AMHERST — A new Local Historic District that will give additional protections to 194 properties near downtown Amherst and spending that will bring the town’s first spray park Groff Park, make improvements to the North Common in front of Town Hall and provide $60,000 to local service agencies have been approved by annual Town Meeting.
In the first three sessions of annual Town Meeting, members had few debates in agreeing to the budgets proposed for town departments by Town Manager Paul Bockelman and projects through the Community Preservation Act account.
Town Meeting on Wednesday was scheduled to take up the budgets for Amherst’s elementary schools and Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools, as well as capital spending articles that respond to the failed $66.37 million project to create two co-located elementary schools at the Wildwood School site on Strong Street.
On Monday, the Amherst School Committee voted 5-0 to recommend that Town Meeting support appropriating $250,000 to begin a 16- to 20-month feasibility process for the Fort River School site that will include initial schematic drawings, selection of an owner’s project manager and a community engagement process.
Chairwoman Phoebe Hazzard said this will show that school officials are committed, following the failed votes, to find a way to renovate or rebuild both 1970s-era schools. “This is full-steam ahead,” Hazzard said.
Even with planning to replace schools, the Joint Capital Planning Committee is recommending spending $500,000 to install a new boiler at Wildwood.
The new district cleared the needed two-thirds majority, 172-19.
“This is a neighborhood that wants and deserves to be an LHD,” said Steve Bloom, chairman of the North Prospect-Lincoln-Sunset Historic District, adding that the district’s homes reflect development of racially diverse neighborhoods between the Civil War and World War II.
Creating the district means that changes to exterior architectural features subject to a building permit and in view of the public way are reviewed by a special commission.
Bloom said the district doesn’t prevent construction, development or renovations, but will provide a buffer between downtown and the University of Massachusetts campus. The district is also seen as an important way to protect the neighborhoods from encroachments of commercial activity.
A resident of the district since 1953, Lewis Mainzer of Precinct 10, said he was delighted to support the proposal.
Social service agencies could be in line for $60,000 in municipal aid following a decision to reinsert that funding into the town budget. By voice vote, members added the money to the $1.8 million community services budget, which includes money for the operations of the Senior Center, Veterans Services and Leisure Services and Supplemental Education.
Jim Oldham of Precinct 5 proposed the addition, calling it a restoration of funding that would help with issues such as crisis intervention, sheltering homeless and youth programs.
“Putting $60,000 back into social services would give us flexibility to work with additional agencies that provide these kind of services,” Oldham said.
While the town uses $165,000 from a Community Development Block Grant to fund five agencies, Oldham said this funding is unreliable because it fluctuates, and caps the number of agencies that can benefit.
The Select Board opposed the budget amendment. Board member Andy Steinberg said such an increase needs to be part of a budget process that looks at all town needs. Bockelman said this new money will require staff to spend time creating and overseeing a process to disseminate it.
But the money could benefit a small agency, such as Amherst Community Connections, which operates on a $30,000 budget. Hwei-Ling Greeney, a Town Meeting member from Precinct 10 who founded the nonprofit, said extra money could help keep homeless housed and reduce the number of people living on the streets.
“It would be an investment in the quality of life for town residents and the tourists alike,” Greeney said.
Town Meeting voted unanimously to borrow $500,000 from the CPA account Groff Park can get a spray park and new playground and pavilions. Another $360,000 will be spent to improve the North Common, supplementing $190,000 previously appropriated.
By two-thirds majority, Town Meeting authorized $225,000 to purchase 7 acres at 1194 West St., with $75,000 from the CPA account and the remainder from a state grant.
“It’s one of the few unpreserved parcels at the base of the Mount Holyoke Range, and it abuts the Sweet Alice Conservation Area,” said CPA Committee Chairwoman Paris Boice said.
Up to 5 acres, though, will be developed for 10 to 12 market rate homes as part of a negotiation with property owner Paul Cole.
Meanwhile, Town Meeting approved another $862,163 in Community Preservation Act spending, including $100,000 for a pool pump and filter replacement at Mill River Recreation Area, $25,000 to complete a historic structures report for the Jones Library and $244,683 that will go toward repairing the steeple at the Jewish Community of Amherst’s building on Main Street.
Though Town Meeting approved $10.36 million for public safety departments, part of Bockelman’s $22.97 million town budget proposal, there were concerns from Town Meeting members about whether medical and fire calls can be adequately handled.
Marla Jamate of Precinct 7 said the body should consider adding funds to public safety to provide a temporary increase in Fire Department staffing until an ongoing analysis by a consultant is complete.
David Clooney, a firefighter who represents Precinct 3, told Town Meeting that the town may need to act before the study is done because the department can be caught shorthanded.
“I don’t think we can afford to wait a lot longer to have that complete before we start addressing the problem,” Clooney said.
Bockelman said data-driven analysis needs to be finished first. “I understand the frustration everyone is feeling,” he said, adding that firefighters are tired of waiting for a plan.
In addition to public safety spending, Town Meeting approved $7.07 million for general government, which includes Town Hall operations, $2.33 million for the Department of Public Works and $1.42 million for the conservation and development departments.
Bockelman said his budget proposal continues a tradition of “pragmatic, progressive financial management” by previous town managers that invests in employees, maintains high-quality services and promotes fiscal and environmental sustainability.
By majority vote, Town Meeting approved a Jones Library budget of $2.56 million, with $1.93 million provided by the town.
James Perot of Precinct 1 said both North Amherst and Munson branch libraries are in need of renovations that are not recognized in the budget proposal. “North Amherst would love to have a toilet, we’d love to have access for handicapped people,” Perot said.
Library Director Sharon Sharry said improvements are on the town’s capital plan and there is a commitment to make the branch in North Amherst accessible.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.