Amherst planners receptive to five-story Olympia Place student housing with near-zero parking

AMHERST – A brand new five-story residence constructing reserved for school college students to be constructed on the location of a former single-family house is shut to approval from metropolis planners, though renters with autos will doubtless want to make changes theirs for parking.

As the Planning Board receives a sequence of findings and situations for the 68-unit, 230-bed constructing to be constructed at 47 Olympia Drive, members seem to assist plans through which just a few handicapped parking areas shall be obtainable .

“I think this is the perfect place where we won’t require parking minimums,” board member Johanna Neumann stated in the course of the Nov. 16 board assembly, the place a dialogue of the challenge proposed by Archipelago Investments LLC continued.

Neumann stated that with protected bike parking on the property and a passing bus loop and, for University of Massachusetts college students, proximity to campus, Amherst can be a part of different local weather and vitality main cities and promote the town’s targets. for clear vitality and local weather with out requiring parking. .

“In addition to electric vehicles, we also need to create spaces for people to live where they can drive less and live more,” Neumann stated.

Archipelago Principal Kyle Wilson stated there isn’t a settlement with UMass for tenants to give you the chance to use its heaps for parking, however he understands there was a surplus of campus parking permits obtainable this fall.

There are over 600 parking areas inside 800 ft of the property, in accordance to info submitted to planners.

Planning Director Christine Brestrup stated the board may impose a situation related to what it did for neighboring Olympia Place, at 57 Olympia Drive, that requires tenants to perceive their parking scenario. Olympia Place, with 236 beds, opened within the fall of 2016.

Board member Janet McGowan, nevertheless, stated she desires to shield tenants and guarantee them that if they arrive to Amherst with a car, there shall be a spot to park it.

“If they need parking, they should be able to get it,” McGowan stated.

The Olympia Place challenge has not proven a necessity for on-site parking, Senior Planner Nate Malloy stated.

“As far as I understand, the city has heard no complaints about Olympia Place,” Malloy stated.

Planning Board member Andrew MacDougall stated he sees self-corrective motion as the very best course, noting that if Archipelago cannot get tenants due to the parking downside, it should have to work out the scenario.

“If there’s a problem, Kyle will be the first to know,” MacDougall stated.

The Planning Board will resume dialogue of the challenge on Dec. 21 at 6:35 p.m., with a potential vote on the findings and situations. This assembly comes per week after the Conservation Commission is scheduled to full its oversight of any wetlands points on the property.

Scott Merzbach might be reached at [email protected]