AMHERST — Even with skepticism from some members of the Town Council about whether a new Local Historic District should be created in the East Amherst village center, a subcommittee will review the proposal this fall.
By an 11-1 vote last week, councilors agreed to refer the topic to the Community Resources Committee, which will hold a public hearing and complete a report by Nov. 16.
The concept came from the Local Historic District Commission after an extensive study and a report showed the importance of the town’s original center, but it has garnered concerns about whether it would actually serve to protect up to 23 historic properties on Main, North East and South East streets, including several 18th- and 19th-century homes.
If adopted by a two-thirds vote of the Town Council, the new district would impose regulations on what is visible from the street at homes, businesses and other buildings.
District 3 Councilor George Ryan said his preference would be to incentivize property owners to preserve their homes rather than creating the new rules by which to abide.
“I don’t think this will actually preserve these buildings. What will preserve them is some kind of financial support, some kind of funding mechanism,” Ryan said.
Ryan said if the town is serious about preservation, the Community Preservation Act account could provide support, rather than imposing blanket protection, because, as he put it, true preservation costs money.
“I would like to see us look at alternatives that would actually lead to historic preservation by creating real economic incentives that we could put to work,” Ryan said.
For Council President Mandi Jo Hanneke, the lone vote against referral, the practice for reviews of projects in the Emily Dickinson and North Prospect-Lincoln-Sunset local historic districts has added time for homeowners and developers, observing that the since-abandoned Amherst Media building took numerous meetings.
“I’ve got real concerns with how our bylaw is operating and how it’s actually written and intended to operate,” Hanneke said.
Ana Devlin Gauthier, a District 5 councilor, expressed similar concern that new rules could be a hardship for families living in historic homes to make updates when necessary, such as specific siding or window treatments that could be rejected on the grounds of preservation.
The council’s discussion came after a narrow 4-3 recommendation from the Planning Board.
Elizabeth Sharpe, a member of the commission, said East Amherst was the first village of Amherst when it was settled in 1728, and four of the houses were built before Amherst became a town in 1759.
One property, a former tavern and currently law offices, was where Daniel Shay organized his rebellion, and around midnight each day a messenger would arrive there. Among the 120 men who participated was Ebenezer Mattoon, who lived nearby.
Planner Walker Powell said the commission would review alterations visible from public ways, but if work is minor and not impacting the neighborhood, it could be approved administratively. The properties are included in the National Register of Historic Places, though that doesn’t offer any protections.
Shape said Amherst is lucky to have so many intact properties, and that’s one reason people choose to live in town. “They like seeing the history, the history is around you, and that it is preserved,” Sharpe said.
District 4 Councilor Jennifer Taub said there is nothing that can be done to preserve buildings without first having this layer of protection.
Since the village green is included in the district, At-Large Councilor Andy Churchill voiced concern about whether the town would be allowed to redo streets in the event that it needs to, due to the proximity to the Amethyst Brook School. Powell said roadwork wouldn’t be affected.
Ryan questioned the condition of current homes and whether this would serve to improve them.
“There are a couple of buildings that are in excellent condition, no question. I’m going to go look at each one of them, and maybe I’ll come back convinced that the vast majority are in excellent shape,” Ryan said. “That’s not the impression I have driving through that neighborhood on a regular basis.”
Ryan questioned how this proposal might impact rezoning for East Amherst village center that could be for in-fill development, and for the Way Finders affordable housing development incorporating the East Street School.
Hanneke said she was also troubled by discrepancies in the number of properties, the inclusion of the town common when it is not a structure and the accuracy of the report, stating that there were mostly favorable comments from the public, when some living in the neighborhood are opposed to the concept.
“All of this leads me to be unsure whether to support it and unsure whether to even refer it for a public hearing,” Hanneke said.
