The board’s deliberation on Article 18 was marked by a discussion on the need to balance student housing with the needs of long-term residents. The proposed moratorium aimed to pause the approval of new residential buildings containing four or more units in the downtown business area, allowing the town to reassess zoning bylaws. Advocates for the article, including Darcy Dumont, emphasized that the demographic changes in Amherst necessitate prioritizing housing for non-student residents. Darcy highlighted that the town’s population of approximately 40,000 includes 27,000 students, with around 13,000 year-round residents, a situation that has led to many single and two-family homes being converted into student rentals.

During the meeting, board members expressed concerns about the potential negative impacts of the moratorium. Bruce Coldham criticized the idea. He stated that the board shared the aspirations of the article’s proponents but believed they could achieve these goals without a moratorium. Angus raised concerns about the article’s focus on deprioritizing student housing, which he felt conflicted with the planning board’s endorsed housing production plan that promotes diverse housing options.

The board ultimately voted against recommending Article 18 to the town council, with six members in favor and one opposed. The discussions also touched on the need for UMass to provide additional student housing, with a target of 5,000 new on-campus beds to ease local housing pressures.

Another topic was the proposed Article 19, which aimed to preserve housing for year-round residents and prioritize student housing on campus. This proposal sought to limit the sale of single and two-family homes to investors and included tools such as minimum distance requirements for student rentals and a study on rent stabilization. The board discussed the potential effectiveness of these measures, with Darcy presenting the idea as a means to maintain neighborhood stability and diversity.

Public comments on the proposals were varied, with some residents expressing concerns about the increasing presence of investors and students in neighborhoods, while others emphasized the need for more affordable housing solutions. Ken Rosenthal, a public participant, argued for greater public engagement in housing discussions and challenged the notion that increasing apartment construction would lower rental prices.

The board also addressed a proposed zoning map change affecting three parcels on Main Street, considering re-zoning them from a general residence district to a neighborhood business district. This proposal, intended to provide modest development opportunities and address capacity restrictions at the Amherst Inn, was met with mixed reactions. Some board members expressed caution about the potential impacts on nearby historical properties, while others supported the changes to facilitate business operations.