AMHERST — For decades, a large municipal parking lot dominated the area in front of the main entrance to Town Hall. The adjacent greenspace often washed out to expose tree roots, and many of the trees that remained were in poor shape, even as one of the largest ones happened to be the centerpiece of an annual holiday celebration.
Standing on the paved plaza at the edge of the renovated North Common on Oct. 22, prior to a formal ribbon cutting, Council President Lynn Griesemer thanked the Public Shade Tree Committee, joking that its members had “the courage to murder the Merry Maple” and allowing the overhaul to happen.
“This is a gorgeous location,” Griesemer said.
The new landscaping, new trees and a new lawn at the .75-acre site, as well as places for the historic Women’s Christian Temperance Union water fountain and a peace plaque recognizing the weekly peace vigil ongoing since the Vietnam War, is the result of a $1.8 million investment, including $827,066 from a state Land and Water Conservation Fund grant and $986,148 from town Community Preservation Act funds.
Beginning in 2013, Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek said he wanted to address the “tired, run down” space that included railroad ties placed around trees serving as benches. An impetus for the project came when a federal grants administrator visiting town saw a person trip over the exposed tree roots.
Once a design was ready, the Department of Public Works became a key contributor, with Assistant DPW Director Amy Rusiecki explaining that all crews pitched in to make it a reality.
“At the end of the day, we’re proud of the finished project,” Rusiecki said, adding that seeing people hang out there “brings us a lot of joy.”
Tree Warden Alan Snow said it was a pleasure to work on the project and have something that is low maintenance going forward.
While the new North Common has already gotten a lot of use, including for last year’s Merry Maple and Veterans Day ceremonies, and the recent No Kings II rally, this was the first time seats were set up on the new plaza in front of Town Hall, where a weekly artisans market has also been held.
In attendance for the ceremony were Amherst College President Michael A. Elliott, who uses the space on his way to the campus each day, former State Senate President Stan Rosenberg, University of Massachusetts Amherst officials and several former Select Board and Town Council members who kicked off the process.
“This is the most important piece of land the town owns,” said Town Manager Paul Bockelman.
Among the final elements were the installation of light fixtures and seating, including six benches that were donated by the town’s 250th Committee, which was last active in advance of the celebrations in 2009.
Bockelman said he can attest to how much the area gets used, and it’s a “unique place to bring people together.”
He observed that a downtown resident who uses a wheelchair was able to navigate around the space, which was once not accessible, and the idea of making more public spaces open to all is critical.
“This gives us a vision of what else we can do,” Bockelman said.
The event concluded with a performance by the UMass Chamber Jazz Ensemble.