Amherst Planning Board Remains Divided on Narrowed East Amherst Historic District

A scaled-down proposal to create an East Amherst local historic district that protects only 22 core properties faced continued resistance from the Amherst Planning Board on August 5, even after the Local Historic District Commission narrowed the scope following criticism in April.

The commission refined the district to include only the most significant structures in East Amherst, the town's oldest neighborhood, after the Planning Board raised concerns that a broader district would hinder development and increase costs for property owners and renters. The 22 properties, mostly built before the Civil War and clustered around the intersection of North and South East Streets and Main Street, remain in their original locations and have not been significantly altered. Support from the Planning Board is not required for the Town Council to approve the district, but backing would strengthen the commission's position.

Local Historic District Commission members Steve Bloom and Elizabeth Sharpe argued that East Amherst's character and intact appearance are unusual for most towns and should be preserved. Sharpe, who is the co-director of Historic Northampton, noted that two buildings predate Amherst's 1759 separation from Hadley, and the area contains the town's first post office, original common, and sites significant to Revolutionary War and early industrial history.

Planning Board member Jerah Smith, however, expressed concern that historic district regulations add layers of review that make redevelopment more challenging and less likely to result in affordable housing. He called the proposal "tone deaf" given the regional housing crisis. Smith asked why the town would prioritize preservation over making it easier for people to live in Amherst.

Bloom responded that the 22 properties would not deter new residents and that most structures are not residential. He noted that accessory dwelling units are permitted by right, anything not visible from public view can be built, and the only restriction the commission has imposed in its other historic districts is a ban on vinyl siding.

Town Councilor Andy Churchill asked whether the historic district would affect Way Finders' affordable housing project at the East Street School or changes to the common related to Amethyst Brook Elementary School's opening. Planner Walker Powell assured him that projects already permitted will not be affected by the district, and the commission has no jurisdiction over parking and traffic.

Several residents spoke in support during public comment. Ken Rosenthal, who lives in the Sunset/Fearing local historic district, emphasized that such designations do not freeze change. Town Councilor Jennifer Taub, a former commission member and resident of the same district, noted that her neighborhood remains one of the town's most active areas for housing development of all types.

Planning Board Chair Doug Marshall continued to express concerns about the commission's ability to restrict change, even though such restrictions have not occurred in practice. Planning Board member Angus McLeod, another critic of the proposal, was absent from the meeting. The board decided to continue the discussion at a future meeting.