Hadley RMV closes permanently

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

HADLEY - The Registry of Motor Vehicles office on Route 9 is closed for good, with state officials promising to double the capacity of the Easthampton registry office, housed in the Eastworks Building.

Ann C. Dufresne, spokeswoman for the state Registry of Motor Vehicles, said the Hadley office closed suddenly last week because of an issue with the building's heater, but the temporary closure became permanent this week.

The registry's closing will not result in any layoffs, she said. Dufresne said five of Hadley's eight former employees will be transferred to the Easthampton branch, bringing that office's total number of workers to eight. Two have been absorbed by other state registries, and one, the branch manager, had already worked in both offices.

"We have now put all of our effort into doubling the work capacity of the Easthampton branch," Dufresne said. "We've installed a number of new work stations, and we have started transferring our personnel."

Dufresne said expected state budget cuts influenced the registry's decision to close the Hadley branch, but she also blamed an uncooperative landlord and bankruptcy proceedings that have raised issues for the Russell Street branch for more than a year.

Rachel Kaprelian, the state's registrar of motor vehicles, recently warned House members that slashing her budget from the $50.3 million proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick to the $48.9 million proposed by the House Ways and Means Committee would force her to close 11 of the state's 35 branches.

However, Dufresne said budget discussions in Boston had less to do with the decision to close Hadley's office than the poor relationship with the building's landlord.

"We have been saying all along that we were waiting for the decision in bankruptcy court and our intent has been to file for getting out of the lease," Dufresne said. "There have been a number of breaches in our contract, and a while ago we put the landlord on notice."

In March, branch manager Candace Jernigan reportedly warned employees that they may all be relocated to another registry because of problems with the building, including a lack of handicap accessibility, flood damage, pipe bursts and heating and air-conditioning problems.

"By the time all the repairs will be made, the auction of the building will have gone through and our responsibilities at that location will be over," Dufresne said. "There were some safety and code violations that were a concern for both our employees and our customers, and that is the primary reason we are out of that building."

While the landlord issues were the driving force behind the decision to close the branch, Dufresne said proposed budget cuts made looking for an alternative location in Hadley virtually impossible.

In December, in an attempt to save about $40,000, the registry offices in Hadley and Easthampton, as well as many others across the state, reduced their hours, opening a half-hour later, at 9 a.m. instead of 8:30, and branches that previously stayed open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays began closing at 6.

The Hadley registry branch opened in 2000, moving from its former location on King Street in Northampton.

The registry's proposed budget cuts, Dufresne said, will be debated in the state Senate over the course of the next few days and will not be finalized until passed and signed by Patrick.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.