On December 10th the Holyoke Planning board
voted 3 to 2 to reject the horrible Colvest group's traffic plan. This should have stopped the sale of Lynch to Colvest.
Hello Holyokers
Be Aware
We are asking Holyoke residents to contact the Mass. Attorney General office because, within one meeting:
1. Chair Regan consulted with developer's layer, Att. Driscoll, for advice.
2. Att. Driscoll and chair Regan lied about which materials were submitted before the hearing.
3. Chair Regan's term expired a year ago.
This is what's happening
Colvest group submitted a plan nearly identical to the one that was turned down by the planning board. In December 2019, Chair Regan immediately closed the hearing after the plan was fully presented to the public so that no Holyoke citizen could officially respond. Other members of the planning board were forbidden from considering any letters, expert opinions, or oral arguments that were presented to the board in the past two years. It's a scandal.
REASONS TO PROMOTE RE-USE:
- Lynch School is a LANDMARK example of MID-CENTURY MODERN ARCHITECTURE that cannot be replaced.
- Loss of Lynch School would be an immense CAPITAL (FINANCIAL) LOSS. Value of historic structures INCREASES over time. The value of mall structures DECLINES by 10% each year.
- DEMOLITION poses a POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARD due to the DANGERS of ASBESTOS debris and contamination. The asbestos in the external walls of Lynch is not a problem for building reuse but specific to demolition.
- DEMOLITION increases the carbon footprint of redevelopment by wasting the energy embodied in an existing structure, requiring long-distance transportation of waste materials and their disposal, and necessitating production and transportation of new materials.
- BRICK AND MORTAR retail in general is IN DECLINE and Holyoke has a SURPLUS of VACANT COMMERCIAL SPACES nearby on Northampton Street and around the city.
- This building could be a magnificent school or apartment complex.
NEXT STEPS
- Contact the MA Attorney General and the City Attorney to report the Planning Board collusion and procedural irregularities
- Explore our website for further information
- Watch these short films about Colvest's scandal:
- https://www.youtube.com/watchv=RzcpKejMC0I&feature=youtu.be
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRdeJMKGSQE
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIVUMI8cruo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv8eFIxmSGg
- Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
- Share this information with friends, family, and neighbors