Select Board: Just Say No

Jones Library right, Strong House history museum left Kinsey Garden circled in red

Not surprisingly the Amherst Select Board, our current executive branch of government, voted unanimously to recommend dismissal of Town Meeting warrant article #41 that would prevent the Jones Library from touching a single plant in the Kinsey Memorial Garden located immediately behind the Library and prime turf for a potential $30+ million expansion/renovation.

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The "citizens petition" article, unanimously opposed by the Jones Board of Trustees, is only advisory so even if Town Meeting approves it by majority vote there's no legal requirement for the Library to follow the advice.

 Kinsey Memorial Garden

By far the more important land use decision for the Library would already have been made prior to Article #41.

Land immediately adjacent to the Kinsey Memorial Garden, also green space currently occupied by the Strong House History Museum 18th Century Garden, is required for the Jones Library to do the preferred expansion design.

Article #31, which requires a two-thirds vote, would change the zoning on that property to General Business from the current General Residential.   That would allow the cash strapped Amherst Historical Society to sell the property to the Jones Library for their expansion/renovation.