AMHERST — As Amherst concluded its final annual Town Meeting session Monday, members decisively resolved a lingering issue of how to encourage developers to include more affordable housing in their projects.
By a 156-19 vote, easily surpassing the two-thirds majority needed to change zoning, Town Meeting agreed to amend the so-called inclusionary bylaw to require a portion of large-scale developments be set aside for low- and moderate-income households.
The article was drafted by the Planning Board, which worked with several residents who have been pushing to increase the town’s affordable housing stock and reach a compromise on when issuing special permits would trigger a requirement to provide affordable units.
Jim Oldham of Precinct 5 said the article is a testament to how politics should work.
“It’s an excellent result we can deliver tonight on the last night of this annual Town Meeting,” Oldham said.
The other business Town Meeting handled included turning down rezoning land in the Cushman section of North Amherst to limit development, but voting to encourage the Select Board to place restrictions on the noise generated by firing ranges and calling on Amherst to be a leader in nuclear disarmament.
As the session ended, the seventh this spring, moderator Jim Pistrang thanked previous Town Meeting members and officials who have served in the town’s nearly 260-year history, receiving loud applause in the middle school auditorium before Select Board Chairman Doug Slaughter made the motion to dissolve annual Town Meeting. Members then presented a signed card to Pistrang to recognize his service since 2013.
Even with a town council election expected in November and councilors to be seated Dec. 3, it’s unclear if Town Meeting will meet again. The Select Board could call a special Town Meeting in the fall.
The inclusionary bylaw change will mean developers who seek a special permit to modify the dimensions that affect the overall size of a building will have to provide some housing for those earning 80 percent or less of area median income, or use alternate means of meeting this goal, including providing a payment in lieu that is three times the median income, or $198,000. The payment would go to the Amherst Affordable Housing Trust.
“We need as many ways as we can address this problem as we can conceive,” said John Hornik, chairman of the trust.
Gerry Weiss, of Precinct 8, who drafted a competing inclusionary bylaw, said the special permit trigger will mean affordable units being built in downtown or elsewhere.
“Amherst is so far allowing developers a way out,” Weiss said.
The bylaw change had some doubters.
“Let’s not do the compromise and let’s go the whole way,” said Paige Wilder of Precinct 10.
Lawrence Quigley of Precinct 1 said he worries that there will be segregation of affordable units if developers provide payment or build off-site units.
Prior to the meeting, Amherst Business Improvement District Executive Director Sarah la Cour said the change could stifle housing projects.
“The risk of having no development remains too great,” la Cour said.
Town Meeting voted 103-57 to refer an article to the Planning Board that would have limited development in North Amherst.
Planning Board Chairman Stephen Schreiber said the article needed more study and discussion because its impact wasn’t understood.
“It’s a significant part of Amherst that’s proposed to be rezoned,” Schreiber said.
Van Kaynor of Precinct 2 proposed the rezoning that would have meant all properties 425 feet in elevation and higher in the residential outlying district, and not connected to town sewer and water, would need to be at least 2 acres to build a home, rather than three-quarter-acre building lots.
Nolan Anaya of Precinct 2 said people who would be affected need to have more input on this change, but Janet Keller of Precinct 1 said the extreme vulnerability of the area to development should prompt immediate passage of the rezoning.
Planning Director Christine Brestrup said she was concerned that many properties on High Point Drive would immediately be nonconforming, meaning residents would need to obtain special permits to make changes to their properties.
Town Meeting called on the Select Board to assess problems created by noise from gunfire at the Norwottuck Fish and Game Association shooting range.
“I don’t think our town identifies with gunfire,” said Kenton Tharp of Precinct 1. “It’s not part of our Amherst nature, in my mind.”
Alice Swift of Precinct 8 said Applewood Apartments residents constantly hear the gunfire.
“This is a real problem and it’s constant and it’s loud,” said Rolf Karlstrom of Precinct 10.
David Casey of Country Corners Road said the noise is worse than ever. “It really has gotten unbearable,” Casey said.
The final action for Town Meeting came when it voted unanimously to join other cities and towns in calling for an end to nuclear weapons and making the United States a leader in eliminating these weapons stockpiles.
Lead petitioner Lynda Faye said even limited nuclear war would cause millions of immediate deaths before contributing to a global famine.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
