College, town mull how best to fire up economic engine

By Nick Grabbe and NOAH HOFFENBERG
Staff Writers

Published on January 25, 2008

Amherst College wants to help the town of Amherst help itself.

Often in a financial bind, Amherst leans heavily on residential taxpayers for its tax base, and three of its largest employers - Amherst College, the University of Massachusetts and Hampshire College - are tax-exempt. As a result, taxes are high, and budget cuts always seem to be knocking on the door.

As part of an ongoing effort to aid Amherst and foster collaboration, college officials met Tuesday with their municipal and business community counterparts to discuss ways the college could help promote economic development in town.

The Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the first strategy session at the Lord Jeffery Inn with Jim Brassord, the director of facilities and associate treasurer at Amherst College, and Town Manager Larry Shaffer. Andy Churchill, chairman of the Amherst School Committee, Select Board member Hwei-Ling Greeney and board candidates Irvin Rhodes and Stephanie O'Keeffe were also present. Later in the day, Brassord and college President Anthony Marx met with Shaffer to continue the conversation.

Brassord said that, rather than merely giving the town money, a continuing collaborative relationship and helping hand from the college would go the furthest for all parties. That might take the form of a green industrial park, the funding for an economic development director post in town and the redevelopment of the Lord Jeffery Inn, Brassord said.

However, he hastened to add that how college assistance manifests itself isn't set in stone, as the discussion between the town and college is in its infancy.

It was understood by all parties, though, that the future of the town and college are "inextricably linked," said Brassord in an interview following the meetings. "We want to help the town attain a more robust financial tax base. It is absolutely essential."

"I am absolutely convinced that President Marx and the town and Amherst College are on the same wavelength," said Shaffer, also interviewed afterward. "In a world where there are limited opportunities for support, we need to support each other."

A development staffer

Having an economic development director in Town Hall has been a longtime goal for Shaffer, but a recurring budget deficit has derailed creation of the post during his 1&$189;-year tenure as town manager. Shaffer's latest budget proposal does not include this $86,000 expense, but he has said it would be his first priority if more money became available.

Churchill said he suggested a collaborative effort to fund the position, with money also coming from the University of Massachusetts and Hampshire College.

A truly green town?

Further, the parties discussed tapping into Amherst College's alumni network to help foster growth of a "nontraditional, knowledge-based industry" in town, such as technology start-ups, and green and sustainable companies, Brassord said. Again, how the college and its alums could help incubate growth of this kind was uncertain, he said.

The discussions about a "green research park" seemed ideal for Amherst, as there's a lot of research on alternative energy at UMass and a high level of environmental consciousness in town, and Amherst College has a lot of land, Churchill said.

According to Churchill, Brassord said that if this made sense for the college, campus personnel could conduct an inventory of its land to see if there was an appropriate site.

Brassord also said that the college's board of trustees was on the cusp of issuing a decision on renovating the Lord Jeffery Inn, a college-owned property built in 1926 that borders Amherst's Town Common.

The old inn - a site for fine food and lodging - is seen by both town and college as an anchor for the southern section of Amherst's downtown, and could be generating significant trickle-down dollars for the local business community.

Shaffer acknowledged a presence of such keystone inns in Hanover, N.H., Manchester, Vt., and in Stockbridge in the Berkshires, and would like to see the Lord Jeffery held in similar regard. Shaffer said the Lord Jeffery Inn could become an iconic symbol for Amherst.

Zoning changes for Spring Street that were passed at the November Town Meeting will aid in the renovations of the inn. These changes are an example of how the town has put forth energy to aid in the development of the college, Brassord said.

Brassord said he was "cautiously optimistic" about board approval for the renovations, which are still in the conceptual stage. He said the decision could be reached within a month.

Long-term vision

It would take years for economic development to have an impact on Amherst's tax base, and there was some discussion about what to do in the short term, Churchill said.

"This meeting probably wouldn't have happened four years ago," Churchill said. "The town seems to recognize it needs to do some things differently. Larry Shaffer is not saying What can you give us?' but 'What can we do together?'"

Goals of a partnership with Amherst College include not only a stronger tax base and better-funded public schools but also a more dynamic downtown and further zoning reform, said Chamber president Cinda Jones.

Overall, Brassord described the talks as "very fruitful ... a real spirit of collaboration," and said further discussions between the town and the college, while not yet scheduled, were bound to happen soon. Said Shaffer, "We'll continue this conversation with Amherst College and see what's possible."

After the meetings, Shaffer was looking forward to positive outcomes on all the fronts discussed earlier in the day.

"We're very confident. It will pan out," said Shaffer.