AMHERST — A member of Amherst Town Meeting for more than 40 years, who began his career in activism as part of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, is poised to return to municipal service.

Vincent O’Connor of Summer Street, along with Jordan Helzer of Curtis Place and David Sloviter of Lincoln Avenue, recently received unanimous recommendations from the Community Resources Committee to begin tenures as associate members on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

They were the only applicants for three vacancies on the nine-member panel. Their recommendations will go to the full Town Council for action, possibly at its Jan. 9 meeting, If appointed, they would serve through June 30, joining five full-time members and one other associate member.

The recommendations come after the rejection of applicant John Varner over the summer after concerns were raised about his written responses to questions and whether he would give deference to abutters. Though Varner was supported by five of the nine councilors who cast votes, two abstentions cost him a majority of those present.

At Large Councilor Mandi Jo Hanneke, who chairs the council subcommittee, said the new members will broaden the demographics of the Zoning Board by age and where they live in town.

All three answered several questions from the councilors who serve on the subcommittee on Dec. 20, with Hanneke expressing appreciation for O’Connor understanding the zoning board’s responsibilities and providing answers that were thoughtful, comprehensive, and showed a high evel of detail and knowledge and perspective.

O’Connor, whose resume includes being on the Northern California chapter of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1964 and 1965 and numerous appointed Amherst boards and committees, said the text of the town’s zoning bylaw is the result of work of thousands of town staff, committee members, abutters and others. O’Connor said he respects these efforts and the words in it are a prime example of compromise, even if some of the text was written before there was recognition of the threat of global climate change.

Though pleased to make the recommendations, District 3 Councilor Jennifer Taub lamented that Varner didn’t make it on to the board.

“I think he was as qualified as those we have affirmed,” Taub said.

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