Town councilors in Amherst, Massachusetts, voted to approve zoning language that would allow for a new “overlay district” and, potentially, more large-scale, mixed-use developments near UMass Amherst.
After a saga of planning board meetings and more, the developer behind a five-story, mixed-use apartment building near the University of Massachusetts Amherst got its final approvals last month.
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, UDrive Amity LLC, overseen by local developer Barry Roberts, is clear to build its mixed-use structure off of 422 Amity Street, including nearly 80 apartments.
Now, similar developments could be on the horizon, streamlined, in-part, by an overlay district approved by town councilors Monday.
For the past year, various boards and committees have been working on the creation of a “University Drive Overlay District” – a district “intended to encourage economic development and expand housing opportunity, by allowing mixed-use buildings in an area” currently zoned for businesses and office parks, not far from an entrance to UMass Amherst, according to planning documents.
Discussions at Monday’s meeting were brief ahead of the vote – the bulk of debate and discussions came at the previous meeting, which included a walkthrough by town Senior Planner, Nate Malloy.
“This is an overlay district so it, essentially, as the name implies, it floats over what is the base zoning district, and so, the existing office park and limited business (zones) remain,” he explained back on March 24. “This is a voluntary district where, if someone was proposing a mixed-use building along University Drive, between Amity Street and Route 9, they would need to follow the overlay - it has its own definition for what’s mixed-use, dimensional standards, design guidelines and open space guidelines.”
According to zoning amendment proposal documents from January, those standards and guidelines are “intended to foster development with dense residential units, enhance the pedestrian experience along the street,” and more.
It allows for mixed-use structures reaching up to six stories or 70 feet – along with specific rules when it comes to things like parking, loading docks and “usable, open space” for both residents and the public.
At their late-March meeting, councilors were, for the most part, on board with the idea. However, with odds being high potential housing could likely serve off-campus college students for the most part, District 5 Councilor Bob Hegner asked if there'd be any efforts to encourage senior or workforce housing in the almost half-mile stretch.
“I have a great concern that this is just going to become another set of student housing and it's not going to benefit the town other than some … hope of reducing the number of LLCs that are purchasing homes somewhere in Amherst,” Hegner said.
Concerns were also raised about the southern, commercial side of the district, and what if property owners opted to redevelop their land for housing.
Malloy, as well as District 4 Councilor Pam Rooney described how different rules apply to that sector to discourage just that. Rooney also chairs the Community Resources Committee that helped develop the amendment.
“We did not want to somehow entice an existing service to demolish their buildings and build … much more lucrative residential offerings, so, we kept it as ‘100 percent commercial-use’ in that area, to discourage,” she said, referencing how structures in that part of the district would be required to have their entire first floors be devoted to non-residential purposes.
The area includes a Big Y grocery store, other small businesses, and a post office.
Councilors also recognized that no matter who ends up in the apartments that could be built, more housing is needed. It was a point hammered home by Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek.
“I think we all recognize the state, the region, the town: we're in a housing crisis here, and this is just one effort of many that is needed - we have to keep moving forward,” Ziomek said at the March meeting. “I guess I'm hoping that we not kind of hyper-focus on this one initiative that the planning board … and other boards and committees have been working on for many, many months. It has taken us a long time to get to this point.”
