Letter: Planning Board Chair Has a Conflict of Interest
Photo: Blue Diamond Gallery. Creative commons
When asked by myself at a public forum on October 29, to tell the assembled North Amherst neighbors how many townhouse housing units were built to replace the 240 housing units of the former North Village Apartments, the chair of the Amherst Planning Board, Doug Marshall, who is also the second in command of UMass Amherst’s Planning Department, refused to answer, claiming he puts aside any UMass information once he leaves work.
The answer to my question is that UMass replaced the late North Villages 240 housing units with 150 townhouse units.
The obvious reason Mr. Marshall cutely refused to answer my question is that it would have made UMass look bad to have replaced North Village’s 240 units with only150 housing units while its Assistant Planning Director, the chair of the Amherst Planning Board, was before North Amherst residents advocating the demolition of affordable student and family housing in Puffton Village, TownHouse, and Brandywine and replacement of those over 500 relatively affordable housing units with 3-to-6 story, luxury-priced, smaller, urban-style student housing buildings.
Conflict-of-interests anyone?
Vincent O’Connor
Vincent O’Conner is a resident of Amherst’s District 1 and a candidate for Town Council.
This letter illustrates why Vince O’Connor should be elected as a member of the Amherst Town Council. Mr. Marshall’s evasion of Vince’s question illustrates why he should not be a member of the Amherst Planning Board. He is in effect a lobbyist for the University, not the impartial decision maker required by the Massachusetts State Constitution.
Agreed . Elect Vince O’ Connor !