Town of Amherst Will Host Public Workshops for Downtown Design Standards
Downtown Amherst. Photo: amherstma.gov
Source: amherstma.gov
The Town of Amherst invites the community to participate in a series of workshops on September 13 and 14, 2024, to help envision the future of downtown Amherst. The Town is working on updated downtown design standards that will guide how streetscapes and private properties in the downtown area look and feel in the future. The town wants to ensure these standards reflect the needs and aspirations of everyone who lives, works, and spends time downtown.
Community input is essential in shaping a downtown that works for everybody. Join these sessions to share your ideas, concerns, and hopes for Amherst’s future.
Three events are planned for Friday, September 13 and Saturday, September 14. To register, please sign up here.
Walking Tour
There will be a downtown walk tour on Friday, September 13, 2024, 3:30 – 5 p.m, Meet at the North Common in downtown Amherst. We will have a short conversation, then walk together through downtown, stopping at various points to discuss what we see. Join us to share your thoughts on the design of downtown streetscapes, buildings, and sites.
Listening Session
There will be a listening session on Friday, September 13, 2024, 6 – 8 p.m.
Meet at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School Cafeteria. After a short break, we will reconvene for a conversation about which aspects of downtown are successful and which need improvement. Share your experiences of downtown Amherst and discuss its strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
Visioning Session
There will be visioning session on Saturday, September 14, 2024, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.,
Meet at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School Cafeteria. Join in fun interactive activities to refine the community’s vision of how downtown can remain vibrant, welcoming, and sustainable for years to come. Refreshments will be served.
Participants are encouraged to attend both the Friday evening and Saturday morning workshops. The tour is optional.
These events will be facilitated by the Town’s design and planning consultant for the project, Dodson & Flinker Landscape Architecture & Planning. Your participation will help ensure that the design standards are built on a vision for downtown Amherst that reflects local knowledge and community priorities. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend these events.
Please register for these events here (registration is requested but not required).
I hope there will be a community survey in addition to the in person visioning session, which is unlikely to include many residents. I think most folks would weigh in for :
that stretch of S. Pleasant ( in the photo at the top) as a design model in general,
wide building set- backs,
uniform heights of 3 stories,
space for businesses on first floors,
greenspace,
climate resilient building design,
water stations,
an adequate number of EV charging stations,
dedicated bike lanes, and
housing for families and year round residents (including low-income).