A Search For Affordable Housing Solutions

 Housing & Sheltering Comm Co-Chairs: Greg Stutsman left, Nancy Gregg to his left

On Wednesday morning the Housing & Sheltering Committee voted unanimously NOT to recommend to the Amherst Select Board they support passage of House Bill No. 2225 "An act relative to the definition of low and moderate income housing."

The bill if passed would essentially water down the requirements imposed on cites and towns to maintain a 10% ratio of "affordable" housing stock by allowing mobile homes to be counted as affordable.

Co-Chair Greg Stutsman told the committee he "couldn't recommend trying to create a loophole."

After hearing public comment from knowledgeable observer Walter Wolnik the committee agreed to take up discussion at their next meeting of spearheading a campaign to modify the Pacheco Rule, which currently restricts UMass from working with private developers to build student housing.

In a recent column in the Amherst Bulletin UMass Chancellor Subbaswamy cited  UMass  as "the third-largest residential campus in the nation," and went on to declare "the university is committed to exploring the feasibility of a legislative remedy that would allow us to pursue public-private partnerships to address our housing needs."

Due to the overwhelming influence of higher education, college students make up over half the town's population.  And this demographic is inadequately served, as any large off campus housing proposal over the past 30 years must survive a gauntlet of well armed NIMBY opposition, which few have managed to do.

As a result single family homes dispersed throughout Amherst neighborhoods are snapped up by investors who subdivide the units into student rooming houses that sometimes mimic the antics of "Animal House".

Freedom From Controversy?

The Brits got it right

If Norman Rockwell were alive and working today he could use Amherst as a model for a fifth freedom:  "The Freedom From Controversy." 

Only he would use Amherst as an example of how not to go about it.

Last August 27 the Amherst Select Board pocket vetoed flying the 29 commemorative flags on 9/11.  Within days it made news in both the Gazette and Springfield Republican and our local TV stations.

The Republican/MassLive article was picked up and prominently displayed on New York based September 11th Families' Association website where it was spotted by Fox News, which led to an appearance on their highly rated "Fox and Friends" a week before the sad anniversary.

This year, apparently, they are not taking any chances:

Click to enlarge/read

Amherst Loses Vital Protection

 

Rolling Green Apartments, 204 units

Rolling Green Apartments owner Equity Residential gave official notice to the Amherst Housing Authority earlier this week that they will indeed pay off their remaining subsidized mortgage and bring 41 formerly affordable units up to market rate.

And while it may sound a bit like the tail wagging the dog, the loss of those 41 units means the entire 204 unit complex falls off the town's Subsidized Housing Inventory, dropping Amherst to 8.5% -- well below the 10% threshold required for fending off a Ch40B development. 

As of September 1st a developer could file a Chapter 40B housing project and build pretty much whatever they want as long as 25% of the units are "affordable."

Town officials had thought they bought a one-year reprieve with the recently completed "Housing Production Plan," but as part of that plan the town has to produce 0.50% of the town’s year-round housing stock, or 48 units of affordable housing annually (not lose 204 units!).

Bad news part 2:  Town planning staff just learned the state is not going to accept the 42 affordable units coming on line at Olympia Oaks because that project was in the works W-A-Y before the Housing Production Plan was completed (March, 2013).

Other than Olympia Oaks, the only affordable housing on the near horizon are six units at President Apartments proposed expansion.  In other words, without Olympia Oaks the town stands zero chance of a one year Ch40B reprieve.

The fall of Rolling Green has been on town officials radar for almost six years.  On September 1st, it happens.  So now when a developer comes a calling, no matter how many NIMBYs protest the proposed Ch40B development, IT WILL HAPPEN.

(Which, considering our exceedingly tight housing market, may not be a bad thing.)

Devil In The Details

 

Building Commissioner Rob Morra right, Pat Kamins on his right

The Safe & Health Neighborhoods Working Group -- perhaps the most successful committee in recent history in a town overrun with committees -- has begat another working subgroup also appointed by Town Manger John Musante tasked with planning  "implementation" of the Rental Permit bylaw.

Amherst Town Meeting  overwhelming passed the historic bylaw on May 20th, and it goes into effect January 1st.  Building Commissioner Rob Morra told the new group today that he has an "aggressive schedule" in mind to make that January 1st deadline.

The estimated number of properties that will require registration is around 1,500 

Three of the four Rental Bylaw Implementation Group members attended today's kick off meeting -- Pat Kamins, property manager, Phil Jackson, homeowner, Maurianne Adams, member of  Coalition of Amherst Neighborhoods.  Jacob Lefton, a tenant and frequent critic at the Safe & Healthy Neighborhood Working Group meetings, is the fourth member of the group but was on vacation.

 Other side of the table.  Phil Jackson center

One major complaint about SHNWG was the lack of a tenant on the 15 member committee.

At one point the fledgling Rental Bylaw Implementation group was outnumbered 4-1 by concerned citizens who came to the meeting -- for the most part -- to complain about the new system.  The committee has decided to have a "public comment" period as part of their meetings as did the Safe and Healthy Neighbourhoods Working Group.

Rob Morra said the implementation of the new system is being done in-house and he hopes the Information Technology department will have a system in place by October 1st for online registration and one stop shopping cart for all the forms required to make the system work.

The Amherst Select Board is scheduled to discuss and vote on a registration fee in late September.  The Safe and Health Neighborhood Working Group already recommended the fee be set at $100, but it remains to be seen if multi-unit owners or large apartment complexes will pay that fee per unit or just once per mailing address.

For instance will Rolling Green Apartments pay $100 or $20,400 to register all 204 units at their 1 Rolling Green Drive location?

The Rental Bylaw Implementation Group  scheduled meetings for three consecutive Tuesdays next month: September 10, 17th and 24th.

The rental permit system is the town's response to a chorus of complaints over the past many years about overcrowded, unsafe, disruptive rental housing owned by absentee landlords preying on tenants in a very tight rental market.

Coming soon

A Sterling Review ... Well, Almost

Amherst Select Board review of Town Manager John Musante this evening

As expected the Select Board annual review of Town Manager John Musante, our highest ranking but only second highest paid town employee, was a cordial affair with fiscal matters garnering across the board highest "commendable" ratings from all five SB members.

But a dark cloud or two appeared on the otherwise sunny landscape with the issue of dealing with the town's surplus buildings garnering  "unsatisfactory" rating from Alisa Brewer, Diana Stein, and Aaron Hayden while the other two checked off "needs improvement". 

But when referencing things that need improvement SB Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe was quick to remind the board that overall the review was "overwhelmingly positive."

The only other "unsatisfactory" rating came from Alisa Brewer for communication issues, like reading things in the newspapers before the board has been apprised about an issue.

 Alisa Brewer:  Most critical but also most effusive

She mentions "dropping the ball" with  the "Blarney Blowout" where things were reported as going well in the downtown that Saturday, but all hell broke loose in North Amherst -- not that the newspapers figured that out very quickly.

This year’s Blarney Blowout revelers well-behaved in #Amherst |  http://t.co/vbA6g9aKxs #westernma
— GazetteNET (@gazettenet) March 11, 2013

And the recent Rental Bylaw Implementation Group was announced on the pages of the Daily Hampshire Gazette before the Select Board was informed (maybe the Town Manager figures they no longer read the Gazette).

Town Manager speaking to Town Meeting in favor of Rental Registration Bylaw

The Town Manager also received high marks for his relations with the Select Board and Town Meeting, with three SB members giving him across the board highest rating and O'Keeffe and Brewer looking for improvement.

Other areas that need improvement are communications with the general public and lower echelon (non management level) town employees.  Staff morale  -- especially in the fire department and DPW -- could also be better.

The handling of housing issues, what many believe to be the #1 problem facing Amherst today, also garnered the concern of the Select Board.  Especially affordable housing.

The about-to-occur loss of Rolling Green's 204 apartment units from the town's Subsidized Housing Inventory is pretty much a disaster.  

They're Back!

Amherst Rotary Town Fair setting up today

And I use that title in a good way (for both entities) as opposed to that scary Hollywood way.

Nothing says small town all Americana like streets lined with flags, a July 4th Parade, or traveling fair setting up on the town green. 

Well, at least Amherst is one for three.

Yes the Amherst Rotary Town Fair returns for a follow up engagement this week, just as the town begins to shake off its summer lethargy.  Get ready for rides, carny food, thrills and spills ... not necessarily in that order.

Date/Time Information:

August 21st hours:4-10pm

August 22nd-24th hours:12-10pm

Also in time for the town fair, those young vivacious cogs in our econcomic wheel are also returning, like swallows to Capistrano:  Students.   About 5,500 of them first timers.

Let the lessons begin.

 Welcome Back Consumers

Opportunity Lost?

Last year at the 8/27 Amherst Select Board meeting Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe did not even allow the board, our executive branch, to vote on the request to fly the 29 commemorative flags in the downtown on 9/11.

The town routinely flies the flags, purchased in the summer of 2001,  on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day, July 4th, Patriots Day and yes, even Labor Day (coming soon).

But in her closing remarks she was "sure Mr Kelley would bring this back next year, and he should do that."



And even Select Board member Aaron Hayden (who always votes "No") also remarked that night "This is an opportunity for us to really sort of put our heads together and be thoughtful, out loud, about important issues -- clearly important issues -- so I do appreciate that opportunity."



Now it's beginning to look like the issue will not even be allowed on the agenda for the SB 8/26 meeting, the last meeting prior to that awful anniversary. The old ignore it and hope it goes away routine.

So much for appreciating "that opportunity." 

Back story told in emails (click this link)