The Villages of the Shadowbrook Estate Condominums

The South Hadley Annual Town Election is normally held on the second Tuesday in April each year, to elect Town Meeting members for each precinct (Shadowbrook is in Precinct A) and candidates for Town offices. The 2021 Town Election is Tuesday, April 13, 2021 from 10am to 6pm. Please note that in-person voting hours have changed this year. All precincts vote at South Hadley High School, 153 Newton Street, South Hadley. View specimen ballots at: https://southhadley.org/1088/Specimen-Ballots

• Applications for Absentee and Vote-by-Mail mail-in ballots for the 2021 Town Election may be downloaded at the link below.
• The deadline is 5:00pm on Wednesday, April 7 to submit completed applications to the Town Clerk for a mail-in ballot.
• The deadline to return completed mail-in ballots is 6:00pm on Tuesday, April 13.
• Completed applications and ballots may be submitted to the secure drop box behind Town Hall by the police station or mailed to the Town Clerk at South Hadley Town Hall-Rm M11, 116 Main Street, South Hadley, MA 01075 (if mailing, be sure to allow sufficient time for delivery by the deadlines).
• For more information and mail-in ballot application forms: https://www.southhadley.org/620/Elections

Please note that 2021 Fire District Elections will not be held at the high school in conjunction with the Town Election as has been the practice in recent years. The districts will hold separate elections at their respective fire stations from 10am to 6pm. Shadowbrook is in Fire District 1, which will hold its election at 144 Newton Street (413-538-9044). Absentee ballots for these separate elections may be obtained by calling the Fire District Treasurer.

There will be NO CURBSIDE PICKUP of Christmas trees this season, but residents can bring trees to the South Hadley transfer station as follows:

• January 8-9 and January 15-16, 2021 from 8:00am to 3:00pm
• NO RESERVATION is needed for tree disposal and there is no charge.
• A transfer station permit sticker is NOT required to dispose of your tree during this time.
• The South Hadley transfer station is located at 10 Industrial Drive.
• For details: https://www.southhadley.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=504

Trees must have all tinsel, ornaments, and metal removed and not be wrapped in plastic bags. Please do not bring wreaths, as they contain metal.

An additional spring curbside yard waste collection is being added in March/April (dates TBD), and residents may dispose of trees at this time provided the tree is less than 40 pounds and cut to 4 feet or less (and have items removed as outlined above).

The compost area and transfer station are regularly open Tuesday to Saturday from 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00 to 3:00pm for South Hadley residents with a valid 2021 permit sticker and reservation. Prepayment is required for disposal of green bags, recycling, and larger items at the transfer station. For more information: https://www.southhadley.org/240/Public-Works.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is in the process of converting all exit numbers on freeways to a milepost-based numbering system, per Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements. Currently, interstates and freeways in Massachusetts utilize a sequential exit numbering method. Construction began in the Fall of 2020 and is anticipated to be completed in the Summer of 2021.

Exit numbering conversion will begin on the MassPike/Interstate 90 on December 13, 2020. Construction details are as follows:

• Corridor: Interstate 90 (Massachusetts Turnpike)
• Location: Boston to West Stockbridge
• Approximate start date: Dec. 13
• Approximate construction duration: 4 weeks
• Hours of operation: 8:00 PM – 5:00 AM

Please note that all work is weather dependent and construction dates may be adjusted accordingly. This work will not impact the tolls on this roadway. For more information on the project and construction status, to leave a comment or sign up for project updates, please visit: https://www.newmassexits.com/

The public is invited to join the South Hadley Falls Redevelopment Authority in a conceptual exploration of the redevelopment of a Main Street Property into a mixed-used development. The South Hadley Planning and Conservation Department has received a Massachusetts DHCD Downtown Initiative Grant to produce illustrations to help envision the conversion of the SHELD property into other uses. 

The survey will be open through November 30, 2020. Those wishing to participate are encouraged to view an online webinar for more information about the project and additional details about the design ideas featured in the survey. Links for both the webinar and the survey can be found at: https://www.southhadley.org/462/Redevelopment-Authority

At the November 10, 2020 South Hadley Selectboard meeting a developer working in the disposal industry presented a proposal to use space at the now-closed solid waste facility at 600 New Ludlow Road for construction soils that cannot be used onsite because of site constraints, geotechnical properties, or levels of contamination of the materials. The South Hadley facility was closed and capped in 2014, with groundwater testing and environmental monitoring to continue. The Selectboard has encouraged Closure Management, the Holyoke company formed in 2019 that made the proposal, to attend meetings of the Conservation Commission, Board of Health, and Planning Board to gauge interest and possible support.

The public is also being encouraged to review the proposal and comment on the project using a Google Form set up by the Town. A recent news story published on November 12, 2020 in the Daily Hampshire Gazette provides some additional information.