AMHERST — Revisions to the zoning bylaw are being considered that would make the development of purely apartment buildings — as opposed to mixed-use buildings such as Kendrick Place, at the corner of Triangle and East Pleasant streets, and One East Pleasant — less likely in the commercial heart of town.
Under the change, apartment buildings facing the street would not be allowed within 500 feet of another apartment building facing the street in the general business, or B-G zone, including on East Pleasant, North Pleasant, South Pleasant, Main and Amity streets.
Town planner Maureen Pollock said the idea is to activate streets for pedestrians and to avoid having a proliferation of apartments in the wrong place.
“We do feel a mixture of different uses will help support a population for businesses,” Pollock said.
Under current zoning downtown, apartment buildings are allowed by site plan reviews but are capped at 24 units per building.
The revised zoning would continue to encourage mixed-use buildings, and not further hinder the streetscape with apartment buildings. The five-story, mixed-use Kendrick Place and One East Pleasant — along with another such building at 11 East Pleasant — have been met with objections from residents worried that they are ruining the character of the town center and crowding sidewalks.
Already, developers can put more apartments in such mixed-use buildings, which have retail space available on the street level, than they can by pursuing just apartment construction.
The presentation by Pollock reads, “revised proposal … encourages more residential infill in the B-G zone while creating a safeguard to promote and enhance the vibrancy of active streetscapes with mixed-use buildings along the main street.”
Pollock said based on the current definition, there is only one apartment building downtown, a building with three units on Main Street just east of Town Hall.
Planning Board member Andrew MacDougall said the proposal is sensible, though he wants planners to make sure apartment buildings are not built downtown so robust streets can be preserved.
Planning Board member Janet McGowan said her concern is that the proposal could push apartment buildings to other streets, and wondered if loosening the regulations for such buildings might diminish the benefit seen in mixed-use buildings.The proposal is part of a package of zoning changes to encourage more development of housing stock in Amherst as supported by a Town Council vote earlier this year.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
