Community meeting set on 140-unit apartment complex in North Amherst

AMHERST — A possible development of around 140 apartments on 14 acres of agricultural land in North Amherst will be the focus of a community presentation Monday.

Representatives from Beacon Communities of Boston, which is examining using a portion of the Mitchell Farm at 246 Montague Road for affordable housing, will be at the Amherst Survival Center, 138 Sunderland Road, from 5 to 7 p.m. The overview of the potential development starts at 5:30 p.m.

Darcy Jameson, vice president of development for Beacon, told the Town Council this week that the presentation is the next step in a process that has included sharing the vision with municipal boards, including the Conservation Commission and Affordable Housing Trust.

Jameson said the plans for the intergenerational community further support the town’s requests for affordable housing and need for more housing for those 55 and over, as well as for families.

“The goal of the meeting is for Beacon to share an update on our proposed project and to continue to communicate with the community,” Jameson said.

Jeff Bagg, director of planning and economic development for the town, will be on hand to provide general information about the infrastructure that may be needed to accommodate the development, such as water, sewer, sidewalks and traffic calming.

Beacon previously developed the housing and commercial space at the North Square at the Mill District. The Mitchell Farm is a short distance from that. Beacon’s project site is also a short distance from Valley Developmnent Corporation’s Amherst Community Homes, located near the corner of Montague and Pulpit Hill roads.

Beacon, which also owns and manages Rolling Green Apartments on Belchertown Road, would be looking to provide one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as parking, on- site management, resident services and various amenities for both seniors and families.

A recent report to the Town Council from Town Manager Paul Bockelman outlined some of the details, including that there would be a four-story building, with 80 of the 140 units reserved for those 55 and over, and the concerns he is hearing from the community, such as impacts on stormwater and resource areas and the potential increase in traffic, noise and lighting.

A Housing Choice grant application in June could provide funding for the study and design to address some of these concerns from a project that meets several goals in the town’s 2021 Comprehensive Housing Policy and the town’s 2025 Housing Production Plan. The state’s HousingWorks program could then be a source to pay for some of that town infrastructure.

Beacon will have to submit a Project Eligibility application to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, likely in May or June. Bockelman has already submitted a letter of support for this.

When Beacon’s application is submitted, the town is notified of a 30-day comment period for written comments and then the state office will determine whether a Letter of Eligibility is issued. That letter allows the developer to submit an application to
the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals, probably by early to mid fall.