There has been much going on over the past few weeks, much of it quite good in the push for progress throughout town. The Chamber's position has been consistent over the past few years in its support for the implementation of the Town's comprehensive planning document, approved by the town's planning board in February 2010. As part of that effort, the Chamber helped spearhead the Amherst Future committee, which was created with an eye toward bringing together a broad coalition of businesspeople and residents to argue for the preservation of open space and appropriate development in the downtown and village centers. In other words, we're bringing people together to help pressure the town to actually implement the master plan.

Last Thursday, consistent with that message, my most recent Amherst Bulletin The Business of Amherst column entitled N. Amherst plan fits town's vision was published. Here's an except of the piece below:

In over a decade and a half of discussion, there has been substantial community input regarding the town's Master Plan. The final document affirms Amherst's values of protecting open space and developing the downtown and village centers. We've done a great job of protecting our open space, but implementation of the plan in the village centers has been much harder.

Those who have supported a zoning change to North Amherst Village Center (NAVC) do want a better town. We are looking for solutions. We believe that planning, and the proposed form-based zoning, is a solution that sets us on a path to ameliorate problems while adding additional services, density and sustainability to the village centers.

While there is concern about the merits of form based zoning as opposed to current euclidean zoning, we're supporting the consideration of form based zoning at this fall's town meeting precisely because it helps get closer to implementation of the town's vision.

We urge our Chamber members to make your voices heard and support this zoning change for North Amherst Village Center.