AMHERST — With some members of the Town Council suggesting the need for younger voices who are more supportive of housing development initiatives that can encourage families to come to town, two residents who moved to Amherst with their own families in the past year will be joining the Planning Board.
But in making three appointments to the board Monday, including reappointing one Planning Board member, councilors nixed the reappointment of another member, with concerns expressed that her views may be out of step with both the town and the state’s efforts to increase the supply of housing.
Though both incumbent Karin Winter of Elm Street and Angus McLeod of Indian Pipe Lane were recommended for appointment following interviews and then divided votes by the Community Resources Committee, the Town Council gave the position to McLeod in a 7-2 vote, with one abstention and three councilors absent.
With no discussion, and support from the council subcommittee, the Town Council unanimously appointed the other incumbent, Bruce Coldham of Pine Street, to serve through June 30, 2028, and also approved newcomer Jerah Smith of Alyssum Drive, also to serve through June 30, 2028. Smith will assume the position previously held by Lawrence Kluttz of Dana Street, who left the board less than a year into his term.
Most of the debate centered on the third position. For District 3 Councilor George Ryan, who nominated McLeod to the position through June 30, 2027, support for the town’s draft housing production plan was critical, as was his age.
“Most important, I think he represents a new and younger voice, which this body clearly needs,” Ryan said.
Ryan was also concerned that Winter avoided expressing her thoughts on the housing production plan.
“Instead of any kind of specific response to nine proposals about how to increase housing production, what we got instead was ‘I liked what he said,’” Ryan said. “So that was disappointing, I felt.”
Ryan was also critical of Winter for helping to bring forward an “ill-conceived proposal” from the Planning Board, aimed at decreasing the housing density in the general residence zoning district, that he said runs contrary to what housing advocates, the master plan and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey say are needed to find ways to build more housing.
Rooney, who chairs the council subcommittee, explained that members settled on Coldham and Jerah Smith, with the split votes on Winter and McLeod.
Rooney said Winter deserved to be reappointed due to her hard work, and that she wouldn’t even address the age discrimination implied by Ryan.
“I respect very much her interest level, her very active advocacy within the housing subcommittee discussions,” Rooney said.
Taub was more blunt in her support for Winter. “I feel like Karin Winter is sort of being railroaded off the board,” Taub said.
“She has been a steadfast member of the Planning Board,” Taub said, adding that she is a strong supporter of the University Drive overlay district, in fill in the East Amherst village center and wants a strong town center.
A similar debate played out last August, when Kluttz, of Dana Street, was appointed in an 8-1 vote, with four abstentions, a month after the only other candidate for the position, Melissa Farris of Lincoln Avenue, was rejected in a 6-5 vote, despite a favorable recommendation from the Community Resources Committee.
Ryan was joined in support of McLeod by At Large Councilors Andy Steinberg and Mandi Jo Hanneke, District 2 Councilors Pat De Angelis and Lynn Griesemer and District 5 Councilors Ana Devlin Gauthier and Bob Hegner.
Taub and Rooney voted against McLeod, while At Large Councilor Ellisha Walker abstained and District 1 Councilors Ndifreke Ette and Cathy Schoen and District 3 Councilor Hala Heather Lord were absent.
De Angelis said McLeod understands zoning and has direct experience drafting planning documents. “To me, it is a wiser choice to take on Mr. McLeod,” De Angelis said.
Hanneke said she wants Planning Board members who see the value in bringing families with children to Amherst.
“Why don’t we put the people we’re struggling to attract on the board that plans to attract those families,” Hanneke said.
But that both Smith and McLeod live in Amherst Woods is a red flag for Taub, compared to Winter who lives is the densest residential part of town.
“I don’t know that we need two representatives on the Planning Board from what is probably the most exclusively zoned subdivision in town,” Taub said.
Taub also disputed that the membership on the Planning Board would yield more housing for families.
“I don’t think frankly we have difficulty attracting families to Amherst that can afford to live in Amherst Woods,” Taub said. “So I don’t know that’s really the future of Amherst — two people who in the last year were able to afford to move into the Amherst Woods development.”
Prior to the meeting, Winter’s candidacy got support from Ira Bryck of Strong Street, who wrote in a letter to the councilors that if she wasn’t appointed, it would lead to increasing divisiveness in town politics.
“She is curious, asks good questions, cares about the unintended consequence of Planning Board discussions and decisions, and provides balance to those in our town government who have a strong bias toward approving most development that is proposed,” Bryck wrote.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
