AMHERST — Amherst’s efforts to ensure there is housing for people of all income levels, including through a revised housing production plan and various rezoning initiatives, is underway.

With significant interest in the topic, the League of Women Voters of Amherst is co-sponsoring a panel titled “Building Homes and Breaking Barriers: Constructing Affordable Housing in Amherst” to be held Jan. 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Town Hall, with a streaming option.

During the event, state Rep. Mindy Domb will moderate and get details about what is happening in Amherst, the town’s unmet needs, and actions people can take to get affordable housing built.

Panelists include Gaston de los Reyes, chairman of the Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust; Allegra Clark, a member of the trust who also co-chairs the town’s Community Safety and Social Justice Committee; and John Hornik, who formerly chaired the trust.

In addition, Laura Baker, real estate manager for Valley Community Development, Tom Kegelman, executive director of Home City Development Inc., and Keith Fairey, president and executive director of Way Finders, will participate.

All three have developments underway, with Valley CDC doing homeownership condominiums in North Amherst and apartments at the Econo Lodge hotel in Hadley, Home City is building apartments in Pelham and Way Finders is handling the redevelopment of the East Street School and properties on Belchertown Road.

To attend the session virtually, go to https://amherstma.zoom.us/j/83686070098

MLK Day

The Town Council on Monday approved a proclamation in support of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 20, encouraging “Amherst residents to observe this holiday not only by reflecting on Dr. King’s legacy, but also by actively serving others in the pursuit of community and justice.”

The day will include card-making activities at the Bangs Community Center from 1 to 3 p.m. That day will also feature a food drive, coordinated by Domb, at the Amherst Survival Center, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Land preservation

The recent sale of around 2,400 acres of W.D. Cowls forestland in western Massachusetts, ensuring its permanent protection, was mostly outside Amherst.

But Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek, during a Cuppa Joe meeting held at Cushman Market & Cafe last week, told the 40 or so people there that the 77 acres in town, off Flat Hills Road and Overlook Drive, is a critical habitat for that part of town.

In addition to offering appreciation for Cowls President Cinda Jones, Ziomek thanked Kestrel Land Trust for its active role regarding Robert Frost Trail, Mount Boreas,and some of the land in the so-called “Zone 1” for Atkins Reservoir, one of the main water supplies for the town.

“It was sort of a triple play for Amherst in northeast Amherst,” Ziomek said.

Ancestral Bridges new home

Ancestral Bridges could soon be located at 29 Cottage St., where the organization, which brings forward details about Black and Indigenous people’s roots in Amherst, will house an expanded exhibit and projects that will be shared with the community.

Anika Lopes, founder and president, told the Design Review Board recently that this follows from an exhibit at Amherst College’s Frost Library and will help to expand the arts and cultural scene of Amherst.

The building was most recently used as the headquarters for the Boys and Girls Club, founded by Amherst College students in 1909, but which suspended operations during the pandemic. The club didn’t renew its lease there in July 2020, said president Tom Crossman.

Crossman said while the club is not active, it is having discussions with town officials whether it can have some role in development of a Youth Empowerment Center. In addition, alumni and board members are in the midst of extensive research into the life of the late Stephen Hamilton, the longtime director for the club, who died in 1993, and is also remembered for his watercolor paintings.