Council Defers Decisions on Removing Heatherstone Mini-Roundabouts and Funding Wastewater Treatment Plant Study 

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Town Council, September 8, 2025

This was a hybrid meeting held in the Town Room at Town Hall, and it was recorded.

Present
Lynn Griesemer (President, District 2), Andy Steinberg, Mandi Jo Hanneke, and Ellisha Walker (at large), Cathy Schoen and Freke Ette (District 1), Pat DeAngelis (District 2), George Ryan and Hala Lord (District 3), Pam Rooney and Jennifer Taub (District 4), Bob Hegner and Ana Devlin Gauthier (District 5). 

Staff: Dave Ziomek (Assistant Town Manager) and Athena O’Keeffe (Council Clerk)

Despite Resident Requests and TSO Recommendation, Mini-Roundabouts Will Remain for Now
The mini-roundabouts on Heatherstone Road in Echo Hill were installed as a traffic calming measure on the newly repaved section of the road last year. This is the first installation of mini-roundabouts in Amherst, and there have been several problems and many complaints about them, such that the Town Services and Outreach Committee of the Council (TSO) voted unanimously to remove them and to study other traffic-calming measures. 

TSO Chair Andy Steinberg said the mini-roundabouts present a tight space for larger vehicles, and some just drive over the median. Other vehicles merely turn left and go through the roundabout in reverse, instead of going three-quarters of the way around to make a left turn. Residents, both drivers and pedestrians, voiced concerns about the safety of the roundabouts. TSO member Jennifer Taub stated that when the mini-roundabouts were installed, the neighborhood was promised that they could easily and inexpensively be removed, and that now residents feel less safe. Cathy Schoen said that the neighborhood wanted speed bumps as are present on Dana Street, Lincoln Avenue, and Cottage Street, but were persuaded to try the mini-roundabouts instead.

A memo from Town Engineer Jason Skeels estimated that it would cost $10,000 to remove the roundabouts, but there was no plan for another traffic-calming measure to be installed in their place. He cited speed data collected in 2024 before and after resurfacing of Heatherstone Road that showed only a slight increase in vehicle speeds on the smoother road. This finding was similar to the speeds on Old Farm Road and Farmington Road after they were resurfaced, also in 2024. The latter two roads did not have any additional traffic-calming measures. Skeels noted that it is too late in the season to remove the roundabouts now and that removal would have to wait until spring.

Ana Devlin Gauthier questioned why this project was “pushed through when there were so many other areas in town that had demonstrated higher need.” She added, “It seems like we need more education around how to navigate these [mini-roundabouts}. I’m not convinced that poor driver behavior would be any better without the roundabouts.” She also suggested that speed bumps increase vehicle response times for fire and police and asked if the $10,000 for the roundabout removal could be better spent on other roads.

Council President Lynn Griesemer stated that Heatherstone Road was in her and Pat DeAngelis’ district [2] and that they have received numerous emails and held several district meetings on the roundabouts. She noted that the idea that the roundabouts could be temporary came out of discussions with residents who said they were unsure about them, and were told by Superintendent of Public Works Gilford Mooring that the roundabouts would be evaluated after six to 12 months and removed if there were problems with them. Griesemer admitted that she has observed problems with them. However, she acknowledged that the road is “not on anybody’s list for speed bumps in the near future. So, it’s not like a package deal—get rid of our many roundabouts and at the same time install speed bumps.”

Mandi Jo Hanneke said, “I don’t see why we would spend money,  or tell the town to spend money immediately on traffic calming, when it’s unclear that traffic calming is actually needed based on the evidence that we have in front of us.” 

Hala Lord then suggested that the two district councilors go back to the community to see if residents want the roundabouts removed, knowing that nothing will replace them to slow traffic. Griesemer and DeAngelis agreed to hold another meeting to further gauge the feelings of the neighborhood.

George Ryan said he hoped that the creation of a Traffic and Parking Commission, which is now being discussed at TSO, will handle matters such as these in the future, rather than having them discussed at council meetings.

Councilors Want More Information About Wastewater Plant Study
The Department of Public Works (DPW) has requested that the town borrow $750,000 for a study of how the Wastewater Treatment Plant can best be updated, but several councilors questioned the high cost of the study. Assistant DPW Superintendent Amy Rusiecki told the council that the treatment plant was nearly 50 years old and this study would allow the DPW to prioritize what needed to be upgraded first and to group projects for most efficiency. She said that there are specific Department of Environmental Protection guidelines for a facility assessment which, if followed, make the town eligible for certain grants. Also, she said that the town recently found out the new standards for the effluent needed for its permit, so this is an ideal time to develop a plan to update the plant.

According to testimony given to the Finance Committee on August 19 by  DPW’s Mooring, the 1979 plant needs upgrading in both equipment and the way it is set up. Finance Committee Chair Cathy Schoen reported that a new intake system that will remove rags, rocks, and other debris is needed and the chlorine system and other systems are out-of-date. The Finance Committee voted 4-0 to support the measure with one member absent and two resident members also voiced their support for the measure. The cost of the study has already been incorporated into the FY26 sewer rates, but the actual cost of making the repairs would require another increase in fees.

Several councilors balked at the cost of the study. Ryan said, “There’s no question that this needs to be done, but I’m still stunned by $750,000, and I’d feel a whole lot better if I had a sense of how you all came to that figure.” Jennifer Taub agreed with Ryan’s request for clarification about the cost. She asked if the town asked for bids or intended to ask for bids and whether the university and colleges had been approached about helping with the study.

Rusiecki was unable to locate a detailed breakdown of the costs. She stated that the town was not required to issue a request for proposals for an engineering study if there is a prequalified consultant. The estimate that was received was from a firm that the DPW has used in the past for the treatment plant, and that a quote from a firm that was not familiar with the system was likely to be higher. She added that the study will evaluate different alternatives for the upgrade and provide a capital improvement plan and financial analysis.

Griesemer asked if the DPW looked into the cost of similar studies for municipalities of similar size to determine whether the price quote for Amherst was comparable to what others have paid. Rusiecki thought that Mooring had looked into the costs for other communities, but she didn’t have the information. She said that most wastewater treatment plants in the area were built in the same era, because of federal legislation at that time.

Because of the remaining questions about the cost of the study, the council voted unanimously to continue the discussion at the September 15 council meeting when hopefully Mooring and Town Manager Paul Bockelman can attend.

At the brief public forum on the topic, Hilda Greenbaum asked if the upgraded facility would support the 700 or so added housing units proposed in the 2024 Housing Production Plan. Rusiecki said that the current plant has excess capacity, although that has probably decreased over time, but the ability of the system to provide expanded service also depends on the condition of the pump stations and sewer lines, which are aging as well. 

Council Wants Underground Electrical Wires at University Drive and Amity Roundabout
Ryan Morich, representing Eversource, told the council that the planned roundabout at University Drive and Amity Street will require a  utility pole to be moved to the northwest side of the intersection because the existing pole is in the center of the proposed roundabout. He said that the reconfiguration will also require a 35-foot secondary stub pole near the ATM in the parking lot to the east to support the guy wire for the overhead wires. 

Several councilors asked why the wires at the intersection were not being run underground, since the intersection was being reconstructed. Morich replied that Eversource had looked into this option, but decided that it was not advisable because this is the mainline backbone that provides power to much of the downtown and putting the wires underground “leaves a point of failure for an outage.” He added that it didn’t make sense to run the wires underground for this short distance, when the wires are above ground for the rest of the way up Amity Street

The councilors were not satisfied with his answer. Rooney asked if the decision to leave the wires above ground was a preference of Eversource or an absolute need. She pushed for, at minimum, a duct bank to be placed underground so that wiring could be placed underground in the future. Devlin Gauthier was more forceful, saying, “I’m having a hard time continually voting for pole petitions when we continue to get the answer, ‘It’s not what the utility wants to do. Ultimately is it what the town wants to do? For me, it’s not actually about aesthetics, it is about we see continued increasing storms, we see continued trees falling on lines. Burying the lines, for me, is a climate resilience strategy.”

Ziomek noted that the town was under some time pressure to begin construction at the intersection because of a $2 million MassWorks grant that the town received for the project. Schoen questioned being pressured to make the decision, because the intersection modification has been known for several months. Ryan asked how much more it would cost to put the wires underground and who would pay for it.

Ziomek then stated that he would meet with DPW Superintendent Guilford Mooring later in the week to answer the questions raised. The council voted unanimously to continue the approval of the pole removal until the September 15 Town Council meeting.

New Eversource Pole Approved for 82 Pomeroy Lane
The council unanimously approved a new utility pole to supply a new house to be built on a flag lot at 82 Pomeroy Lane. Morich noted that the narrow frontage of the property makes it difficult to supply service. He said that new risers cannot be added to the nearest pole at 90 Pomeroy Lane, and the pole at 74 Pomeroy Lane is too far from the property. Property owners Elizabeth and Jonathan Reale said that the DPW had strongly recommended the new pole, and, even if the service to the house was placed underground, a new pole would be needed at the street.

Ryan Is the New Council Representative on the Jones Library Building Committee
Rooney resigned her position as the representative of the council on the Jones Library Building Committee (JLBC) to take on that role on the DPW building committee now being formed by the Town Manager. Pat DeAngelis nominated Ryan for the JLBC. Schoen nominated Hanneke who declined. Ryan was chosen unanimously. He vowed to make sure that the town’s obligation to the library project does not exceed the $15.7 million allocated and said he will regularly report on the status of the library’s fundraising campaign. He urged councilors to promote donations to the project. 

Griesemer said that the Town Manager will include a report on fundraising for the library expansion in his monthly report next week.

Annual Public Forum on the Master Plan Scheduled for September 15The Town Council will meet again on Monday, September 15. The regular meeting will be preceded by the annual public forum on the Master Plan required by the charter, which has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m.