AMHERST — After many months of discussion, the Planning Board is on the verge of officially submitting its recommendation for an overlay district on University Drive between Amity Street and Northampton Road.
Nate Malloy, Amherst’s senior planner, told the board during its June 5 meeting that his staff wants to see the Planning Board “move this along as a zoning amendment.”
According to a draft plan presented by Malloy, the purpose of this zoning amendment is to encourage economic development, more housing density and expanded housing opportunities, especially for undergraduate students in an area that is currently zoned Limited Business and Office Park and is adjacent to the University of Massachusetts.
“The idea is to really encourage apartments, mixed use buildings or social dormitories on the section of University Drive,” Malloy said. “The hope would be that maybe there’s five or six sites that would be developed using this overlay.”
The draft plan includes different dimensional standards, design guidelines, general requirements and standards and conditions for the different types of buildings that would be allowed in the overlay district.
For example, any apartments built in the district do not need a limit on the number of dwelling units in the building, must contain a proportional mix of units by bedroom count and cannot be within 500 feet from a nearby intersection.
Any social dormitories built in the district must provide on-site 24/7 management and response and the applicant would need to provide a management plan. Much like apartments, the dormitories would also not need a limit to the number of dwelling units built but none of the buildings can be used for fraternity or sorority purposes.
Mixed-use buildings conceived in the overlay district also have their own standards and conditions. According to the draft plan, any mixed-use buildings located more than 500 feet from the intersection of University Drive/Amity Street and University Drive/Northampton Road needs at least 15% of its gross floor area on the first or ground floor to be permitted as any non-residential use.
If a mixed-use building is less than 500 feet away from the intersection, then the developer would need to follow a 30% gross floor area requirement.
“Staff sees it as a great opportunity to increase beds and have some commercial and retail development down on University Drive,” Malloy said of the overlay district plan.
Planning Board members were generally supportive of the project though some expressed concerns, which caused the board to delay its decision on a recommendation until a meeting at the end of this month.
Member Jesse Mager said he was supportive of the amendment but expressed concern that the district would become all apartments or all dormitories.
“I would want to encourage more mixed-use in that strip, because it’ll be beneficial for the students, if that’s what we’re talking about, and for residents,” Mager said.
Member Bruce Coldham expressed support for the draft Malloy presented saying the town needs to put faith into the judgement of commercial developers in this district.
“I’m basically prepared to substantially support the document as presented,” Coldham said.
Planning Board member Janet McGowan, on the other hand, did not support the draft in its current written form. She argued that the Planning Department has ignored the board’s comments and suggestions on the district and expressed concern that businesses would start leaving if the overlay district were implemented in this format.
“I’m particularly concerned about, like, the parts of University Drive that have shopping centers, which have always, you know, grocery stores have a very low margin,” McGowan said.
Member Fred Hartwell told the board that he was quite insistent on shifting the tax base of Amherst more toward commercial but said he had a change of heart.
“I think the time has come to definitively shift the market away from the enormous economic pressures that is now evident in the general residence zoning district,” Hartwell said.
Member Karin Winter said she was undecided and could “push either way” on the matter while Planning Board Chair Doug Marshall expressed support for the plan.
“I think that it does give the town a pressure relief valve for the pressures on our residential neighborhoods,” Marshall said. “And that, to me, along with the tax revenue that’s likely to come from this, is quite substantial and would be of great value to the town.”
Malloy noted how the more restrictions there are in this district, the less the district will be used by developers.
After much discussion amongst its members, the Planning Board ultimately agreed that they will discuss an updated version of the draft bylaw at its next meeting on June 26. Readers can look at its current iteration as of press time: https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/73015/2024-UDrive-Overlay-Amendment-05-31-2024.
