By NANCY WEST, InDepthNH.org
The following three candidates are running for two seats on the Planning Board in Amherst and were asked to submit an op-ed – Tom Quinn, Arnie Rosenblatt and Jason Sorens. Rosenblatt shared with InDepthNH.org the same form he sent to Patch.com, but then sent an op-ed so it is being updated. The election is March 14. See information about voting here. The candidates are posted in alphabetical order below. There are also three candidates running for a one-year set on the planning board.
Tom Quinn
My name is Tom Quinn and I am an incumbent member of the Board and I am running for a new three-year term. I grew up in Amherst and am now raising a family here. There is a reason I have lived in town for a good portion of my life. Amherst is a beautiful place to be.
I am glad we are talking about Planning Board elections. A few short years ago, this was an appointed board and there was no easy way for citizens to change the makeup of the PB. I worked on and supported the initiative a few years back to make this an elected board and I am proud of that. They said “nobody would run” when our citizen petition came out and I am still waiting on my first uncontested race!
One reason I ran in the first Planning Board election and one reason I am running again is to give citizens a seat at the table, along with developers and landowners, such that neither side has unequal say. In my opinion, just a few short years ago, this balance did not exist.
Another reason I am running is to continue to be a voice for what citizens want to see in Amherst and what is most important to them. A recent effort to revise the Master Plan started with a town wide survey with well over 1000 responses. Of those that rated development concerns a highest priority or a high priority:
· 82% agreed it was important to maintain rural character and feeling
· 71% agreed it is important to limit residential density
· 85% agreed it is important to secure and preserve water resources
I thought it was great to see so many citizen driven petitions this year that involved these and other issues. I supported most petitions at the board level even though I may not agree with the details of all of them. I do not believe I know better than the citizens at the ballot box and that the work and efforts of the citizens to make changes in their community should not be discouraged by me in any way. Time will tell what everyone thinks of the citizen’s petitions at the ballot box. In any case, I applaud the efforts of all the citizens involved.
Going forward I would look to do the following:
1. Continue to weigh and balance citizens’ rights, interests and concerns along with the rights of landowners and developers to the best of my ability and in line with current legal realities.
2. I will not vote for excess housing density over what is “by right” or legally allowed in zoning.
3. I believe it is important to keep a sharp eye out for development impacts on the schools (especially the lower grades) where large class sizes and sub standard facilities are a current problem. (There is a large bond on the ballot in March to address these issues with a similar one failing last year.)
4. I believe it is equally important to thoughtfully consider the various other impacts of development including general environmental impacts like habitats and sensitive areas, water quality, aquifer protection, traffic, noise and the other impacts directly related to the project location that may affect abutters, neighbors, the neighborhood or the town as a whole.
5. Lastly, I think it is important to keep the master plan in mind when reviewing applications and when thinking about zoning or regulatory changes. While this document is not controlling or binding in any way, it is a guide.
I hope you will consider me for a vote on March 14, 2023. It has been a pleasure to serve with a thoughtful and professional board over the past few years and I look forward to doing it again with your support. Thank you.
Arnie Rosenblatt
My name is Arnie Rosenblatt. I currently am the Chairman of the Amherst Planning Board and have served on the Planning Board for 25 years. I have lived in Amherst for 35 years and have treasured my time here.
My understanding of Amherst’s issues is not based on abstract theories or what fierce advocates for unfettered development have told me. On the contrary, my knowledge is based on having confronted issues every week in which we are seeking to reconcile the very important desire of our town’s citizens to preserve our precious resources and open space with the real rights of property owners.
This is not easy and it is not something that can be addressed through glib statements on social media. I do not like responding to untrue negative comments but I need to briefly address one issue that has been highlighted by the pro-development at any cost community—the legal challenges that have been raised to two Planning Board decisions.
In two different matters, large scale developers appealed decisions by the Planning Board that those developers did not like. The New Hampshire Supreme Court told the Planning Board to give the developers another chance and review the applications again. (In one of those two cases the New Hampshire Superior Court actually rejected the developer’s position and agreed with the Planning Board.) Does that mean the Planning Board does not know the law? I don’t think so and at least one Superior Court judge did not think so.
Instead, the Planning Board has tried to carefully scrutinize applications and apply the law to those applications. I do not want to lead a Planning Board that panders to anyone. I want to continue to work hard for our town. Developers and other individuals who disagree with the Planning Board’s decisions will continue to have the right to challenge those decisions in court.
The Planning Board should continue to do its best to satisfy the requirements of the regulatory process. But it also should not be scared into agreeing to the no-regulation, let anything happen perspective that others may have. I hope to continue to work for our town. Thank you.
Jason Sorens
My name is Jason Sorens; I’m running for Amherst Planning Board and I also started the Free State Project. It’s disappointing to have to deal with wild imputations of somehow being connected to the Croydon and Gunstock incidents, even though I opposed these moves at considerable risk to my own personal standing in the liberty movement, and the Gunstock fiasco was mostly pushed by non-Free Staters to begin with.
My planning board candidacy has won the support of a broad coalition in town. None of the people in the Civic Amherst group who encouraged me to run are Free Staters. I’ve been endorsed by Democratic state representatives, Republican activists, and current and former selectmen, planning board members, conservation commission members, and business leaders in Amherst.
Why is such a broad group of impressive leaders supporting me? It probably has something to do with the fact that I’m the only candidate to express a positive, detailed vision for our town. I also know more about New Hampshire’s zoning than all but a handful of other people in the state, so I can help our planning board get back to legality, something they’ve had a little trouble with lately. I’m also working harder to connect with actual voters than any other candidate.
On March 14, Amherst voters will go beyond baseless smears and vote for expertise, sanity, and vision in our planning process.