Fate of Big Y Plaza Uncertain Following Hearing on University Drive Overlay District
Big Y Plaza, Amherst. Photo: Yelp
Report on the Meeting of the Planning Board, October 30, 2024, Part 2
This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.
Present
Doug.Marshall (Chair), Fred Hartwell, Jesse Mager, Johanna Neumann, and Karin Winter. Absent: Bruce Coldham and Lawrence Kluttz.
Staff: Nate Malloy (Senior Planner), Pam Field-Sadler (Assistant)
There were nine in the Zoom audience.
Planning Board Opens Public Hearing on University Drive Overlay District
At the September 23 Town Council meeting, the Town Council referred the proposed overlay district for University Drive, between Amity Street and Northampton Road, to the Planning Board and the Community Resources Committee (CRC) of the council for review and recommendations. The goal of the overlay district is to allow more density of residential units in that area and hopefully take some of the pressure off the sale of homes in other neighborhoods for student housing.
The overlay district would allow six-story mixed-use buildings, but would require 75% of the street-facing first floor façade to be non-residential. It would also specify that the buildings be set back 24 feet from University Drive to preserve the trees along the street and allow for a 10-foot multi-use path on the west side of the street. The Swift Way bicycle path is on the east side of the street. Parking requirements would be flexible, with developers needing to show that the parking provided would be “adequate.” There would be no change in the underlying zoning, which is Business Limited and Research Park, and developers can choose to use the guidelines of the overlay or comply with the existing zoning.
At the council meeting, councilors voiced several concerns about the overlay plan, especially the concern that Big Y, CVS, and other stores in the shopping plaza would be replaced by housing. Planner Nate Malloy said that Big Y leases its space, and he is not aware of how long the lease extends. Planning Board member Jesse Mager noted that Big Y and CVS are very heavily utilized, as is their parking lot. Hartwell agreed. Malloy offered a compromise, that the entire first floor of properties near Northampton Road be required to be non-residential.
Mager noted that of the businesses that were located on East Pleasant Street prior to the construction of One East Pleasant and 11 East Pleasant, only Amherst Wines and Spirits has survived. He said that Malloy’s compromise would not ensure the survival of the businesses in the Big Y Plaza.
Chair Doug Marshall stated that excluding the Big Y Plaza from the overlay or putting additional limitations on it would decrease the amount of housing provided for students, adding, “It is better to have them here rather than somewhere else, where the neighbors don’t want them.” Johanna Neumann agreed, saying she was struck by how little of the conversation in the council meeting was about housing. She said, “I can’t help but feel like we are being precious about a strip mall, [but] I want the overlay district to succeed. If we have to take the Big Y lot out of the overlay in order to get the votes, I’m not going to fall on my sword for it, but I hope that it doesn’t come to that.”
Neumann also noted that one councilor [Mandi Jo Hanneke (at large)] asked why apartment buildings were not allowed (vs. mixed-use buildings only) in the overlay district and suggested that the first floors of new buildings could be designed for possible commercial use but used as residential space if there was no demand from businesses. Planning Board members said that they had this discussion and decided that it is important for University Drive to be a vibrant commercial center. Malloy suggested that buildings located behind the street-facing ones could be exempt from having commercial space. It is expected that this issue will be raised when the CRC holds its hearing on the overlay district.
In public comment, Jonathan Slater, Director of Facilities for Cooley Dickinson Hospital, said that the hospital-owned building at 170 University Drive (and the vacant lot on Northampton Road) is currently struggling with stormwater runoff from Northampton Road, with seepage into the building. He hoped that any future plans for development take these issues into consideration.
Marshall concluded that the overlay district “won’t solve the housing problems for students, but it’s a start.” The public hearing will continue on November 20. The CRC will discuss the overlay district on November 12 at 6:30 p.m.
Accessory Dwelling Unit Bylaw Must Be Modified
Amherst’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) bylaw is in conflict with some provisions of the state’s new Housing Bill, which goes into effect on February 2, 2025. The state law states that an ADU equal to or less than 900 square feet can be built with a permit from the Building Commissioner and does not require a public hearing. (Amherst now allows ADUs up to 1,000 square feet). The state bill also states that owner occupancy cannot be required for either the ADU or the primary structure. Planning Board member Fred Hartwell lamented that owner-occupancy was the most effective method to police tenant behavior.
Malloy has been reviewing the new state guidelines and informational webinars, as well as the bylaws developed by other communities such as Waltham and Natick. One community now requires a 12-month lease for an ADU to avoid it being used for short-term rentals. Others require that the ADU use the same driveway as the main house to avoid additional curb cuts. However, he was not sure if these requirements comply with the state guidelines. Malloy voiced concern that developers will get around the need for a permit for a duplex by calling a second dwelling an ADU.
The Planning Board thought that it would be prudent for Amherst to revise its bylaw to meet the new law prior to February. They will discuss ADUs again at the November 20 meeting.
Housing Subcommittee Seeks Data on Student Rentals
The Housing Subcommittee of the Planning Board is trying to collect data on the distribution of student rentals in various neighborhoods, but Mager said that the committee has found it hard to obtain this information. The committee defined a student home as having “two or more occupants that are attending a university or college.” Ultimately, the committee wants to determine which neighborhoods might have too much density and discuss strategies to mitigate the effects.
However, the committee is concerned that their work will be conceived as being “anti-student,” which is not their intention. The committee wants information, which could possibly be gathered by adding a question about tenants to the rental registration form.
Malloy stated that the town’s new rental registration software could make it easier to gather information about rentals. He said that 790 of Amherst’s single-family homes and 200 duplexes are rentals. Approximately half of the duplexes are owner-occupied. He added that Barrett Planning Group, the firm working on Amherst’s next Housing Production Plan, is now collecting data on housing in town. They held two community meetings in the beginning of October and are now conducting a community survey.
Another focus of the Housing Subcommittee is to increase the density allowed in multi-family apartment complexes and discuss a second overlay zone for additional housing. Marshall suggested that the full Planning Board take up some of these issues at its next meeting.
The next meeting of the Planning Board is scheduled for November 6.
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The idea of encouraging that student housing replace the shopping area including Big Y is absurd. It is a locally owned solid supermarket chain, heavily used by our community. Around the corner is Stop and Shop, which recently closed 32 stores across Mass, NJ, NY, CT, RI.
We may or may not ever have a food coop in Amherst; Whole Foods is owned by Amazon, Trader Joes is not for everyone. We are not in a food desert, but having student housing decimate a solid supermarket is a bad idea, and should be prevented.
I expect the planning board and the planning department to protect the interests of a diverse town.
The Big Y Plaza is a very serious asset for town residents and students should not be vacated. This plaza contains a food market in a town that does not have a lot of food markets. Amherst has very little major blocks of retail space in which another supermarket can take occupancy. There is a Good Will Shop here that serves many people with needs. And what is the future of the Stop N Shop? The CVS which is heavily used? A recent Boston Globe news report detailed recent food market closings by Stop N Shop and their Dutch corporate owners so could Amherst be a closure candidate in the years ahead? Maybe not but the article quoted executives who were very blunt about seeking higher profits from their stores. And what happens if Stop N Shop is the only supermarket? Then they have the option to raise food prices. At present these two markets keep themselves in some economic balance. There are many more reasons to preserve this retail anchor plaza. Nearby there is a residential condo complex with almost 360 residents who rely on this plaza. As well as the corporate dorms Aspen Heights and One UDS. The Big Y Plaza is a non-residential property tax revenue generating asset in a town with very few”ratables”.
Wasn’t the creation of the new One UDS property based on the proximity to the amenities at the Big Y plaza? And what of the Post Office which requires not only floor space for operations but acreage for vehicles? Where would they go? It is hard to believe that surrounding residents will be supportive of this proposal and they will be informed. And what will Big Y think if they see this potential eviction on the horizon? Do they leave under their terms and we lose a food market? The Big Y is full of U Mass students every day and this plaza would be a necessary asset for any student dorms being built. Big Y operates nearly 100 markets so they need to know they are welcome and safe. They can leave very easily and then Amherst loses a lot.
Absurd. Both Big Y and CVS are go to places for me and many Amherst residents. Staples, both.
Consider another plan.
Below is the link for the Planning Board hearing, which I attended by Zoom this week. My “hand raised” function malfunctioned, so I couldn’t make the same points Ira and Terry Masterson just made. Thank goodness for the lone voice on the PB, Jesse Mager, who had been in the Big Y and CVS that very day. So was I. Bravo to him for suggesting that the overlay boundary EXCLUDE the Big Y Plaza. He was the only member who advocated the shifting of the boundary because of the heavy use the entire plaza gets. How would requiring ground floor commercial space in the proposed overlay district six-story buildings ever replace Big Y, Goodwill, CVS, and the many other public and commercial services nearby? No we don’t need two automotive stores, but we all need the post office, bank, medical offices a stone’s throw from our homes and each other.
The day Jesse Mager was there was the day I did the Big Y “trifeca:” CVS, Big Y, Post Office, on foot. My husband visited two of those three destinations that day, also on foot. (Try crossing Rte. 9 to the Stop & Shop Plaza without taking your life into your hands; the services there come and go.) Yesterday my trifecta included Big Y, CVS, and the Medical Center, which houses Cooley’s Amherst labs, Urgent Care, a large pediatric office, and many doctor’s offices, including mine. I was again on foot. There’s an synergy to the services within yards of each other that no urban planner can replicate. This proximity is a major reason my husband and I, and our 360 neighbors, bought property this neighborhood; it has a high Walk Score. Yet the head of the Planning Board said “there were no signifcant neighborhoods” nearby! His dismissive comment is on the video. Another PB member said she didn’t much care for “strip malls” or “food deserts.” It’s not about food deserts or strip malls. It’s about significant services for hundreds and hundreds of residents who live a minute or two away by car and a few more minutes on foot or bike from Greenleaves, Hawkins Meadow, Vesta Family, Vesta Seniors, Aspen Heights. If those don’t comprise a neighborhood, then what does?
If Amherst wants to house students while taking cars off our jammed roads, then including the Big Y Plaza within the overlay boundary is not the way to go. Ironically, most of the rest of the meeting was about adding “vibrancy” and “walkability” to a reenvisioned University Drive. Bring it on! But do not dismiss the current vibrancy and walkability we already have. Add to it, but don’t subtract from what takes place every day at the Big Y Plaza and its close neighbors. Do not include our vital Big Y commercial plaza in the overlay and shut out the hundreds of current homeowners, high school, and college students who, every day, do their own “trifecta” errands, often on foot, by bus, and several folks by wheelchairs and walkers.
The Planning Board has another meeting on November 6th, but no public comment is allowed. That ship has sailed. Instead email everyone on the Planning Board and your Town Council representatives to ask that the Big Y plaza not be included in the overlay. Put “Public Comment” at the top of your email so it goes into the Planning Board file. Link to PB meeting on Nov. 6 https://www.amherstma.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/17485 And don’t forget to thank Jesse Mager. I’m going to find out if he’s a neighbor of mine!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT3r5m_n-JY
The US FDA has categorized almost all of the Town of Amherst a food desert because of the lack of a year-round source of fresh food within walking distances for all but a few town residents. Try to shop for groceries without a car to see what a challenge it presents to some who live here. It is absurd to consider putting a plan in place that threatens the existence of the only supermarket within town borders and simultaneously encourage housing that would increased population density in close proximity. Big Y and CVS not only are heavily patronized but they also provide employment for many students and others. This makes no sense, either economically or in terms of human needs.
Of course this is absurd! If the nearest supermarket were in Hadley, that will almost surely increase the number and length of automobile trips, increasing our carbon footprint: only a fraction of us have e-vehicles, and only a fraction of electricity will be “carbon free” for a long time.
And, yes, we do need two auto parts stores: one of them (knows as Campus Auto for many decades, now Fisher Auto) serves both mechanics and “motor-heads” professionally, while the other one (a national chain whose name will not be mentioned) recently set up shop in a blatantly predatory manner right next door.
Since the shopping center containing Big Y, and the Big Y building itself, is also partly in Hadley, it’s unclear where Amherst Planning Board jurisdiction ends. Can anybody clear that legal issue up, or perhaps Nate Malloy had an opinion on that too? 😉
But maybe we need to pause a moment and ask what happens if we build too much student housing there: it’s mostly wetlands, and the subsoil is deep clay, which makes siting 6-story buildings there questionable — perhaps designed to last only 30 years, an even bigger carbon footprint?
And why would the residents (students) not bring a car? If there were still a trolley line on Route 9 connecting with the AMTRAK station in Northampton, or a good transit connection to Amherst Depot on Main Street and a rail shuttle to West-East-Rail in Palmer, this might make sense, but there will be cars, cars, and more cars until those things happen.
Where is UMass, Hampshire College and Amherst College in this discussion? These schools have land and adaptable existing buildings on their footprints to create more student housing. Are the schools and town leaders actively working together to help solve scarce student housing problems?
Let’s ask UMass to offer Big Y + CVS a relocation site at the UMass field by the football stadium in exchange for the town of Amherst continuing to invest time and money trying to figure out how to accommodate building more student housing on our limited commerce space and resources.
Remember when the tornados flew through town many years ago ? I do , the town was in a condition not seen before . The roads barely passable , electricity out for most , and our DPW on the streets trying to put us back together .
I made it to the Big Y at 7am the next morning for supplies . To my surprise , they were open with a Skelton staff ,and partial electricity making food and their services available . I enthusiastically thanked them !
I ran into Mr . Damour in Springfield ,a month later, and thanked him for such an outstanding staff and commitment to our community.
Leave that area alone with your “Overlay “magic .
Lastly ,I promise . We need to think in terms of being prepared for a natural disaster . The tornado was as close to one as I have been . Not like what Florida , North Carolina , etc . have experienced .
We need food , water , baby food etc .
and stores that the food can be trucked into .
With climate change one doesn’t know what could happen .
“I can’t help but feel like we are being precious about a strip mall, [but] I want the overlay district to succeed.”
This was not the first time I have heard the term “strip mall” used regarding the proposed overlay. Whatever the intention of the speaker was or wasn’t, I pictured him or her looking down their nose while using it. So, I searched the internet for the definition of a “strip mall” and found no indication that the term is pejorative. Hmmm.
Meanwhile, it’s strikes me as odd that some of the same people who champion a more robust commercial/business base for our town, seem to be encouraging, or at least dismissing the impact of, our residents taking their dollars out of town. (Insert Head Shake Emoji).