A proposal of zoning changes in a few corridors of town, a use of town funds to improve the area surrounding Puffer’s Pond and a proposal to spend money on a housing market study in town are a few of the items that top the 18-article warrant at this fall’s Amherst Town Meeting, which begins tonight.
One of the items topping the agenda at this season’s meeting is a zoning change that, if passed, would apply a type of form-based zoning to the North Amherst Village and Atkins Corners section of town. The change, which has been hashed out by the town’s planning board and is meant to apply in accordance with the town’s master plan, would mean that the definition of how street ways, walkways and other structures are developed in those portions of the town would change.
Another article at the meeting seeks to transfer $370,000 in the town’s general fund into a fund that would be used to improve the beaches, parking areas and trails surrounding Puffer’s Pond in North Amherst, according to the warrant.
And another article asks voting members to approve of a plan to spend $40,000 on a study that would look at and provide analysis on the residential housing market in town, and look at development needs in town.
Other articles on the warrant deal with a slew of easements in parts of the town and a resolution to form a new Committee on Homelessness in Amherst. The full warrant can be accessed on the town’s website.
There are 240 voting Town Meeting members — who represent different precincts in town — and 14 ex-officio members of the meeting, who serve on other boards and committees in town, according to information on the town’s website. All member of the public, however, can attend Town Meeting proceedings.
The meeting commences tonight at 7:30 in the Amherst Regional Middle School auditorium. Time slots have been set aside for the next several Mondays and Wednesdays for the meeting to continue.
-Collegian News Staff
David • Nov 7, 2011 at 7:00 pm
As a homeless person myself, although not in Amherst, I would like to support the formation of the Committee on Homelessness. It is important to understand the causes of homelessness. Landlords cause homelessness!!! Tenants are evicted whenever the landlord feels like it. Eviction adds additional problems, and tenant often loose belongings when forced to move out quickly. Landlords feel they can choose who to rent to, because it is their property. This refusal to rent can go on and on because “we just do not like you” and “we are not discriminating”. Loss of an apartment rental due to temporary economic difficulty, because of cutback in hours of working, due to to failure to pay full rent expected any given month only make the obtaining of future employment more difficult. It must be noted that no only people but also their pets are victims of homelessness. No one should have to give up a pet for an apartment!!! Pets function as small children do in a household and should have equal right to housing with the people that keep them. Loans should be established to be granted by the town to help out tenants meet the obligations of rent when due to “temporary economic difficulty” they cannot come up with the full rent. It is a little known fact that during the heating season landlords have the obligation to suppy heat, according to information from the Secretary of State, so even if tenant agreed to pay heat cost it should not preciptate evictions in the heating season. (These cost if agreed to would have to be paid eventually.) When the tenants who are behind in the rent, gain new or additional employment they can get caught up. This would prevent many cases of homelessness from happening. In addition tenants should be able to stay in their apartments as long as they want to whithout having to fear that at any time upon so whim the landlord decides he does not want them there anymore. This can also interfere with a tenant’s voting rights, for example if the eviction occurs in an October before a Presidential Election or any election for that matter!!! Tenants should also not have to fear ending up on the street due to eviction if they participate in public issues. Freedom of speech must be preserved. Homeless people have a right to vote and participate too!!! Public participation must not precipitate homelessness in a deomocratic society!!! I hope these comments above are helpful and give some perspective on the homelessness issue. I am at a library computer, and time is running out on computer time, so I hope you will take this rambling commentary into consideration when you consider forming the Committee on Homelessness.