Mix of Hardscapes Solves Two Problems

Brick pavers at the entrance of an Amherst, Mass. community center became a tripping hazard, leading city officials to come up with a ?EUR??,,????'?????<

A renovated walkway at the entrance to the Bangs Community Center in Amherst, Mass. should eliminate a tripping hazard that has injured a half-dozen senior citizens and still preserve a majority of the existing honey locust trees.

The hybrid solution, as town and schools facilities director Ron Bohonowicz refers to it, will use poured concrete to define the walkway, while brick pavers ?EUR??,,????'?????<

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Once the Planning Board approves the plans, work can begin in the spring, he said.

The original plans called for removal of all the trees and replaced the bricks with a concrete pad, but this prompted Amherst Tree Warden Alan Snow and the city?EUR??,,????'?????<

Hope Crolius, chairwoman of the committee, said Bohonowicz has created a much better plan by preserving a majority of the hardy urban trees.

"That means five are staying. It's no longer a slaughter out there," Crolius said.

Keeping the bricks and enlarging the tree pits should also improve the health of the trees, said Bohonowicz.

Bohonowicz said he will need to seek additional money from the town to pay for the work. The project is expected to cost around $35,000. Capital funds totaling $25,000 have been set aside for the project, but $3,000 was already used for an emergency work order completed by Amherst Landscaping in which the entryway was stabilized and uneven bricks were smoothed.