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Date: 1/24/2023
AMHERST – The Amherst Planning Board met on Jan. 18 to discuss business both old and new. The majority of the meeting was spent discussing various issues; however, the board did take action on a continuation from its Dec. 7 and Jan. 4 meetings regarding renovation of existing buildings at 10, 12 and 20 Belchertown Rd.
The renovations would be to create transitional housing facilities for ServiceNet, a nonprofit organization providing services for the homeless, mentally ill and those who struggle with addiction in Western Massachusetts. Ryan Nelson of R Levesque Associates returned to represent the architectural side of the project.
Another draft of revisions was submitted prior to the meeting. Ryan detailed these revisions verbally while also displaying the changes on an architectural plan on screen.
“I submitted some revisions to the plan last week…Number one was the parking area on the west side of the building. There was a question as to what was going to be happening to those striped areas that weren’t actual parking spaces. We are now showing those areas to be converted to lawn. It’s approximately 897 square feet, and curbing would be installed in that parking lot there,” Nelson said.
More changes to the green space are to come, including new plantings.
“Number two is the row of arbor vitaes along the southern boundary of the property. They have been moved farther away from the parking lot into more of an ‘L’ shape parallel to the property lines. This will provide room for snow storage for the parking lot, as well as provide more green space for the residents and perhaps employees of the site. In that green space area we’re also proposing additional shade trees,” Nelson said.
Other than green space, Nelson indicated changes in the site’s grading as well as material choices.
“We’ve added additional spot grades to the curbing and transition between the parking and the sidewalk…We have verified and cross-referenced with the revised architectural plans what the materials of these walkways would be. The sidewalk immediately adjacent to the parking lot would be concrete. All the stairs and ramps will be pressure-treated wood, with Trex decking,” Nelson said
Board Chair Doug Marshall made a motion to accept the site plan review application. The approval came with a set of conditions according to a list of findings by the Zoning Board of Appeals and the subsequent discussion on the findings. The vote passed with five in favor, one abstention and one board member absent. Thus, the project will move forward.