Town of Amherst
Not long ago, Amherst had a reputation as a town where developers could count on a warm reception.But now, with the town's stock of development land dwindling and a philosophical shift in town government, decades-old battles about development versus green space are re-emerging in new terms.
Developer William Huntress paid a $1,000 fine for illegally felling trees on a lot in northeast Amherst and then - just weeks later - dispatched workers to bulldoze more trees on his property in southeast Amherst.
When Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, announced plans for a superstore on Millersport Highway, town officials hastily pulled in the welcome mat, saying they plan to "downzone" the entire area to a more restrictive classification, including the Wal-Mart site.
Supervisor Satish B. Mohan declared that the town has too many vacant offices and that developers should fill the vacancies before planning more office buildings.
James Allen, chairman of the Amherst Industrial Development Agency, shot back, lamenting that Mohan's relationship with his organization was "frightening."
So much for "business-friendly" Amherst, the area's wealthiest and most populous suburb.
Today, the debate in Town Hall is about "smart growth," preventing urban sprawl and keeping developments such as "big box" stores from moving into sparsely developed areas like the Millersport corridor.
But developers say town officials are abusing the very people who made Amherst a success.