Amherst College leasing Hastings building, new build downtown for students
Published: 10-25-2024 1:29 PM |
AMHERST — An Amherst developer’s intent to turn a five-story mixed-use building under construction into housing exclusively for 63 Amherst College students is raising concerns for some observers.
While the Planning Board at its Oct. 16 meeting approved amended site plans, adjusted conditions in its previous decision and accepted a modified management plan for the 45-55 South Pleasant St. development proposed by South Pleasant LLC, which is managed by Amherst developer Barry Roberts, it didn’t come without some criticism.
“This is a terrible, terrible idea,” Ken Rosenthal of Sunset Avenue told both the Planning Board and Planning Department staff. “This change in Barry’s plans means that this is a dormitory for 60-something students in Amherst center.”
Rosenthal said he has high regard for both Roberts and the college from which he graduated, but that new buildings in the town center should be prioritizing housing for year-round residents who will be paying excise taxes on their vehicles and supporting downtown businesses.
“This is one more nail in the coffin for Amherst as a residential community for people who live and work in town,” Rosenthal said.
But Thomas Reidy, an Amherst attorney with Bacon Wilson PC representing Roberts, said the changes come under an expanded lease agreement with Amherst College that goes beyond the street-level space, long used by Hastings, which became the Amherst College Store last spring.
“It’s primarily students at this point, and at least one residential life professional residing on site,” Reidy said of the apartments.
The new building is being attached to the historic Hastings Building at 45 South Pleasant. The upper levels, with views overlooking the Town Common, will be renovated into additional apartments.
Article continues after...
Yesterday's Most Read Articles
Planning Board Chairman Douglas Marshall said he didn’t view most of the proposed changes as necessary for Roberts to execute the transaction with the college. “This could have happened without any public hearing tonight,” Marshall said.
The only Planning Board member who expressed worry was Karin Winter, who said she is nervous about the “sterile, sort of Amherst College presence” and trends of families leaving town. But like Rosenthal, she is grateful for Roberts’ investments.
“As much as we love having Amherst College in town, I think it’s very sad that they’re taking over one of the prime spots, both the store and residential things, that could really be a vital part for the town of Amherst,” Winter said.
Planning Board member Jesse Mager said he is not sad about what is happening, and that until a lot more housing is up in town, it is known such developments would target students. “I don’t really have a problem with it at all — I think it’s pretty good solution, and it may be managed better than if it were students from all around,” Mager said.
The changes to the site plans include reducing and moving the electrical meters and transformers so that individual tenants don’t get individual meter bills, with the college paying those bills, and elimination of a vestibule.
Under the revised management plan, Amherst College will perform maintenance of the building and do landscaping and snow removal, and will also provide off-site parking for the tenants.
Among the changes in conditions include possibly waiving registration with the town’s rental registration bylaw and not providing the town details of lease agreements.
Senior Planner Nate Malloy said the change in conditions require a public hearing, but the site plan changes are minimal and could have been handled administratively, and details about the management company aren’t often specified in board approvals.
Earlier in the year, the Planning Board, in agreement with the Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, agree to allow the developer to make a payment of at least $1.1 million to the housing trust, instead of providing three affordable apartments that would be reserved for those making up to 80% of the area median income that would have been required for approval of the project otherwise.
Reidy said Roberts has two other projects that will provide other types of housing downtown, including the long-anticipated possible redevelopment of McMurphy’s Uptown Tavern, at 37 North Pleasant St., with eight apartments; and refurbishing the 336 North Pleasant St. site closer to the University of Massachusetts campus.
Amherst College spokeswoman Caroline Hanna said the college worked with Roberts to lease the Hastings residential space, in addition to the adjoining commercial space that was already being rented, providing living spaces for students and residential life staff members, as well as common areas.
“We believe the arrangement presents an excellent opportunity to expand our business connection to downtown Amherst beyond the Amherst College Store and foster further engagement of our students with the town,” Hanna said.
Reidy, too, said the Amherst College connection should be seen as a vote of confidence in a vibrant downtown and will also mean significant tax base enhancements for Amherst, just as Archipelago Investments developments have done for other parts of the town center.
“I think this was a good opportunity, and I would just ask that the board looks at it from a positive light of Amherst College willing to invest in downtown and bringing students downtown,” Reidy said.