AMHERST — More than 100 people packed into the the Bangs Community Center Monday evening to weigh in on a proposed affordable housing project at 132 Northampton Road.
And while a number of neighbors were opposed to the proposed 28-unit Valley Community Development Corp. project as proposed, many residents also expressed support, including some neighbors.
The forum, held before Town Council, began with presentations from town committee members, representatives of the Valley CDC and neighbors opposing the project in its current form.
Then, after laying out a timeline for the project and some questions from the councilors, public comment was opened up.
All units in the approximately $5 million project would be single-room occupancy units — studio apartments. Eight would be reserved for those making $31,050 annually or less, eight would be reserved for those making $49,700 or less, 10 would be reserved for those making $18,650 or less, with a preference for the homeless, and two units would be reserved for those making $18,650 or less who are clients of the Department of Mental Health.
The Town Council will likely vote July 1 on whether to approve borrowing $500,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to help the project get built.
Nate Budington, the chairman of Amherst’s Community Preservation Act Committee, said that about half of the committee’s votes this year have been split. However, he said that the 132 Northampton Road proposal was endorsed unanimously and enthusiastically.
“The proposal gets to the heart of the CPA’s affordable housing mandate,” Budington said.
He also said the future residents of the development are already living in the community.
“This project will dramatically improve the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors,” he said.
Most of those who spoke against the project stressed that they didn’t oppose affordable housing, or even affordable housing at the site, but instead didn’t support it as currently envisioned.
Neighborhood resident Stephen George said the current proposal would be “an extreme outlier” compared with what is in the neighborhood now.
Kate Sims, another neighborhood resident, said Valley CDC has not been receptive to neighbors’ requests for round-the-clock supervision at the development, a smaller scale for the project or mixing in family-oriented units.
“Nothing has actually changed about their plan,” she said.
She suggested the town acquire the site itself for affordable housing and provide a long-term lease to the developer. She said that this would allow development there to have neighborhood input from the start.
Neighborhood resident Michael Giles, however, backed the plan as it currently stands, and he said he knew of a large number of neighbors in favor of the project.
“One of the best ways to stop a project is to say that you are really in favor of it, except you want a little more time to consider it, and try to tweak it a little bit and make it a little bit better,” he said.
Kathy Neale, who was a longtime resident of the neighborhood before moving to Amity Place, said she supported to the project and noted that many teachers starting out travel an hour or more to work in Amherst schools because they can’t afford to live in places like Amherst.
“Please don’t just think of this as the homeless place,” she said. “Please think of this as a place that is inclusive of people who have chosen to teach your children.”
Neighborhood resident Kate Troast said that the process around the proposed development has been horrible and that the neighbors have been vilified for asking questions.
“I’ve been called all kinds of names,” she said.
She also said that the developer has refused to change anything.
“Why should we trust that?” she said.
Pamela, a former resident of the Valley CDC’s SRO in Northampton on Bridge Street, said she feels extremely safe in that community, and will be moving back once it is renovated.
On an SRO building coming to Amherst, Pamela said, “It’s going to benefit your community.”
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.