Forest Park Library Update:

HOURS:
Tuesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 1 - 8 pm
Saturday: 11 am - 3 pm

Whats New:

- A ramp to the Community Room

- Inside of the building has been repainted

- A unisex universal access bathroom with a baby changing station.

- A water fountain on the lower level.

- The public restrooms have been renovated.

- The building now has a lift

More info and pictures

The Saga of Longhill Gardens Continues!

..Monday, May 21, 2007

Today's hearing at 10 AM was on several issues:

1. CCS's motion for contempt, both civil and criminal, for Shalom's failure to deposit approx $150K in the Atty Hodge escrow account.

2. Report from the receiver on its initial findings at Longhill.

3. Citibank's motion to join the Plaintiffs in the case

1. In March and then again on April, the Court ordered Segelman to deposit $150K in the Hodge account to be used for repairs at the site with said deposit to be made by April 30. The $150K was the approximate amount of Federal tax Segalman would defer by doing a 1031 tax-free exchange on a property he was selling in Waterbury and his acquistion of the 192 units at Longhill. In a short notice hearing on April 24, Segelman told the Court he was not making the deposit on the advice of his accountant!

2. The receiver's (Valley Real Estate - VRE) report indicated unpaid bills totaled somewhere in the range of $100,000 plus. There were structural problems that need evaluation and none of the records of rents, security deposits, vendor contracts had been turned over to the receiver by Segelman. In an out-of-court conversation, VRE said there are major settling issues, a couple of really bad roofs among the five buildings and probably a history of at least two leaking oil tanks, in addition to the report's findings

3. Citibank was allowed to join the Plaintiff's case without opposition. Citibank, with a $6M mortgage, will be evaluating its position.

At 1PMat the end of the session, after a lengthy recess for parties to confer (maybe 45 minutes), the Judge ordered Segelman to be incarcerated until the $150K was put into the escrow account (immediate handcuffing followed). A site tour was also scheduled for this afternoon for lawyers, a court officer and the receiver.

The structural issues are related to the landfill on which four of the five buildings were built in the early '50s and verified by soil borings we had done about five years ago; remedies are very expensive. We knew about roofing issues from inspections done at the same time by Sun Roofing, with reports having been provided to VRE. Oil tank leakage, which is suspected but not confirmed, could cost $50,000 and up (say $100-200K) to remedy.

...May 11, 2007

The following is mostly from spokespersons from Valley Real Estate.

Apparently on Friday, May 4, Shalom Segelman, owner of Longhill Omega LLC (owner of 192 units), and therefore manager of the site, fired all the employees, locked the office door and walked away.

Unaware of this move, Valley Real Estate personnel arrived Monday morning, May 7, to begin an orderly transition and found the office locked and no one employees or management around. VRE had a locksmith drill out the office door lock and had the lock rekeyed. On entering, they found all the vital records were gone - either removed or dumped but in either case not available. No leases, no rental records, no vendor contracts, no accounting records. VRE has re-hired people who had been working at the site to handle the on-going maintenance requirements.

Two of the five buildings oil tanks were empty which meant no heat, no hot water. Oil deliveries were made and hot water re-supplied. Luckily, it is close to the end of the heating season and no one is going to freeze.

Vendors have come in asking for payment for past services to the tune of $63,000, people have arrived at the office asking if their apartments are ready yet, others who are moving or have moved have asked for their security deposits. VRE, as receiver, has no responsibility for these issues.

VRE was appointed receiver about two weeks ago but the official takeover date had not been set by the Court, pending receipt of comments from all parties regarding the conditions of receivership and consideration by the Judge of these comments. So VRE probably is not officially in place as a receiver but is managing the site in the interim on an emergency basis.

Two hearings are now apparently scheduled in Housing Court for Monday, May 21. One is a contempt hearing for Segelman's failure to deposit $150,000 in escrow by April 30 as ordered by the Court, the second on a motion by the receiver asking for the missing records.

Longhill Gardens Update

... April 24, 2007

Even as we sat at the CCS Board Meeting yesterday saying Longhill seemed to be at a standstill, the Court was issuing documents relative to CCS’s long standing case trying to get the complex brought into compliance with the State Sanitary Code and City ordinances.

The first document is the Order On Petition To Enforce The State Sanitary Code. Following a pre-amble documenting its rationale, the last section states: . . . Valley Real Estate is hereby appointed as receiver of both the Trust and the LLC. The Trust, also known as the Association, is the governing body that is responsible for the common areas – grounds, hallways, parking lots, etc.; the LLC is the limited liability company that owns 192 of the 211 units at the site.

The second document is in draft form: Order On Appointment Of Receiver and spells out the conditions, rights and responsibilities of the receiver. The Court has ordered comments on this order from all parties (Plaintiffs and Defendants) within 10 days. It will probably take the court 7-10 days to assimilate the comments and issue a final Order. This means we can expect Valley Real Estate to take over all the operations at Longhill late May.

Valley Real Estate, now headed by Paul and Jeff Oldenerg, managed the complex in the 70’s, before it became a condominium complex. Valley owns and/or manages in the range of 1,500-2,000 housing units in the Pioneer Valley.

Citibank holds a $6M mortgage on the 192 units owned by Longhill Omega. So far, Citibank has been very quiet. It is unlikely that any debt service will be paid by the receiver for a number of years, with the cash flow instead being devoted to upgrades.

Ask
Nick and Nora
Neighbor

Dear Nick and Nora Neighbor:

I own a corner property on Sumner Ave. My driveway is on the side street, and beside it is one of those cables that go into the ground from telephone poles. ...

Continued on the
Nick and Nora Column

Winter Farmers' Market:
November - April
On the third Saturday of each month,
10:30-1:30

It will be outside. Dress warmly.
Location: East Longmeadow United Methodist church on the corner of Chestnut Street, and Rte. 83, aka Somers Road.

Beat Management Team meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7pm
Sinai Temple, 1100 Dickinson Street

Our new Sector H (Forest Park/East Forest Park) deputy is : Robert McFarlin Rmcfarlin@springfieldpolice.net

The FPCA, in partnership with Concerned Citizens for Springfield tentatively awarded $40,000 grant

The FPCA, in partnership with Concerned Citizens for Springfield applied for a Neighborhood Improvement Grant, with funds distributed through the Community Development Block Grant process. The money is restricted to improvement of public spaces in the City of Springfield, such as sidewalks, treebelts, public parking lots, etc.

The FPCA and CCS met in March to generate a proposal for our neighborhood, and were recently notified by the Mayor's office, that their proposal has been tentatively funded, following a required meeting with the committee.

The proposal includes renewed landscaping of the triangular plot of land at the X, with some protective fencing around the beautiful oak tree there. In addition, improvements to the crosswalks at the X, some improvements to the public parking area behind and next to Forest Park Rentals, improved landscaping in front of the stores at Sumner Avenue, and additional graffitti removal as needed throughout our neighborhood.

We can thank the quick acting members of the FPCA board and CCS for securing this grant money for our neighborhood. Look for these improvements in the coming months.

City Settles with the Springfield
Museum's Association

From
Heather Brandon's Blog:

"A total of four contracts were signed in front of the press during a mid-day announcement in the Museum of Fine Arts gallery upstairs currently exhibiting quilts. Both Mayor Charles Ryan and SLMA president Joseph Carvalho spoke ...The signed documents include a memorandum of understanding, a museum services agreement, a branch library lease, and a central library lease. ...

Memorandum of Understanding.

Mason Square branch library. In 2003, the SLMA sold the branch to the Urban League for $700,000. Of that amount, $600,000 is being returned to the Annie Curran Endowment Fund, and $100,000 went to the SLMA's Plant Fund. The document lays out the agreement between the parties: the city dismissed its lawsuit contesting the SLMA's right to sell the branch, and the SLMA is contributing one-third of the cost of construction or rehab for a new one, or $333,334. (A steering committee is currently engaged in working on this issue.)

Library endowment and trust funds. Certain endowment and trust funds are acknowledged as belonging to the Springfield Library Foundation, formed in 2005. The Curran Fund is one of these, total value at the end of 2006 being $4,617,494. An additional $360,526 in endowments, and $3,395,735 in trusts, is included in this category, for a grand total of $8,373,755. Two smaller endowments are agreed upon as belonging to the SLMA, a total of $33,942. Another two million dollars' worth of endowments and trusts are still in "friendly dispute."

Museum services. The museums will provide free admission to Springfield residents as of May 1, except for special exhibits. A "museum access card" will be available for those offering proof of residency. The city will pay $1.3 million annually—a "museum services fee"—to the SLMA for 25 years, although for fiscal year 2007, that amount will be $1.1 million as it has been since 2003. The museum services fee will also provide for the potential transfer to the city of the SLMA's branch libraries and their contents, as well as the furnishings, fixtures and circulating book collections in the central library. The 25-year agreement goes forward, as I understand it, as Special Act Legislation, which means it must be approved by the City Council and then goes to the state legislature for approval. A minimum three-year agreement was signed prior to the 25-year agreement gaining approval.

Rental of four library branches. For one dollar a year, the city will lease from the SLMA the East Springfield branch library, the Forest Park branch library, the Indian Orchard branch library, and the Liberty branch library, for a period of three years initially. A lease was signed today. The city will be responsible for maintenance, repair and utilities.

Central library. For one dollar a year, the city will lease from the SLMA the central library for 25 years or until the library is no longer located in the building, whichever comes first. The SLMA's telephone system and equipment access on the upper first floor are excluded from the lease. In 2032 there will be options to renew the lease in five-year terms. The SLMA will provide heat and the city will reimburse the SLMA for its share, as well as for exterior repair. The city will pay for interior repair and maintenance. Interior alterations will have to be agreed upon by both the SLMA and the Library Commission. As with the branch library lease agreement, this one is for three years, rolling over until Special Act Legislation is passed. ..."

Link to the rest of the story on Heather Brandon's Blog

Forest Park Branch Roof Repairs
To be Completed
by June

The bids for the repair of the parapet are came back only slightly over the estimate according to Emily Bader, Library Director. She siad that the City Purchasing Department will be approving the project on Friday, March 2nd. Work will begin as soon as weather permits and is estimated to take about three months to complete; the roof should be done by the end of June.

The existing bond will fund the $100,000 lift project, as well. Emily Bader, the Library Director, said that the $100,000 should cover the cost of the lift and that there are additional funds available to take care any exterior work or lighting repairs that are needed. This part of the project could be completed by Fall.

...Information provided by Jeanne Kaiser

The Courts of Forest Park
are Open!

The clay courts are open. The weather's beautiful. So, come out and play. If you haven't done so already, please renew your membership in the STC. The Max and Sam Abrams Tennis Rally was held on Saturday, May 12th. About 38 people participated in our season-opening event on what was a great day for tennis. Keep your eyes open for all those people in yellow shirts.

Link to the Springfield Tennis Club

How to Go to Housing Court Against
Offensive Neighbors (And Win)
by John Kontekakis.
View file
(pdf file)

Short Version for people who are fed up with an unruly neighbor, and have decided to do something about it.

Form to Request an Emergency Order from Housing Court.

Increase Your Chances for Police
Involvement in Your Neighborhood
by Susan Poole
View file
(pdf file)

The Forest Park Civic Association will hold it's
Annual Meeting Sunday, January 31st
from 5:00 to 7:00PM

Location:
Sumner Avenue School Cafeteria
45 Sumner Avenue

This is a potluck dinner with a presentation on the history and goals of the FPCA.

Potluck dinner: Please bring a dish according to the first letter of your last name:
- A-H: Appetizers
- I-S: Main Course
- T-Z: Desserts

The FPCA will provide beverages.

All Forest Park residents are welcome. For further information, call (413) 642-0876

Going Green in Forest Park

Paul & Margaret Martin's Solar Addition
...Photo by Bill Devlin

Oxford Street neighbor, and former FPCA President, Paul Martin and his wife Margaret have taken going green to a new level. They have done over their garage and installed solar panels on the garage roof to provide them with electricity and hot water. They are producing enough power to sell some back to the power company. Of course, they must sell it back at the wholesale rate, not at the rate user's pay, but every little bit helps and some of the time they are off-the-grid. The Martins are working hard to lower their carbon footprint.

For the technically inclined, their electricity generating system consists of 16 Evergreen (a Marlborough, Massachusetts company) photovoltaic panels rated at 180 watts each for a total max output of 2,880 watts (newer ones are now available at over 200 watts each). This is direct current, so there is an inverter which converts that to alternating current at the correct voltage and frequency to match the current from WMECO. Paul says that he has "a net-meter which means that when the system is producing more than the house is using, the excess goes out to the street and is delivered to other houses in the neighborhood and I get credit on my bill; at night or on a cloudy day, I draw from WMECO. "

...Photo by Bill Devlin

The hot water system has three flat panel collectors and a 105 gallon tank. The tank and controls are German, Stiebel-Eltron, and their subsidiary in Hadley, MA manufacturers the panels and distributes the complete systems. Ethelyne-glycol (anti-freeze same as in a car) circulates through tubing in the panels back to a coil in the bottom of the tank to heat the water. Water from the tank passes through an electric on-demand water heater that will heat the water from whatever temperature it is up to the setting for use in kitchen and bath.

"Electric production for the year has been 3,480 KWH", Paul said, "over half my annual average. The hot water system provides most requirements about 80% of the time. A sunny day even this time of year gets the water in the tank over 100 degrees F, requiring only another 10 or 15 degrees of heating for use. May through October was almost 100% of hot water use. It still needs a backup system since a couple of cloudy days in a row will drop the temperature significantly. "

The Martins installed 16 electric panels and three hotwater panels. Take a look at the specs and photos for his new green addition done with the help of architect, Bill Devlin. You could do one too! Read Bill's write-up on the project.

Join the Friends of the Connecticut River Walk
and Bikeway

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is actively looking for community leaders who are passionate about increasing use on the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway.

Currently, PVPC Land Use staff are selecting volunteers for the soon-to-be-formed Friends of the Connecticut River Walk And Bikeway. This all-volunteer committee will be responsible for organizing clean-up activities, programming festivals and events, working with City officials, and fundraising—all for the purpose of making the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway a more vibrant component of Springfield’s community character.

If you are interested in joining this group, or know someone who is, contact Chris Curtis or Andrew Smith at (413) 781-6045.

Double Digit Decreases in All Categories of Violent Crime. The Lowest
Total Crime Numbers Since
the year 2000.

From an interview with Edward A. Flynn that aired on Friday, February 24th on WGBY, Channel 57

Download or View
a copy of the
Fall FPCA Newsletter

click here

Read
Heather Brandon's Urban Compass Blog
for one resident's take on
issues that affect Springfield

Some Recent Articles on her Blog

Monday, February 26, 2007
New City Web site

Friday, February 23, 2007
Reader input on neighborhoods and engagement

Thursday, February 22, 2007
Feeling lukewarm

The how-to book that even seasoned landlords use as their best reference is now available. This practical guide covers all aspects of property law and practice, including:

For those who have used the HAP manual before, this new edition has extensive updates, ranging from lead compliance laws, lease clauses and new regulations to ready-to-use forms in print and on CD. It also includes the complete text of important rental housing regulations and a chapter-by-chapter study guide.

Copies cost $34.95 each.
Email landlordbook@haphousing.org
or call 413-233-1612.

(To join the Forestparkca news group,
enter your email address and then
click on the "Join Yahoo Groups icon")