PLANNING BOARD BEGINS SITE PLAN REVIEW FOR NEW AMHERST MEDIA HEADQUARTERS 

REPORT ON THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING OF 7/1/20

The meeting was held via Zoom webcast, and broadcast on Amherst Media Channel 17. It can be viewed here. 

Participating: Members of the Planning Board: Christine Gray-Mullen (Chair), Michael Birtwistle, Maria Chao, Jack Jemseck, David Levenstein, Doug Marshall, Janet McGowan.

Town Hall: Christine Brestrup (Planning Director), Pamela Field Sadler (Staffer)

Highlights

• Approved Site Plan Review for the Common School driveway
• Began Site Plan Review for new Amherst Media building with an initial favorable response
• Postponed additional discussion of the Master Plan and Zoning Bylaw revision until an August meeting.
  

Common School Site Plan Review
The Board again discussed the site plan review for the Common School’s proposal to repave the driveway to the school and pave the traffic circle in front of the school. This was first discussed on June 3(see here). The issue is a deed restriction on the property which states that a maximum of 25 percent can be impermeable. The zoning states that up to 30 percent of the property can be covered. Michael Liu of Berkshire Design Group and Kevin Campbell, head of the Common School, presented a plan to eliminate six parking spaces along the driveway and use permeable pavers on the traffic circle, the spur near the north of the building and the initial six feet of the driveway near South Pleasant Street. This would bring the impermeable area to 24.9 per cent.

Liu stated that the Common School had tried to get its  deed restriction lifted in 2003. There were many letters between the school and the State, but  the plan was never finalized. The Common School would like to reapply for lifting of the deed restriction, so that 30 percent of the property can be covered. They would like to pave the entire driveway now, and replace the end with permeable paving in three years if the deed restriction is not lifted. Campbell said the Common School is now undergoing a million dollar renovation and will be changing leadership, so he would like a few years to try to get the deed restriction lifted before having to spend an additional $6,000 on permeable pavers for the end of the driveway.

The only public comment was from neighbor Kevin Noonan, who objected to the dumpsters there being moved to the rear of the property, which abuts his home. Liu said the dumpsters would be enclosed and at a lower elevation, but he would also discuss relocating the dumpsters. 

The Planning Board had mostly favorable comments on the plan. Marshall asked how the Town could enforce the creation of additional permeable area if there is no change in the deed. Brestrup said if a complaint were made, the Building Commissioner could fine the school $300 per day for noncompliance.

The site plan review was passed unanimously with four conditions: The driveway would be built according to plan; there would be a management plan with elimination of six parking spaces along the driveway; there would be the indicated landscaping and rain garden; the school would seek relief from the deed restriction, and would replace the asphalt apron with permeable pavers in three years if it does not receive it.

Amherst Media Building Site Plan Review
The Planning Board began its first discussion of the new plans for the Amherst Media building on Main Street. This plan received a Certificate of Appropriateness from the local Historical District Commission on January 27. Amherst Media Director Jim Lescault described why this project is necessary, since Amherst Media is being evicted from its current space on Route 9. He also stated that this was an ideal location, and emphasized how the organization had taken the suggestions of the Planning Board, the Town, and the Local Historic District Commission into account when producing the new design.

Brestrup gave a brief history of the property, which was originally one large parcel belonging to the Henry Hills House, formerly the Boys and Girls Club. Around 2006, Barry Roberts sold it to Gerry Guidera, who divided the property into six lots. He moved three houses to lots on Gray street. The two lots on Main Street were rezoned from Residential to Neighborhood Business by Town Meeting in 2013, and shortly afterward, Amherst Media purchased them to build a new headquarters.

Site Engineer Bucky Sparkle presented a detailed overview of the plans for the 26-foot high building designed by Gillen Collaborative Architects, which would be built to the east side of the lots in order to preserve the lawn and view of the Henry Hills House, which is now a private residence. A pump drainage system was planned to deal with stormwater. Overflow stormwater would be directed via underground pipes to the drain on Gray Street. The parking lot off Gray Street would hold eight cars, since there are rarely more than five cars in the current Amherst Media lot. The central location of the site would allow more interns from the high school and university and colleges to arrive on foot, by bicycle, or by bus.

All comments by the Planning Board were positive. Marshall pointed out that the owner has a right to build an appropriate structure on the lot. In the Site Plan Review, the Planning Board can only require improvements to the plans to benefit the neighborhood. It cannot deny the project.

Daniel Finnegan and Matt Massengill, attorneys for neighbors who oppose the project, argued that Amherst Media should not get a waiver from the 20-foot setback required by Article 6.6 of the Zoning Bylaw for educational buildings, although Building Commissioner Rob Morra said it does not apply. Chris Chamberland of Berkshire Design Group questioned the stability and placement of the retaining wall at the north end of the property. Christopher Guidera, who manages two adjacent properties, worried about the proposed stormwater drainage plan, and noted that the neighbors offered to purchase the property and let the town create a park on part of it. Sparkle replied that the offer to purchase the property was 25 percent lower than the assessed value and that it did not take into account the time and money Amherst Media had spent on developing the current plan.

Ninety-three-year-old resident Elsie Fetterman called in to express her gratitude to Amherst Media for keeping the town informed on local issues and entertainment over the past 43 years. It has been an especially valuable service during the current pandemic, she said.

The Site Plan Review was continued to the July 15 Planning Board meeting. Sparkle agreed to provide more information about the construction of the retaining wall.

Master Plan/Zoning Bylaw Update
Before the pandemic, the Planning Board had begun work on an update of the Master Plan as charged by the Town Council. Updating the Zoning Bylaw may now be more important,  since conditions for the Master Plan may change after the pandemic is over. Gray-Mullen proposed that the Planning Board recommend that the Council accept the current Master Plan, and that the Planning Board concentrate on the Zoning Bylaw revisions for the next year. Brestrup said that the Planning Department is busy working on getting local businesses up and running, and has not had a chance to work on the Master Plan. Birtwistle and McGowan suggested that the Planning Board focus on Chapter 10 of the Master Plan, which involves implementation.. Also, the Master Plan needs to include additional planning for climate action and environmental resiliency. The Energy and Climate Action Committee is working on a  plan which can be integrated into the existing plan. The committee decided to postpone this discussion to an August meeting.

New Business
Brestrup indicated that she had received an application earlier in the day from Tom Reidy, attorney for Applebrook subdivision in South Amherst, for a lot exchange. When the subdivision was approved in 2007, Lot 4 was held and would not be allowed to be sold until the developer finished construction of the roads. Reidy had stated that there was a buyer for Lot 4 who wanted to close by the middle of July. The developer would like to release Lot 4 and put a hold on Lot 2 instead. On the surface, it appeared to be a simple swap, but Gray-Mullen noted an extensive drainage area on Lot 2 which could impact its suitability for building. Levenstein noted that it was after 10:30 p.m., and the Board had not had a chance to thoroughly study the proposal. He recalled a similar late night decision in 2018 which released the lots in Amherst Hills subdivision before the roads were finished and resulted in a controversy with existing residents. Efforts to reach Reidy were unsuccessful. Further discussion was delayed until the July 15 meeting.

The July 15 meeting will also include a further discussion of the Site Plan Review for the Amherst Media Building and a continuation of discussion of the proposed 40R overlay zoning.

The meeting adjourned at 10:50 p.m.