Wendell
GOVERNMENT
Letter: Amherst Zoning Restrictions on Accessory Dwellings Are Now Illegal
In succinct plain English, neighbor objections which in the past have succeeded in blocking ADUs (auxiliary dwelling units) in Amherst will no longer work. More ADUs added to existing rented single-family house properties are coming statewide. Perhaps most significant for Amherst is the elimination of any owner occupancy requirement. That...
Public Comment: Protect the Architectural Integrity of the 1928 Jones Library Building
The following public comment was sent to the Amherst Historical Commission in advance of their public hearings on August 22, 2024. My husband and I have lived in Amherst for 35 years and raised our family here. I am writing to express my concern about the adverse historical effects of the proposed expansion plan for the Jones Library. As a student in the Architecture and Law Schools at the University of Virginia, I learned to appreciate the importance of historic preservation legislation in protecting the architectural legacy of our cities and towns.
Letter: Amherst Landlords Have Not Taken a Stand on Waste Hauler Bylaw
As President of the 500 member( landlord Association, I am writing to set the record straight about Stan Rosenberg’s meeting with our Board and to correct misimpression’s that might be left from the headline and content of your article. Stan met with us to provide information about the...
Amherst Historic Commission Rejects State Guidance on Jones Expansion
Demolition Permit Granted. Hearing on Historic Preservation Restriction Continued Until August 28. Report on Two Public Hearings of the Amherst Historical Commission, August 22, 2024. The meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded. Present. Madeleine Helmer (Acting Chair), Pat Auth, Hetty Startup, Antonia Brillembourg. Absent: Mikayla Rasnick and Robin...
Registration For Household Hazardous Waste Day Ends Tuesday August 27
Registration for the town’s 2024 Hazardous Waste Day ends Tuesday, August 27, 2024. No late sign ups will be accepted. Sign up now at https://www.amherstma.gov//CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=3613. Stay Connectred with Town of Amherst News. This notice is part of Amherst’s Open Government [http://www.amherstma.gov/tothemax] initiative. Sign-up for more automated email or SMS/text...
Public Comment: Jones Library Expansion at Odds with Town’s Historic Preservation Commitments
The following public comment was presented at a set of public hearings conducted by the Amherst Historical Commission on August 22, 2024. Two institutions, though perhaps thinking they are doing a good turn for the town, have been instrumental in promoting the excessively large and costly Jones Library building project to the detriment of the building’s historical character.
Planning Board Approves Retaining Wall for Jones Addition and Another Live Entertainment Venue Downtown
Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Planning Board, August 21, 2024. This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded. Doug Marshall (Chair), Fred Hartwell, Bruce Coldham, Jesse Mager, and Karin Winter. Absent: Johanna Neumann. Lawrence Kluttz has not yet been sworn in. Staff: Christine Brestrup (Planning Director), Nate...
Public Comment: Amherst Historic Commission Has the Opportunity, and Obligation, to Correct Its Mistake
The following public comment was presented at a set of public hearings conducted by the Amherst Historical Commission on August 22, 2024. When the Amherst Historic Commission (AHC) last discussed and voted on this issue in September and October of 2023, it did so without the knowledge of the findings of the Massachusetts Historic Commission that the proposed Jones building project violated five of the Secretary of Interior’s 10 Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties and would therefore not receive the nearly $2 million in historic tax credits that had been sought. It was not only the AHC that was not informed of this formal rejection in December 2023 and again in April 2024. This information was not made available to the Building Committee, the Town Council, the Finance Committee, the Trustees, or the public.
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