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Hearing on building moratorium slated for Wednesday in Amherst Amherst Town Hall GAZETTE FILE PHOTO Published: 5/17/2021 11:38:19 AM AMHERST A six-month prohibition on issuing building permits for projects containing at least three dwelling units will be discussed at a joint public hearing by the Planning Board and Community Resources Committee this week. On Wednesday at 8 p.m., the panels will hold a virtual hearing on the moratorium being sought via a petition that has more than 830 signatures. In an email, Elizabeth Vierling of Cottage Street said the goal of the petition, which shows discontent with the continued development of five-story, mixed-use buildings downtown, is not to block business development but to take time to consider how Amherst is developed and whether guidelines set in the town’s master plan are being followed. ....
Guest columnist Elizabeth Vierling: Zoning plans that are out of ‘whack’ Amherst Town Hall Those of us trying to pay attention to zoning changes being discussed for Amherst are engaged in a game of “whack-a-mole” as proposals morph, but do not solve the problems they are supposed to address. Rather, they promise to supply more undergraduate student housing, degrade neighborhoods and remove any reason to visit the Amherst business district. Since I moved to Amherst 10 years ago, I’ve seen half of the “amenities” that I enjoyed in downtown disappear. I am not expecting Amherst to revert to last century, but we are losing even compared to 2011. The northern end of “downtown” is now a “desert” for residents and visitors. We got Kendrick Place and One East Pleasant Street, with one restaurant and horrendous streetscapes. Now the retail establishments between those two buildings are shutting down. Will infill be other super-sized, super-expensive apar ....
Amherst council backs zoning changes Amherst Town Hall FILE PHOTO By SCOTT MERZBACH AMHERST Motivating developers to pursue housing projects downtown and in village centers is a primary goal of zoning priorities being endorsed by the Town Council. With an affirmative vote Monday on action steps, which councilors deemed consistent with the town’s master plan, the hope is to encourage more housing options for people from all economic backgrounds. “We have a massive deficit of housing in this town,” said At-Large Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke. The 10-3 vote in support of the zoning priorities recommended by the council’s Community Resources Committee came despite concerns raised in writing from several residents, including from a group calling itself Citizens for Better Planning. ....
Amherst council backs zoning changes Amherst Town Hall FILE PHOTO Published: 1/5/2021 2:31:54 PM AMHERST Motivating developers to pursue housing projects in downtown and village centers is a primary goal of zoning priorities being endorsed by the Town Council. With an affirmative vote Monday on action steps, which councilors deemed consistent with the master plan, the hope is to encourage more housing options for people from all economic backgrounds. “We have a massive deficit of housing in this town,” said At-Large Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke. The 10-3 vote in support of the zoning priorities recommended by the council’s Community Resources Committee came despite concerns received in writing from several residents, including from a group calling itself Citizens for Better Planning. ....
Amherst Planning Board delays action on Town Council subcommittee’s proposed zoning changes Updated Dec 21, 2020; AMHERST – The Planning Board appeared on verge of moving ahead with zoning amendments proposed by a Town Council subcommittee, but the board’s chairman, Jack Jemsek, announced no action would be taken after several residents objected to the amendments that includes a 40-R “smart growth” overlay district proposed for downtown. Only one of the seven planning board members objected to the zoning proposals at Wednesday’s meeting, Janet McGowan. The chairman said the idea presented by the council’s Community Resources Committee [CRC] would be reviewed again, during a meeting likely to be scheduled in January. The CRC is chaired by Council Vice President Mandi Jo Hanneke. ....