Atkins Corner project set for 2008 start date

By Nick Grabbe
Staff Writer

Published on April 13, 2007

After 15 years of planning, a major transformation of the intersection of Bay Road and West Street is due to start next year.

The project will involve a reconfiguration of the intersection, and later a retail, office and housing development west of the current Atkins Farms Country Market.

The intersection, known as "Atkins Corner," is currently hazardous because vehicles approach it on West Street, frequently at high speed, and have to jog sideways before proceeding north or south. It will be straightened out by moving West Street to the east in front of Atkins and creating two roundabouts at the intersection.

This is known as the "dumbbell solution" or "the doggy bone," because of the shape of two roundabouts and the roads between them, said Guilford Mooring, the superintendent of public works. The other options were a "T" intersection and a common shaped like a kidney bean, he said.

Town Meeting, which starts May 7, will be asked to authorize the acquisition of easements to make the project possible.

The construction will take two years, and could start next year, Mooring said.

During that time, the construction will be "a major inconvenience" to motorists, he said. Traffic will sometimes be reduced to one lane or rerouted, he said.

The project's cost is estimated at $4 million, and U.S. Rep. John Olver is seeking federal funding, Mooring said.

Meanwhile, Hampshire College and Atkins, the two landowners, have agreed on the concept for the development of a "village center," said Jonathan Tucker, Amherst's planning director.

While Atkins is interested in retail stores, Hampshire wants to create a "cultural village" there, he said.

There will be a network of roads around the development.

Hampshire, which owns about 850 acres in the vicinity, might be interested in a country inn, a bookstore, restaurants, craft shops and housing that would be affordable for faculty and staff, said Larry Archey, the director of campus planning.

Because it has a low endowment, the college is seeking ways to make money that are consistent with its values, he said. The development would involve "sustainable" practices such as reduced energy use, solar design and bicycle lanes, he said.

The college is also planning a 120-unit housing development a quarter mile north of the intersection. The residents, mostly over 50, will be able to walk to the village center, Archey said.