Letter: Councilor’s Comment Was Divisive and Disrespectful

Editor’s note:  This letter appeared previously in The Amherst Bulletin.

Alisa Brewer’s comment concerning the Town Council vote on zoning changes that the public input received by the council delivered the message that white homeowners in Amherst don’t want change is offensive to me on a number of levels.

As a person of color who has owned a house on Cottage Street for 37 years, I find the scarecrow of race stated in Ms Brewer’s comment to be both inaccurate and ignorant in its presentation and interpretation of the reasons Cottage Street residents have concerns about the zoning changes approved by the Town Council.

If I thought the concerns of my neighbors were race based, I would be the first to call them out on it. The letter my wife, Janet, and I forwarded to the council clearly identified the type of development potentially implemented by these changes, not the general idea of development itself. In fact, we specifically noted that buildings similar to Kendrick Place are not the appropriate solution to affordable housing. We notably stated that we support development that is warm and inviting to all occupants and the community rather than sterile brick structures.

The last four years of racial hand grenades has resulted in more dangerous noise than calm, reflective discourse. Ms Brewer has used the divisive issue of race to defend a position that is on its face indefensible. How dare she?

Gaylord F. Saulsberry

Gaylord Saulsberry is former Principal at Amherst Regional High School