Comments to postings on LongmeadowBuzz can be made by anyone with a Google account. Additional information is available for anyone interested in contributing to LongmeadowBuzz. 

With a large number of important issues facing our town including adequate funding of school services as well as infrastructure improvements (roads, sewers, storm drains, DPW facility, etc.), it is essential that we elect qualified people to the Select Board and School Committee who can meet these challenges.

State Seeking to Give Money to Communities

The state of Massachusetts wants to give grants to city and town governments to further their pursuit of energy saving programs. In 2008,the governor signed The Green Communities Act, which sets aside 10 million dollars a year from revenue from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative for this purpose.




In order to obtain the money, each community must agree to (1) perform a municipal energy audit, (2) allow for zoning of renewable energy facilities, and (3) embrace an enhanced energy efficient building code.

In Longmeadow, the second requirement already has been met by virtue of a zoning bylaw amendment passed and accepted in 2010.

As of December 2012, 110 communities have become designated as Green Communities and are eligible to receive funding.  Surrounding communities who participate in this program include: Springfield, Holyoke, Monson, Palmer, Belchertown and Easthampton.

click chart to enlarge

For additional information read this summary about local programs funded by the Green Communities Act or watch the presentation below by Jim Barry of the Massachusestts Green Communities Division (courtesy of LCTV).

The Longmeadow Transition Initiating Committee is seeking to engage the citizens of Longmeadow in an educational process to facilitate the understanding of the regulations and the adoption of the building code at the annual town meeting in May.  David Miller, a member of the Transition committee, will speak about the process at the Longmeadow Senior Center at 12:30 PM on March 20. All interested citizens are invited to attend this important meeting.

Select Board Picks New Town Manager

On Monday, January 28, the Longmeadow Select Board met at the Longmeadow Fire Station to choose a new Town Manager amongst three candidate finalists- Edward Del Rubio, Kevin O'Donnell and Stephen Crane.  Public interviews were held last Thursday, January 24 and these interviews are available for viewing on the LCTV website.

I watched the three interviews last week and felt that Stephen Crane was the #1 candidate and would be a great addition to the town despite having limited managerial experience with Massachusetts municipal government.

Below is a short video clip (20 minutes, courtesy of LCTV) of the SB deliberations in which Stephen Crane was selected and a motion was approved to extend a conditional offer of employment to him.  As of today, a contract offer has been offered to Mr. Crane and the SB will meet later today at 5 PM in executive session to discuss this contract.

Below is a chart showing the initial polling of choices by SB members.

It's worth watching the short video to see how Stephen Crane was selected.

Mr. Santaniello clearly did not support the selection of Mr. Crane and made comments that Mr. Crane was not qualified to be Longmeadow's next TM because of his lack of experience.  These public comments were made even though the "super majority" vote of 4:1 was assured when Mr. Gold's shifted his support to Mr. Crane.

Let's hope that the contract negotiations go well and that Mr. Stephen Crane becomes our new Town Manager and he gets strong support by all Select Board members including the Chairman.

Understanding Property Assessments

Longmeadow property taxes showed significant back-to-back increases of 5.8% in FY12 and 6.1% in FY13 in large part due to the impact of financing for the new high school (see earlier Buzz post for details).  Every year there are Longmeadow property owners who challenge their property assessments in order to receive an tax abatement.   

In FY12 there were 162 abatement applications filed and 63 were granted.

Given the difficult real estate market during the past couple of years during which 50% or more of the homes that were sold were at prices less than the "official" assessed value (see chart from Real Estate Buzz blog), more assessment challenges are likely to come.  

The deadline for payment of FY13- 3Q property taxes and filing FY13 abatements is February 1.

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Earlier this month I spent some time with Robert Leclair, Principal Assessor for the Town of Longmeadow in order to better understand how individual property assessments are determined.  What I heard was a systematic approach to the development of assessment values for over 5400 residential properties in town.

According Mr. Leclair individual property assessments should reflect the fair market value that a motivated buyer will pay for a property.  The latest property assessments which were posted on the Vision Appraisal website in mid-December 2012 are for the current fiscal year (FY2013) and represent home values as of January 1, 2012.  However, there are many property owners in town who claim that their property assessment is too high and does not represent "fair market value".

Click here to view a FY12/FY13 Property Assessment + Property Tax comparison for all Longmeadow properties (residential + commercial) for both FY12 and FY13.  This pdf document is full text searchable and could prove very useful in filing an abatement for property taxes request.

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Below is an outline of how the system for assessing property values in town is configured.  First of all, there are two components that make up the Total Assessment- 1. Land  + 2. Improvements.

Land Assessment
Let's consider the land portion of the Total Assessment.  Below in Figure 1 is a map of Longmeadow outlining 6 different land zones.

Figure 1- Land Zones- Longmeadow, MA
[click to enlarge]

Land in each zone (4-9) is assessed a different value ($/ft2).  In addition, larger lots are assessed a smaller value ($/ft2) vs. smaller lots as shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2- Assessed Land Values (Zones 4-9)
[click to enlarge]

Using the charts in Figures 1 and 2, a homeowner should be able to determine the land value of their property.  I found that the Land assessment can range from 30-70% of the Total Assessment.  It's interesting to note that a house situated on 15,000 sq ft land in zone 4 will be assessed a land value of ~$120K while a similar house on the same size lot in zone 9 will be assessed ~$280K- a difference in FY2013 taxes of  $3450.

There are database adjustments in the Land Assessment for individual properties.  For example, property lots that are adjacent to lower tier sections of town may be adjusted downward given specifics- (e.g., corner lot located on busy street).

One interesting sidebar on this Land Assessment value....
How about the impact of the corner lot zoning restrictions regarding property use and fencing (see recent Buzz post on this subject?

Should corner lot property owners be entitled to land abatements?
The current activity by the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals to resolve this zoning bylaw may directly affect the number of abatements applications that will be filed next January.

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Improvements

This part of the Total Assessment estimates the value of the house structure.

A major portion of this part of the Total Assessment is the size and number of rooms as well as the condition of the house.  It should be noted that the dimensions for the house footprint are outside wall measurements.  Updates to the kitchen, bathrooms, room additions including finished basement, etc. increase the Improvements portion of the Total Assessment.  Central air conditioning, in-ground pool and other outdoor structures (shed) increase the Improvements value.

It's interesting that landscaping is not a factor in determining assessed value even though it is definitely a factor for determining fair market value.

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There is a process for a systematic review of the Total Assessment for each residential property as follows:

1. Every year: All of the information in the database is reviewed and evaluated based upon recent home sales.
2. Every three years (triennial):  There is a state level review of the data.
3. Every 10 years- There is a measure and list evaluation which involves a visit.  This year starting in April and continuing until September all properties in town will be inspected and details compared to the property record.  Any discrepancies will be corrected and take effect in December 2014.

A visit to Assessor's Office at Town Hall (2nd floor) to obtain a copy of your "property record" is worthwhile to ensure that all of the details are correct.  Any identified errors (room sizes, etc.) may be sufficient cause to file an abatement for a reduction in property taxes.

Longmeadow on the Web

  

1. Are you a Longmeadow town resident who is constantly having difficulties finding out what is happening in town? 
2. Do you have frustrations using the "official" town website?

Check out the new "gathering place" on the web for Longmeadow residents at www.LongmeadowOnTheWeb.org

What's happening with corner lots?

I attended the Fall Special Town Meeting on October 23 with two warrant articles dealing with changes in a section of the Town Bylaws involving corner lots.  One of the articles (#13) was "tabled" at the last minute but a second warrant article (via citizen's petition) dealing with corner lots was considered by the town meeting.  Warrant article #14 was defeated after some intense heated discussion as well as strong opposition to the proposed bylaw change by the chairmen of the Planning Board (PB) and Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) (see Reminder Publication article by Chris Maza for additional details).

At the end of this STM Walter Gunn, chairman of the Planning Board (PB) promised to advance some changes in the zoning bylaws governing corner lots to provide some relief for homowners.  My wife and I left the town meeting totally confused about the issues relating to corner lots.

It should be noted that the CORNER LOT issues described below do not apply to fencing and structure changes that occurred prior to 2003 when the bylaw was changed.
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On January 9, the PB and the ZBA held a public hearing at the Longmeadow Community House to obtain feedback from town residents regarding the limitations of property use and allowed fencing with corner lots as defined by the current zoning bylaws.  In attendance was Walter Gunn, PB Chairman, David Lavenburg, ZBA Chairman and Paul Healy- Longmeadow Building Inspector.  Paul Santaniello, Select Board Chairman moderated the hearing. I attended the meeting to get a better understanding of the controversy.

Figure 1- Public Hearing- 1/09/13

 At this public hearing two diagrams were handed out to explain the issue regarding corner lots.  I have color coded these drawings for easier review and they are shown below...

Figure 2- Fencing Regulations- Standard Lot
[click to enlarge]

Figure 3- Corner Lot Description
[click to enlarge]

For the majority of residential properties in Longmeadow, the REAR YARD is directly behind the HOUSE (see Figure 2 above).  SIDE YARD and FRONT YARD descriptions/ definitions are as expected and easily understood. 

For owners of CORNER LOTS, the REAR YARD is not directly behind the house and is uniquely positioned as shown in Figure 3 above.

Allowed fencing and permitted uses for each designated area with corner lots are the sections of the zoning bylaw where the major issues arise.

1. For example, you are not permitted to build a shed or erect a playscape or pool in a SIDE YARD.  For CORNER LOT owners, this represents a strange predicament given the locations of their two SIDE YARDS.  In addition, if the house is situated somewhat differently from shown in Figure 3, the designated REAR YARD may be too small or without sufficient setback from the property line to allow construction of a desired structure.
2. Furthermore, fencing height for SIDE YARDS is limited to 4 feet. 

Figure 4- Dr. Dennis Gordan's Infamous Fence
[click to enlarge]

A number of homeowners who had recently moved into town and attended this meeting were unaware of the above described restrictions for CORNER LOTS and expressed disappointment when they found out about restrictions on the use and allowed fencing for their property.

Mr. Gunn felt that the Longmeadow Zoning Bylaws require a major revision, particularly the sections dealing with CORNER LOTS.  Town residents in attendance as well as both chairmen (PB + ZBA) agreed that one possibility was to allow one of the SIDE YARDS to be designated by the homeowner as the REAR YARD on a CORNER LOT.

According to Mr. Gunn the agenda for the next meeting of the Planning Board on February 6 will include a discussion of corner lot zoning changes.  Mr. Gunn hopes to be able to propose a change in Zoning Bylaws covering CORNER LOTS at the May Annual Town Meeting.

Longmeadow Adult Center Needs a Full Time Director

Update

An employment ad for the Longmeadow Director of Adult Services was posted earlier this week on the Town website. While the ad describes it as a "full time" position, the current position is budgeted at 30 hours/ week.  The Longmeadow Select Board should consider increasing the hours and salary of this position to be comparable to surrounding towns to show their commitment to a rapidly increasing segment of our population.  The ad states that this Director position will be under the general supervision of the town manager- hopefully, that means that this position is a participating member of the TM's staff.
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The following was submitted for posting on the LongmeadowBuzz ...
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Let your voice be heard! Be an advocate; be proactive, not reactive.

As a former member of the Longmeadow Council on Aging Board of Directors, I am very familiar with the population that is served at the Adult Center, all the services and programs provided including lunches and Meals on Wheels, and the need for a continuum of care for our senior citizens. Our senior population is the fastest growing segment of not only our town’s population but the country as a whole and its projected growth is even more substantial.

That being said, I would like to emphasize the need for a “full time” director; this is not a part time position. The Adult Center should be opened at a minimum the “typical” hours of the other town departments. The population that is served are senior citizens and not school children. Therefore the hours of 9 to 3 are unacceptable and inadequate for the population of the town. This is no longer “a mother’s hours” job.

Let me share with you the following information as a comparison:

And by the way, the town of Longmeadow is presently the ONLY town other than the little town of Hampden who does not have what would be considered a full time director and furthermore whose Council on Aging has no staff positions that are full time.

The Senior population, especially in today’s economy, needs a facility that is open to them with more hours and serviced by at least one full time staff member – which should be the new director.  May I suggest that the town hire a full time person (probably at a lesser wage than the former 25+ year employee) and expand the hours of operation at the Adult Center. That would be the ideal scenario. After all, if you are going to pay health benefits for a 30 hour employee, you might as well reap the rewards – 40 hours’ worth of work! In essence, if you replace a 30 hour person with a 40 hour person at the same or lesser wage level, you increase the productivity by 25% but you do not increase your costs. There would be absolutely no impact on the budget. That’s a win win situation. Good for the Town and good for the Seniors.

I suggest that all of us who are in favor of a Senior Center (our Adult Center) that is open 40 hours a week with a full time Director please call our Acting Town Manager, Barry DelCastilho at (413) 565-4110 and tell him so.

You can contact our Select Board at that same phone number as well. The following is a list of their email addresses:
Barry Castilho, Town Manager- bdelcastilho@longmeadow.org

Paul Santaniello, Select Board Chair, psantaniello@longmeadow.org
Mark Gold, SB member, mgold@longmeadow.org
Mark Barowsky, SB member, mbarowsky@longmeadow.org
Richard Foster, SB member, rfoster@longmeadow.org
Marie Angelides, SB member, mangelides@longmeadow.org

Let your voice be heard!  Be an advocate; be proactive, not reactive. 

Diane B. Nadeau

41 Shaker Road

Longmeadow, MA 01106