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Date: 3/21/2023
AMHERST – At its March 15 meeting, the Planning Board met with the members of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) who are updating the town’s Historical Preservation Plan.
Developed and adopted by the Historical Commission in 2005, the first plan of its type was defined as “a 10-year guide to preserving Amherst’s historic and cultural resources. The plan’s four-fold purpose includes addressing the following elements of historic preservation: Physical Preservation – protecting historic buildings and landscapes to prevent the loss of important historic resources and preserve those resources for the future; Documentation – completing, improving, maintaining, and increasing public access to the town’s inventory of historic resources; Regulation – amending and improving town bylaws, development regulations, and permitting procedures to protect and enhance historic resources during the development process; and Outreach and Advocacy – increasing the community’s knowledge of and access to these resources.”
The 2005 plan can be read at https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1125/Amherst-Preservation-Plan-2005?bidId=.
Shannon Walsh of the PVPC said she and her colleague Ken Comia are updating the plan. The effort started last May is intended to conclude with a new plan in June. She explained the team is now in the second phase of the work in which they seek opinions from town boards and citizens. Amherst residents are encouraged to take a digital survey at https://engageamherst.org.
When asked about what they consider to be the most endangered historic resources, board member Janet McGowan said, “We have no protections for iconic buildings downtown,” which he then described as a “big glaring thing.”
She noted that Amherst was formed out of several villages, each with a town center and separated by farmland. She said, “That is being slowly diluted.”
McGowan also said that historic worker’s cottages, developed when the town had mills, are “fading away.”
Board member Thom Long said the plan needs a strategy to protect indigenous landscapes.
When asked how the existing historic polices make an impact on historic buildings. board member Joanna Neumann said the town’s preservation guidelines are “rigorous.”
When asked if the existing historic preservation rules make an impact on neighborhood development board Chair Doug Marshall wondered that in an era of addressing climate change and to reduce carbon emission is a 200-year-old house should be kept, considering they are not built with 21st century energy standards.
Walsh replied that those homes are built with old growth lumber and 200-year-old brick. If the house is demolished all of that material would go into a landfill. She added the new plan will address that concern.
Marshall also answered the question about of existing historical guidelines affect economic benefits. He said the preserving the historic image of Amherst can restrict development, especially in building new housing.
Neumann said the town’s historic nature has contributed to high residential tax rates which had contributed to it housing crisis. The town doesn’t have a large commercial or industrial tax base and relies on property taxes.
Walsh noted the final draft should be ready in May and considered for adoption by the Historical Commission.