Public Presentation Scheduled on Beacon’s Proposed North Amherst Development
Conceptual plan for a housing development at the Mitchell Farm in North Amherst. Photo: amherstma.gov
Beacon Communities, the Boston-based developer that developed and manages North Square apartments in the Mill District, plans to construct approximately 140 units of affordable housing on 14 acres at 246 Montague Road (the Mitchell Farm). There will be a public presentation on the project from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road, on Monday, April 13.
The plans are to develop an intergenerational community providing one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as parking, on-site management, resident services, and generous interior and exterior amenities for seniors aged 55 and up and individuals and families (non-age restricted). It will be new construction of affordable, sustainably designed apartments.
Residents living near the proposed site have raised questions about the density of the development on land with extensive wetlands, the ability of the area to handle the extra traffic, and the lack of a sewer line to the site.
In 2021, this site was proposed for The Eruptor, a business incubator, but the project was canceled after the developers failed to obtain approval from the Conservation Commission, following a survey that revealed more extensive wetlands at the site than expected.
In addition to North Square, Beacon Communities manages the Rolling Green Apartments in East Amherst, which it acquired in 2018, and preserved its affordability when the existing rent restriction expired.
This sounds like a terrific project and I hope it passes. I hope our town can see how much we need the tax dollars for the schools and how much we need affordable housing.
I wonder if they could relocate this project to hickory ridge- where there was community support for housing to be put there and it is town owned… so long as the infrastructure could support. I agree we need affordable housing and wonder about building where the infrastructure doesn’t currently support
I completely understand the desire for more housing and for stronger school funding, those are real and important needs for the community.
At the same time, projects like this don’t always generate immediate net tax benefits. Many developments receive tax abatements or phased assessments, which can delay or reduce the expected revenue in the early years. New housing can also bring added costs, including increased demand on schools, roads, traffic management, water and sewer systems, and public safety services. Those longer-term obligations are not always fully reflected in early projections.
I also think it’s fair to acknowledge that most of us, understandably, do not have access to the full financial, environmental, and infrastructure analyses needed to evaluate projects of this scale. That makes transparency and due diligence especially important.
In that context, it’s concerning that many of the questions raised after the Olympia Place fire, particularly around building safety, emergency response capacity, and oversight, have not yet been fully addressed in a clear and public way. Before moving forward with additional large-scale developments, especially those intended to house families and seniors, it seems reasonable to ensure those lessons are fully understood and acted upon. Read those questions here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XBt-Lnz5whT5WHwRZ8pnijr27O7tMNu9/view
There are also environmental considerations, including potential impacts on wetlands and sensitive land, that deserve careful review.
None of this argues against housing. It simply suggests that decisions of this scale should be grounded in complete information, clear accountability, and a shared understanding of both the benefits and the long-term implications for the community.
I think a project like the projected Beacon build in North Amherst would be better sited on the Wildwood School lot for the following reasons:
-The empty school building would need millions in repair to make it usable. Current suggestions for the empty school are as a senior center/youth center/meeting place etc. The Jones Library wants to house these activities, though, so we should let (require) it.
-The town infrastructure (water/sewer/electricity) is already built into the Wildwood site. The land would be added to the tax rolls.
-A four storey building would better blend in with the environs of the Wildwood site because of the ridge immediately to the east of the site.
-A town center location close to public transportation would better serve the inhabitants of the new apartments. Several access points could be included in the plan that will disperse traffic generated by the increase in residents of the area.