Shadowbrook Spring Online Social on April 14

We all enjoyed seeing neighbors and friends at our online event in January and getting to know some of our new neighbors. To give everyone a chance to visit again, we are planning a Spring Online Social on Wednesday, April 14 at 7:00pm (please note date change from March 30) . Everyone enjoyed the ‘breakout rooms’ at our last online social, which gave us a chance to chat in smaller groups and get to know more about each other, so we are planning to include some breakout time again in April. Please put April 14 on your calendar, and watch for details, which will be forwarded to owners via email. Hope you are all enjoying the wonderful spring weather!

KYT to host candidates for Town offices on April 1

This year’s Know Your Town (KYT) Candidates’ Night will be held virtually on Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 6:30pm and simulcast on local Channel 15 and online at http://shctv15.com/watch-live/. The program will also be recorded and available for viewing later online at https://shctv15.com/ and during rebroadcasts on Channel 15. KYT is a nonpartisan organization that works to inform South Hadley residents.

Every candidate for Town office will be invited to give a two-minute introductory statement to familiarize viewers with who they are and why they are running. Introductions for candidates in uncontested races will be followed by Question & Answer segments for each of the four contested offices, where candidates for those offices will introduce themselves and respond to questions submitted in advance by the public. The candidates in these segments will each have opportunities to give one-minute responses to the same questions and one-minute closing statements. The contested offices are Selectboard, School Committee, Board of Health (1-year terms), and Municipal Light Board.

The public is encouraged to participate by submitting up to two questions per person in advance for the contested races. Please keep questions brief and be sure to indicate which race each question is for. No additional questions from the public will be accepted during Candidates’ Night and time may not allow every question to be asked. All questions should be submitted by Tuesday, March 30 using this form: http://shorturl.at/uAPT7. 

Every candidate for Town office will be invited to submit a brief introductory statement for the Meet the Candidates page on KYT website: http://www.knowyourtown.org/meet-the-candidates. Information will be posted as it is available.

South Hadley Annual Elections

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.

Drop a Bag Food Collection—MLK Weekend 2021

Fill a bag of food and bring it to the high school for no-contact drop off:

  • Saturday, January 16, 2021 from 12:00 to 2:00pm
    (inclement weather date: Monday, January 18th)
    South Hadley High School Parking Lot, 153 Newton Street

Because of safety and health concerns the usual ‘Bag the Community’ food collection event will not be held this year, but more than ever there is a need to fill the South Hadley Food Pantry for our neighbors in need and ensure that every local family has access to good foods, every day. This year the South Hadley High School Student Council will hold a no-contact bag drop in the high school parking lot. When you bring your bag, students will unload your vehicle.

Suggested food and household items that are needed include: Pasta sauce, canned/jarred fruit, canned soups, hot or cold cereals, tuna and canned meats, peanut butter, jelly, jam, condiments, household cleaners, soaps, paper products, pet food, and disposable diapers.

Question or concerns? Call 413.538.5063.

South Hadley Christmas Tree Disposal

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.

Ice Melt

Buckets of ice-melt are located at each mailbox in our community for use by residents this winter. While our snow contractor will take care of things during and after storms, this is available in case there are slippery conditions during in-between times. These stations are being monitored and filled by Board members and other owners in an effort to save on costs for our community. Please be sure not to over-tighten the covers. Thanks!

MassPike exit number conversions to begin December 13

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/

Falls Redevelopment Visual Preference Survey

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

South Hadley Landfill Proposal

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.