CRC Appoints Meadows, Gilbert, Cochrane, and Winter To Zoning Board of Appeals

Report On The Special Meeting Of The Community Resources Committee, June 23,2021

Present:
Councilors Mandi Jo Hanneke (Chair, at large), Shalini Bahl-Milne (District 5), Dorothy Pam (District 3), Evan Ross (District 4) and Steve Schreiber (District 4)

This meeting was held in person in the Town Room of Town Hall and was recorded. Only the Councilors on the CRC, three applicants, a scribe, and this reporter were present. Karin Winter, who had applied for a position on the Planning Board but was not chosen, was invited to apply for an opening on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and did so. She was in Germany at the time of the interviews, so was not present.

There were six openings on the ZBA and four candidates. There  was one vacancy for a three-year term, and also a one one-year term to fill the remaining term for a vacancy resulting from a resignation. The ZBA also has had as many as four associate members who fill in at hearings when a full member cannot. Associate members serve one-year terms.  Hence, each year there are  four openings for associate members.

Current Associate ZBA member Craig Meadows applied to be a full member of the ZBA as well as John Gilbert, an architect, and Eric Cochrane, who holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy.  Winter serves on the Local Historic District Commission and has lived in many places around the globe. 

Associate members Sharon Waldman and Peter Berek are currently serving on public hearings before the ZBA, but have not applied for reappointment. The CRC unanimously voted to extend their terms until the conclusion of those hearings.

The interview portion of the meeting lasted only 24 minutes as each applicant was asked the same seven questions, and each gave brief answers. Each had previously submitted statements of interest to the CRC.

In deliberation, the committee discussed each applicant in alphabetical order. Members first debated whether the rule that members must be present in person for the interview could be waived so that Winter could be considered as a candidate. (She had been interviewed in the Zoom format for the Planning Board on June 9.) Ross objected to deviating from the usual process and suggested having another recruitment effort in the fall, at which time Winter could apply. But Schreiber said that we are between in-person and remote meetings, and that Winter would have been present if the interviews were remote. The vote was 3-1-1 (Ross no, Hanneke abstain) to consider Winter as a candidate for the ZBA.

Dorothy Pam said that Cochrane expressed a desire to learn more about Amherst. Evan Ross and Shalini Bahl-Milne said he was the only candidate who focused on equity in his Statement of Interest  (SOI) and answers. Bahl-Milne added that he could add the perspective of a young person. Cochrane’s SOI can be read here.

Mandi Jo Hanneke said she was impressed with Gilbert’s knowledge. Ross said his SOI was “impressive.” He noted that Gilbert has interacted with zoning boards of appeal in his work as an architect, and he liked that he had experience in finance and real estate. Ross also commented that Gilbert was a renter, not a homeowner, and could provide a different perspective. Pam liked Gilbert’s work on parklands and green spaces. Bahl-Milne liked his emphasis on mentoring others.

Ross pointed out that Craig Meadows is the only applicant with experience on the ZBA, and ZBA chair Steve Judge stated in his selection guidance letter that experience was crucial on a board as technical as the ZBA. Schreiber pointed to Meadows’ over 50 years in Amherst and his service on Town Meeting and several area boards as valuable institutional knowledge. Pam noted his leadership as evidenced in his public service, and said he would be a “quiet leader.” Meadows’ SOI can be read here.

Winter was praised for the international perspective she could bring to the ZBA. Schreiber mentioned that her letters to the editor in the Amherst Bulletin showed her careful consideration of development in Amherst. Pam said she knows Winter personally and finds her to be a positive person who is easy to work with. Bahl-Milne was slightly critical that Winter did not write a new SOI for the ZBA position, but rather used the one she submitted for the Planning Board interviews.

In the final votes, Meadows was unanimously selected for the three-year position and Gilbert for the one-year vacancy. Cochrane and Winter were appointed as Associates by a 4-1 vote. Ross voted no, but made it clear that he was voting against the waiver of accepted process, not against the candidates.