Town Council Accepting Applications for Planning Board

The Town Council will be filling two impending vacancies for three-year terms on the Planning Board and is seeking applications from residents interested in serving on the Board. The terms of Doug Marshall and Janet McGowan expire on June 30, 2024.

Applicants should have experience with aspects of planning, development, design, architecture, construction, zoning, law, and/or real estate. The Town Council is especially seeking individuals of diverse backgrounds, including those who have no prior municipal government experience.

Current Planning Board Chair Doug Marshall stated in his memo to the Community Resources Committee (CRC) of the Council:

“The ideal candidates would balance the expertise of continuing board members so that all areas of relevant experience are represented. The board members whose terms are expiring are an architect/planner and an attorney. The continuing board members consist of a sustainability advocate and fundraiser, a retired architect, and three interested citizens without relevant professional experience, but two of whom have experience as landlords. Given the makeup of the continuing board members, I would recommend prioritizing candidates with expertise in areas potentially lost with departing/expiring members (architecture, planning, and real estate law), or areas otherwise not well represented. Underrepresented areas of particular benefit would be civil engineering, including its subsidiary areas of traffic and stormwater engineering, and landscape architecture. A member with real estate development expertise, though less pressing, would also be beneficial.”

For more information on the Planning Board read the board’s information handout.

Residents interested in volunteering to serve should fill out a Community Activity Form (CAF). If you have submitted a CAF expressing interest in serving within the past two years, you will be contacted regarding that prior submission, to confirm your continued interest.

All candidates who submit the CAF for the Planning Board will be required to submit a statement of interest and be interviewed in a public meeting by the Community Resources Committee (CRC). The CRC is planning to conduct the interviews in late May and will recommend candidates for appointment in June.

If you have questions, please reach out to Pam Rooney, Chair of the Community Resources Committee of the Town Council, at rooneyp@amherstma.gov or, the town’s Community Participation Officers at getinvolved@amherstma.gov.