Amherst Town Meeting may consider eminent domain articles
“Town Meeting could get to consider large expenditures to preserve affordable housing for low-income residents and protect a large wooded tract in North Amherst from being developed as high-end student housing.
These eminent domain articles are among 10 petitions, each with signatures of at least 10 registered voters, that have been submitted to the town manager’s office in time to be taken up at annual Town Meeting, which begins in May.
Debra Roussel, assistant to the town manager, said each petition will next be reviewed by town counsel to ensure the petition language can be adopted by Town Meeting.
The most expensive proposal is the $3 million being sought to acquire Echo Village Apartments from Eagle Crest Property Management, which recently purchased the property.
The Echo Village Tenants Organization is proposing the purchase so the town would own the Gatehouse Road apartment complex and maintain the affordable units.”
Merzbach, Scott. Gannett.com 12 March 2013.