AMHERST — Redevelopment projects that could threaten the well-being of a prominent University Drive shopping plaza are prompting town planners to consider modifying a proposed overlay district, running on both sides of the road from Route 9 to Amity Street, that aims to encourage new housing development.

Hearing worries from town councilors that the rezoning could compromise the Big Y Supermarket and neighboring stores in the 175 University Drive plaza, the Planning Board at its initial public hearing on Oct. 30 discussed whether to exclude that site from the rezoning or modify the site’s zoning, requiring 100% of space on the ground floor be commercial.

The current rezoning proposal would set design guidelines and conditions for mixed-use buildings that could rise to 65 feet along the entire length of University Drive, allowing for six floors, as a way to encourage housing and economic development, said Senior Planner Nate Malloy. Also, under the proposal, 75% of the ground floor space facing University Drive and Northampton Road needs to be non-residential in use.

Planning Board member Johanna Neumann said the primary purpose is to create more housing and that concerns about applying the rezoning to Big Y’s parcel, and possibly seeing it close to make way for other projects and thus creating a food desert, are overblown.

“I’m not worried about the food desert piece, it doesn’t feel substantive,” Neumann said, observing that a Stop & Shop supermarket is nearby in Hadley.

“I can’t help feel we’re being precious about a strip mall, and I think we can do better in terms of the buildings that we are encouraging for the future of Amherst,” Neumann said.

“How much change are we willing to allow?” Chairman Doug Marshall asked. “The reason we’re talking about change is the current conditions are not satisfactory.”

Marshall said University Drive for off-campus housing for college students would be welcome, and ideal due to its proximity to the University of Massachusetts campus.

“If you’re going to put students anywhere, this would be a great place to put them,” Marshall said.

Planning Board member Karin Winter said the street is a gateway to UMass. “We’re hoping this is going to be much more densely populated, and the people who are populating it will really appreciate having wide sidewalks, and being able to walk and get away from cars,” Winter said.

Other planners saw merit in what councilors said.

“I don’t totally agree with the concern, but I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t respect that concern and move that boundary,” said Planning Board member Jesse Mager.

Hartwell said moving the boundary or requiring 100% commercial on the ground level could alleviate the concerns.

“As long as we address it, I think it will go a lot further,” Hartwell said of the zoning. Those changes would reduce unintended effects and preserve the attractiveness of the overlay district in general.

Mager, though, said even though the street levels of mixed-use projects in downtown are required to have commercial space, few of the businesses displaced by those projects have survived in any form.

Marshall said the downside of limiting the overlay district would mean more students living in neighborhoods where they aren’t wanted by year-round residents.

“If we minimize the amount of potential for this area, it’s more urgent we consider other areas where we would be willing to loosen the zoning,” Marshall said.

The only public comment during the hearing came from Jonathan Slater, director of facilities for Cooley Dickinson Hospital, which operates a building at 170 University Drive. There, issues have developed with groundwater seeping into the building.

“I just want to be on record that for any developments in this area that we take into consideration these struggles we’re having on our property currently,” Slater said.

The Town Council’s Community Resources Committee is holding a hearing on the rezoning Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m., while the Planning Board will continue its hearing Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.

Both will eventually report recommendations to the Town Council, which can approve, modify or reject the rezoning.