Six Vie for Open Seats on Planning Board
Photo: Amherst Media
The Community Resources Committee (CRC) will interview six candidates for three open positions on the Planning Board that will become vacant as of June 30, 2026. Interviews are scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, May 28, on Zoom. Johanna Neumann will step down after serving two three-year terms. Jesse Mager and Fred Hartwell are seeking reappointment to a second term. Also submitting applications are Glenn Hazelton, Roy Johnson, Evan Naismith, and Andrew Smith,
Each applicant submitted a statement of interest (follow the hyperlink for each candidate to view the statement). Each will be asked the same nine questions in rotating order, after which CRC members will deliberate on which candidates to appoint.
Fred Hartwell is a retired electrician and long-term Amherst resident who served as electrical division supervisor at the Department of Public Works. He has also been a landlord for more than 50 years in the home he occupies. He previously served on the Planning Board in the late 1990s and chaired the Zoning Board of Appeals. He emphasized his familiarity with the Zoning Bylaw and land surveys.
Glenn Hazelton is a retired GIS professional with a degree in landscape design from the Conway School and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University with a focus on natural resource planning. He worked at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and moved to Amherst five years ago after chairing Ipswich’s Open Space Committee for 20 years, where he used his expertise to produce land-use analysis maps that helped visualize the benefits and impacts of various planning scenarios. He writes, “I have a desire to contribute to the fabric of life in Amherst. I have waited four years to get involved, as I wanted to have a chance to settle in and gain a sense of place regarding Amherst and the region.”
Roy Johnson has worked as a construction worker, gymnastics coach, administrator, and real estate agent, giving him a wide range of experience. A longtime Amherst resident, he helped develop the Sports Camp program at UMass. He has worked with Valley CDC on the Amherst Community Homes affordable housing project in North Amherst and on the Five College Consortium textbook annex in Hatfield. He states, “I am excited about the prospect of being a Planning Board member and helping the Town of Amherst implement the Master Plan while listening and collaborating on the issues that affect the community and neighborhoods.”
Jesse Mager is a biology professor at UMass Amherst who studied architecture and urban planning before switching to biology. He lives in the downtown area and commutes by bicycle and on foot. He also owns two rental properties that he rents at “below market rates as a long-term investment in both the town and my own financial interests, as a sustainable model to promote more affordable rentals”. In his first term on the Planning Board, he has worked to preserve family-style neighborhoods and accommodate UMass overflow, “which is the unavoidable reality for the foreseeable future, ” he said. He has many ideas on the subject that he looks forward to exploring in a second term.
Evan Naismith is a law student who “looks to make a meaningful contribution to the Board’s work — particularly as Amherst navigates the housing affordability and land use challenges that will define its future.” He has focused on housing policy in his studies and research and is familiar with Amherst’s Housing Production Plan and Comprehensive Housing Plan. He is committed to implementing the recommendations of both plans and has begun translating some recommendations into bylaw language. He states that he has consulted with housing directors in several towns that host large public universities and could bring broader perspectives to matters affecting both year-round and student residents.
Andrew Smith is a recent Holyoke Community College graduate with a degree in business and a certificate in human resource management. He questions whether some of the town’s current design choices meet the needs of Amherst today and in the future. He is interested in how local decisions can support local businesses and improve roads, sidewalks, and bicycle trails for residents, students, and visitors. He states, “I care about the future of the town, the strength of its business community, its schools and colleges, and whether local planning decisions are creating a center that is safe, accessible, active, welcoming, financially responsible, inclusive, and sustainable.”
Each applicant will have two to three minutes to answer each question at the interview. A description of the Planning Board is here. Selection guidance is provided here.
Current Planning Board Chair Doug Marshall said the following skills would be particularly advantageous for new members: “Underrepresented areas of particular benefit would be, first, a landscape architect or urban designer, and second, a civil engineer, especially with expertise in traffic and stormwater engineering. An attorney or person with real estate development expertise would also be beneficial.”