AMHERST – A mixed-use project in North Amherst that would have 26 affordable apartments among its 130 units could be the first to seek a special tax assessment from the town that gives financial incentives to developers who provide housing for low- and moderate-income families.
Representatives from Beacon Properties of Boston at Monday’s Select Board meeting made the first public presentation on the proposed three-building, 150,000-square-foot development that will include apartments on the upper floors and 22,000 square feet of space for eight to 10 businesses on the ground levels.
Called North Square at the Mill District, the developers are working with landowner W.D. Cowls Inc. on the project that would include demolishing the former sawmill to make way for the development, situated between the Atkins Farm market satellite store and The Harp restaurant.
“Very few sites offer this opportunity for development,” said Darcy Jameson, development director for Beacon.
Dara Kovel, president of the firm, said the diverse mix of apartments proposed in the development reflects the town’s master plan and ongoing conversations with the community, including committees focused on housing for people of all income levels.
“Amherst is obviously a place that can use more housing serving a variety of households,” Kovel said.
Beacon, which manages 12,000 apartments in 70 locations, is familiar with Amherst after acquiring Rolling Green Apartments for $30.25 million in 2014 and preserving the affordability of 41 units for low-income families.
Kovel said the first step in the $40 million Mill District project is submitting next month a site eligibility letter to the state Department of Housing and Community Development.
Once a site eligibility letter is received from the state agency, Beacon will apply for a comprehensive permit under the state’s chapter 40B law, beginning a review process by the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals in the fall and lasting through the winter.
The chapter 40B law is a state statute promoting affordable housing and allowing developers to circumvent certain municipal zoning restrictions.
Once this is complete, Beacon will formally apply for DHCD funding, and the possibility of the special tax assessment Amherst can offer any developer of a residential or mixed-use development with 10 or more housing units, in which at least 10 percent are set aside as affordable.
Jameson said the project would include eight units for people earning about 30 percent of the area median income, or $12 per hour, and 18 units set aside for people earning about 50 percent of the area median income, or $20 per hour.
Kovel said the project would break ground in summer or fall 2017, with 14 to 16 months to complete.
Peter Hechenbleikner, interim town manager, said even though more than 10 percent of the town’s housing stock is considered affordable in the Subsidized Housing Inventory, as calculated by the state Department of Housing and Economic Development, North Square would provide benefits to Amherst, including new housing and people to support businesses in the village center.
While there are already apartment complexes in North Amherst, including Townehouse Apartments, Puffton Village and Brandywine Apartments, what will set these apartments apart is being a different product type and having professional management, Kovel said.
She described it as a “high quality, high design” development.
“The hard work really begins when the project is up and running,” Kovel said. “People are really concerned about property management and want to make sure people are contributing members of the neighborhood.”
Mollye Wolahan Lockwood, vice president of real estate and community development for W.D. Cowls, said Beacon remains committed to meeting with North Amherst abutters and continuing to make changes that will improve the project.
Already, community concern has reduced the size of the project from 140 to 130 units and persuaded Beacon to put all entrances on Cowls Road.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
