AMHERST — A 19th-century home on Northampton Road near the Hadley town line, the last single-family residence along a stretch of Route 9 west of University Drive, is again being proposed for demolition.
The Historical Commission on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. will act on a request to tear down the 406 Northampton Road home, a rental property owned by Luke Zbylut of Zbylut Realty, LLC.
The building is located near several businesses and apartment complexes, including Hawkins Meadow and Aspen Heights, with the more intense commercial development starting across the town line.
The commission in 2022 allowed the demolition to proceed, rather than issuing a demolition delay, receiving a write-up that the wood-frame farmhouse was built between 1873 and 1895 and at the time stood alone along a stretch of undeveloped farmland that extended west to North Maple Street in Hadley. Its occupants when it was built were farmer Everett L. Newton and son George L. Newton.
Walker Powell, a town planner, said the commission approved the demolition at the time, but the property owner was unable to get the tenants out, and the home remained standing. A small barn next to the building was demolished in 2005.
Three years ago, the site was going to be used by UMassFive Credit Union for a new flagship branch, with the project receiving necessary approvals from the Planning Board. But that development didn’t move forward, and the agreement to buy that property has since expired.
Powell said the application for demolition states there are no current plans for reusing the property, which is immediately next to Zbylut Motor Works, a servicing and repair shop for European vehicles. Zbylut recently received approvals to open a second location on Greenfield Road in Deerfield.
