CRC Recommends Mager, Johnson, and Hartwell for Planning Board Seats

Report on the Meeting of the Community Resources Committee, May 28, 2026

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present: Pam Rooney (chair, District 4), Jennifer Taub (at-large), Mandi Jo Hanneke, Andy Churchill, and Ellisha Walker (at-large). Staff: Athena O’Keeffe (clerk of council).

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The Community Resources Committee (CRC) interviewed six candidates for three open positions on the Planning Board. Jesse Mager and Fred Hartwell, who have each served one three-year term, applied for reappointment. Roy Johnson, Glenn Hazelton, Evan Naismith, and Andrew Smith applied for their first terms.

Mager and Johnson received broad support from the committee. Hartwell received three positive votes—from Rooney, Taub, and Walker—and two negative votes from Churchill and Hanneke.

The full Town Council will vote on these recommendations on Monday, June 1. The three successful candidates will begin three-year terms on July 1, 2026.

Hazelton and Naismith also received positive comments from councilors. Hazelton, a landscape architect with extensive GIS experience, offered a skill set currently lacking on the board. However, Hanneke took issue with his statements regarding the balance between maintaining town character and meeting environmental and housing needs.

Naismith was praised for his concern for cost-burdened renters and his experience as a law student. Taub noted, however, that he shares the same demographic as two continuing board members and lives in Amherst Woods, an area with little new development and few hearings before the Planning Board. Notably, while committee members praised Naismith’s concern for renters, there was no consideration of Smith, the only renter among the applicants.

Candidate Profiles
Mager received praise for his work on the Planning Board’s Housing Subcommittee. He is focused on finding solutions to housing shortages where university student demand is crowding out moderate-income, year-round residents. He expressed a desire to continue working toward solutions that benefit both students and year-round residents while increasing downtown vibrancy.

Johnson, a long-term resident, has worked as a gymnastics coach, in construction, and as a realtor; he also started the sports camps at UMass. He stressed the need to increase Amherst’s tax base to support public schools and other town services. He has served on several boards, including the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and national Olympic committees. He is particularly enthusiastic about recommendations from the 2024 Housing Production Plan for smaller houses on smaller lots and cottage developments.

Hartwell, a retired master electrician, served on the Planning Board in the 1990s. During that time, he proposed several zoning changes that were passed by Town Meeting, and he recommended building code changes that were adopted statewide. A long-term resident of the General Residence district who has rented units in his home for 54 years, he is acutely aware of the pressures placed on homeowners by the demand for student rentals. He supports owner-occupancy to reduce issues with student tenants.

Hartwell also cited the need to update the 2010 Master Plan, noting significant shifts in state housing laws, economics, and the influence of limited liability corporations. He supported the Housing Production Plan’s recommendations to remove the 24-unit limit on apartment buildings and encourage three- and four-unit buildings.

Hanneke objected to Hartwell’s support for the creation of an East Amherst Local Historic District, arguing that the additional permitting costs would counteract the Town Council’s goal of housing affordability. Taub disagreed, noting that she lives in a local historic district that has seen significant recent development, including multi-family housing.

Churchill attempted to achieve a broader consensus for the remaining candidates, but it became clear that neither Naismith nor Hazelton would garner more than two affirmative votes. Consequently, the committee will forward the recommendation of Mager, Johnson, and Hartwell to the full council.

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Zoning Board of Appeals Interviews Scheduled for June 11
Statements of interest for open seats on the Zoning Board of Appeals are due June 1 and will be posted to the CRC website on June 2 or 3. Interviews will be conducted Thursday, June 11, at 1 p.m. via Zoom.

The terms of Everald Henry and Philip White expire June 30, 2026. Both are eligible to apply for a second three-year term. There are also up to four one-year vacancies for associate members.