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Planning Board
Overview
The Amherst Planning Board is responsible for numerous matters related to community planning, development, and land use. The Board conducts studies on land use, including development, housing, transportation, economic development, and zoning.
Planning Board Description and General Information pdf
Committee Membership
Member Name |
Year Appointed |
Term Expires |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce Coldham (Clerk) |
2022 |
2025 |
| Frederic Hartwell | 2023 |
2026 |
| Jesse Mager | 2023 |
2026 |
| Douglas Marshall (Chair) | 2020 |
2024 |
| Janet McGowan | 2019 |
2024 |
| Johanna Neumann (Vice-Chair) | 2020 |
2026 |
| Karin Winter | 2022 |
2025 |
Interested in serving on the Planning Board? Fill out an online Community Activity Form here.
If you are looking for a document relating to a specific permit, project or application, you can search by keyword(s) in the Search Window at the top of our website. After typing in your keyword(s) and hitting GO, a list of results will display. Results can include several types of content, including webpages, Archive & Document Center content, Town Directory, In the News, Events Calendar, FAQ’s, Forms or Notify Me.
11-13 East Pleasant Street - Mixed-Use Building proposal
On May 5, 2021, the Amherst Planning Board opened public hearings for applications (SPR 2021-07 and SPP 2021-02) received proposing a new Mixed-Use Building to be located at 11-13 East Pleasant Street submitted by Archipelago Investments LLC. The proposed mixed-use building would contain dwelling units in combination with ground floor retail/commercial including approximately 1,300 square feet of retail space, lobby, leasing, fitness, trash area, mechanical space, elevator, parking and 55 apartments under Section 3.325 of the Zoning Bylaw. The Special Permit request is for modification of dimensional requirements for height, side and rear setback under Footnote “a” of Table 3, Section 6 of the Zoning Bylaw (Map 11C, Parcels 276, 277, 309 and 310, B-G zoning district).
An additional public hearing was also opened on May 5, 2021 for an application (SPR 2021-09) to use the adjacent lot at 15 East Pleasant Street under Section 5.00 of the Zoning Bylaw as an accessory and incidental use to a permitted Principal Use for construction staging and management of the 11 East Pleasant project. Post construction, the site would be stabilized with asphalt surface and fenced (Map 11C, Parcel 275, B-G zoning district).
Project Documents
SPR 2021-07 - Application
SPP 2021-02 - Application
SPR 2021-09 - Application
Locus Map
Plan Renderings
Architectural Drawings
Civil Engineer Plan
Landscape Plan
Survey Plan
Site Plan Set
Hydrology Maps
Stormwater Management Plan
Construction Logistics Plan
Traffic Study
One East Pleasant Street (formerly the Carriage Shops)
The Planning Board has received a Site Plan Review application (SPR2015-00003) for approval of a mixed-use building containing dwelling units in combination with ground floor retail/commercial uses and parking, with 78 apartments on Floors 2 through 5 and a Special Permit Planning application (SPP2015-00001) to modify maximum building coverage (70 to 80%) and maximum height (55' to 60') (Map 11C, Parcel 278. B-G zoning district).
Kendrick Place
May, 2014- The Planning Board has received a Definitive Subdivision Plan application for a 123 lot subdivision on property owned by W.D. Cowls Inc. with frontage on Henry Street, Market Hills Road and Flat Hills Road in North Amherst.
Retreat Preliminary Documents | Retreat Definitive Documents
Chapter 40R Smart Growth Overlay District
Click here to access information
Housing Market Study (March 2015)
Click here to view the final report
Housing Market Study Draft 11-15-13
Click here to view the draft report and view mapsThis is a final DRAFT, intended for public review and comment, and subsequent revision. A joint Planning Board/Housing and Sheltering Committee meeting to review and discuss the draft will be held next Wednesday, November 20 in the Town Room, Town Hall, and members of the public are invited. Written and emailed comments welcomed.
Housing Market Study
(updated June 2013)
Preliminary Report and Maps for the Comprehensive Housing Market StudyClick here to view the draft chapters and maps The draft chapters and maps are preliminary and will be reviewed and discussed by the Housing & Sheltering Committee and the Planning Board in June and July. Local residents are encouraged to attend the June 18th meeting to offer comments and to attend these subsequent committee and board meetings to continue to provide feedback.
Preliminary results from that study are set forth in a May 6, 2013 memo from RKG Associates. This memorandum refers to specific housing market segments--groupings of people according to specific demographic characteristics and lifestyle preferences affecting their housing needs and preferences. These groupings were identified and aggregated (and titled) by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). A description of these groupings can be found in the memo.
As part of the Amherst Comprehensive Housing Study, which also includes the recently-completed Housing Production Plan Housing Production Plan, RKG Associates were hired in April 2013 to work with the Planning Board and Housing and Sheltering Committee to undertake a Housing Market Study with the following scope of work:
- A prospective Market Study of market rate housing in Amherst for specific target populations;
- An analysis of the impact of the student rental market on Amherst’s overall housing stock other than group housing, including both single family and multi-unit residences, and;
- A review of existing zoning and general by-laws pertaining to housing, and recommendations regarding currently-proposed and future amendments to said by-laws addressing housing needs in Amherst.