Letter: Corrections To Gazette Article On Proposed Construction Moratorium

The recent article in the Daily Hampshire Gazette entitled “Petition Seeks Moratorium on Large-Scale Building Projects in Amherst” misconstrued several points. I address them below in the order they appear in the article.

• The term “slum-like” referred to the unwanted possible consequences of allowing many apartment buildings and triplexes in the neighborhoods around downtown. Planning board and town council members have derided “character of the neighborhood” as a “dog whistle” and we are pointing out that “multi-family housing” has also been euphemistic for deliberate overcrowding in inner cities. 

• There is a widespread and growing discontent with the 5 story apartments, designed for and marketed to students, and there’s no end in sight to more of those. A moratorium would pause a moving train, to make urgent course corrections.

• Planners and landlords have said out loud that it’s very difficult to attract the stores, service businesses, and restaurants that the public wants and needs; and that dense residential is a much more accessible target, so that’s what’s being designed. That is not good enough. Densified residents want nice things too. And community and guests need reasons to spend time and money in downtown Amherst.

• People against these kinds of projects, and against “unlocking” neighborhoods for much densification, are not against development; they just want it to be in scale with the town and downtown and the needs of all.

• The current projects have displaced businesses. Which is why the new 5 story building replaced empty buildings and a parking lot. Several ongoing businesses were displaced for this project.

• There have been hundreds of “new beds” added since the aging housing production plan was made. Also, UMass is building more dorms (finally) and college age demographics, plus remote learning trends, predict a drop in college populations. Do we have a housing shortage? Where are  the data?

• Community members who are opposed to what is happening downtown, and to the proposed zoning changes that are simultaneously being “explored” and “promoted” would LOVE more public input. Such community participation is a mainstay of Smart Growth and the town’s Master Plan.

• Several kinds of development can happen during a moratorium, including various methods of creating additional dwelling units already allowed, but rarely utilized, in the RN [Residential Neighborhood] neighborhoods near downtown, characterized by relatively small plots. Maybe better advertising by the town, of what is already possible, would accomplish the goal of owner occupied houses becoming a duplex, or tiny houses in yards, which are also allowed.

I do not know anyone who supports a moratorium and does not want to move on, after the town officializes how affordability, design, diversity, setback, height, character, and attracting appealing businesses will happen.

Ira Bryck

Ira Bryck has lived in Amherst since 1993, ran the Family Business Center for 25 years, hosts the Western Mass. Business Show on WHMP, coaches business leaders, and is a big fan of Amherst’s downtown.