Planning Board recommends clean energy zoning bylaw

Planning Board · Meeting of August 5, 2026

AMHERST — The Amherst Planning Board voted 5-0 to recommend a rewritten clean energy zoning bylaw to the Town Council, closing a hearing continued since May. Board member Bruce Coldham moved the recommendation of "version 15" of Article 18, Clean Energy Infrastructure, seconded by Jerah Smith; Fred Hartwell and Roy Johnson also voted aye, with Angus McLeod and Jesse Mager absent. A Community Resources Committee staffer said the Town Council hopes for a first read August 17 and a second read and vote September 14, ahead of an October 1 state deadline after which Massachusetts would take over local clean energy permitting.

Earlier, the board spent nearly an hour on a narrowed, 22-property East Amherst Local Historic District proposal without voting; member Jerah Smith argued added review "make[s] it more challenging to redevelop properties," while presenter Steve Blum said "most of these structures are actually not residential." The board also conditionally endorsed a subdivision of 100 University Drive pending written confirmation of zoning compliance from the building commissioner.

In the full story:

• East Amherst Local Historic District
• Zoning Bylaw Article 18: Clean Energy Infrastructure
• General Housing Discussion
• Old Business: Attic Space and ADU Square Footage
• Form A/ANR Subdivision: 100 University Drive
• Committee and Liaison Reports, Report of Staff
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,363 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of August 5, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.