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Neighborhood Meetings

In early 2018 the Town Board sought to review aspects of the Plan Amendment, most notably the scale and density of buildings and their location within different neighborhoods or areas.  In response, the Planning Department, Code Studio, and several representatives from other Town departments conducted 10 neighborhood meetings in locations throughout the Town to gain additional resident insights on preferred forms and scales of development.  Two main activities were conducted at these meetings: (1) an exercise which focused on discussion about the neighborhood in the past, present and future, and (2) a Visual Preference Survey (VPS) where attendees were shown images of different building forms and characteristics and asked to rate them for appropriateness within the neighborhood. A goal of the VPS was to review those aspects of the Plan Amendment through added public engagement.

The Planning Department and consultant summarized and analyzed preference data expressed through the VPS.  Based on the analysis, the VPS indicates that the designation of commercial and mixed-use forms and types as proposed in the Plan Amendment is generally consistent with neighborhood preferences. The Planning Department presented the findings from the VPS at the Town Board Work Session on September 4, 2018. At the Town Board’s direction, the Planning Department will hold a public information meeting to present the findings on October 10, 2018 in the Town Hall Council Chambers. In addition, the summary information from each exercise are posted below.

Based upon the analyses and public comments, the Planning Department may recommend possible changes to the Plan Amendment.  The Planning Board will review these amendments and recommend any revisions to the Town Board. These revisions would then come before the Town Board for ultimate approval and adoption. Both meetings of the Planning Board and Town Board will include public hearings.

A map of the neighborhoods and results from the Neighborhood Meetings can be viewed below:

Neighborhood Meetings Public Information Meeting – October 10, 2018

About Amherst

The Town of Amherst was established in 1818 and celebrated its 200th Anniversary in 2018. The town has a geographical area of 53.6 square miles and a population of greater than 122,000.

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The Town of Amherst ADA Coordinators are Robert McCarthy (Director of Human Resources) and Mark Berke (Commissioner of Buildings).

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The Town of Amherst takes great pride in providing useful, timely and accurate information through its official website. We encourage public participation in our website and ask that you provide your feedback to help us make our site even better. Contact the website administrator at toawebsite@amherst.ny.us.

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  • General Information:
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  • Email:
    toainfo@amherst.ny.us
  • Address:
    Municipal Building (Town Hall)
  • 5583 Main Street
  • Williamsville, NY 14221


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