Amherst Office of Community Development

Amherst Office of Community Development Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Amherst Office of Community Development, Government Organization, 2 Main Street, Amherst, NH.

๐ŸŒŸ Welcome to the Town of Amherst Community Development Page! ๐ŸŒŸ

Weโ€™re excited to introduce this new way for residents, businesses, and visitors to stay informed, engaged, and connected with the Town of Amherstโ€™s Community Development Department.

03/17/2026

โ€ผ๏ธZONING BOARD MEETING CANCELLEDโ€ผ๏ธ

Tonight's (3/17) Zoning Board meeting has been cancelled. The items on the agenda have been moved to the April 21, 2026, meeting. Please call 603-673-6041 ext. 215 with any questions.

03/09/2026

๐Ÿ“ฃPlanning Board Alternate Opportunities๐Ÿ›๏ธ

The Town of Amherst is seeking residents who are interested in serving as Alternate Members of the Planning Board.

Planning Board alternates play an important role in the land use review process. Alternates attend meetings and step in to participate when a regular member is absent or recused, helping ensure the Board can continue its work reviewing development proposals, subdivisions, site plans, and zoning matters that shape the future of our community.

If you are interested in being considered for appointment, please complete the volunteer application available on the Town website.

Volunteer Application:
https://www.amherstnh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif4116/f/uploads/volunteer_application_fillable.pdf

If you have questions about the role of the Planning Board or the time commitment involved, please feel free to reach out.

Kristy Jobin
Director of Community Development
[email protected]

603-673-6041 ext. 204

At the March 4, 2026 Planning Board meeting, the Town of Amherst recognized Planning Board Chair Arnie Rosenblatt for hi...
03/09/2026

At the March 4, 2026 Planning Board meeting, the Town of Amherst recognized Planning Board Chair Arnie Rosenblatt for his many years of dedicated service as he concluded his final meeting after choosing not to seek another term.

Arnie first joined the Planning Board as an alternate member in 2001. He became a regular member in 2002 and served in that role through 2010. From 2010 to 2018 he served as Chair of the Planning Board, helping guide many important land use decisions and development projects that have shaped our community.

After briefly serving again as a regular member in 2018 and 2019, Arnie returned to the role of Chair in 2020, where he continued to lead the board through March 2026 with professionalism, fairness, and a deep commitment to the Town of Amherst.

At the meeting, Chair of the Select Board Danielle Pray presented Arnie with a plaque recognizing his years of service to the community. Several individuals in attendance also shared kind words and appreciation for his leadership, dedication, and thoughtful approach to the planning process.

On behalf of the Town of Amherst, we thank Arnie for more than two decades of service to our community and for the countless hours he devoted to helping guide the future of our town. His leadership and commitment to public service have made a lasting impact.

Please join us in thanking Arnie for his more than 25 years of service to Amherst!

We are honored to recognize another remarkable member of our Amherst community, Charlie Vars.Charlie began serving the T...
02/19/2026

We are honored to recognize another remarkable member of our Amherst community, Charlie Vars.

Charlie began serving the Town in 1978 and went on to dedicate 5 years to the Planning Board and 15 years to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Twenty years of careful deliberation, public hearings, difficult decisions, and unwavering commitment to doing what was right for Amherst. That level of service speaks volumes.

At the February 17th ZBA meeting, Charlie was presented with a plaque by Selectwoman Danielle Pray, who also serves as Chair of the ZBA, in recognition of his many years of dedication to the Town.

Charlieโ€™s impact extends well beyond his board service. In 2011, he was named Amherst Citizen of the Year, a reflection of the respect and gratitude this community holds for him. He has also been a member of the Lions Club since 1976, quietly and consistently giving back in ways both seen and unseen.

Charlie truly embodies the spirit of community service. His decades of involvement demonstrate what makes small town government work: residents who step forward, volunteer their time, and invest in the place they call home.

Charlie, thank you for your extraordinary service, your leadership, and your deep commitment to Amherst. Our Town is better because of you.

Please join us in congratulating and thanking Charlie for a lifetime of service to our community.

Today we want to take a moment to recognize and thank someone whose dedication to the Town of Amherst spans decades.Jami...
02/19/2026

Today we want to take a moment to recognize and thank someone whose dedication to the Town of Amherst spans decades.

Jamie Ramsay has been serving our community on a Board or Commission since 1996. Over the years, he devoted 21 years to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and 18 years to the Historic District Commission. That is an extraordinary commitment of time, thoughtfulness, and public service.

This past September, Jamie stepped down from the ZBA to accept employment with the Town of Amherst. He now serves as our Building Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, and Deputy Health Officer. While his role has changed, his commitment to Amherst has not.

Serving on volunteer boards for nearly three decades is no small thing. It means evenings away from family, hours spent reviewing applications and regulations, thoughtful deliberation on difficult decisions, and an unwavering willingness to step up when the community needs you. Jamie has done all of that and more.

At the Tuesday, February 17th ZBA meeting, Jamie was presented with a plaque in recognition of his many years of service by Selectwoman Danielle Pray, who also serves as Chair of the ZBA. It was a well deserved moment of appreciation for someone who has given so much of his time to this community.

Towns like Amherst do not function without volunteers. Our boards and commissions are the backbone of local government. They protect the character of our community, ensure fairness in decision making, and help guide thoughtful growth. People like Jamie are the reason that works.

Jamie, thank you for your years of steady leadership, integrity, and service. We are grateful for everything you have given to this community and we are fortunate to continue benefiting from your expertise in your new role.

Please join us in thanking Jamie for nearly 30 years of dedicated public service to Amherst.

02/17/2026

โš ๏ธ SCAM EMAIL ALERT โš ๏ธ

We have been notified that several applicants and board members have received scam emails that appear to be coming from the Community Development Department. These emails are NOT from our office.

๐Ÿšซ Do not click on any links
๐Ÿšซ Do not send money
๐Ÿšซ Do not provide personal information

If you receive an email that seems suspicious or you are unsure whether it is legitimate, please contact the Community Development Department directly to verify before taking any action.

๐Ÿ“ž When in doubt, call us first.

Please help spread the word and stay vigilant. Thank you!

โ€ผ๏ธINFORMATION FOR THE ๐‰๐€๐๐”๐€๐‘๐˜ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‘ PLANNING BOARD MEETINGโ€ผ๏ธโ€ข The meeting starts at ๐Ÿ•:๐Ÿ‘๐ŸŽ ๐ฉ๐ฆ.โ€ข It will be held at the ๐€๐ฆ๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ...
01/21/2026

โ€ผ๏ธINFORMATION FOR THE ๐‰๐€๐๐”๐€๐‘๐˜ ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‘ PLANNING BOARD MEETINGโ€ผ๏ธ

โ€ข The meeting starts at ๐Ÿ•:๐Ÿ‘๐ŸŽ ๐ฉ๐ฆ.
โ€ข It will be held at the ๐€๐ฆ๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐Œ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ž ๐’๐œ๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ง๐š๐ฌ๐ข๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’ ๐‚๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐‘๐จ๐š๐.
โ€ข Please enter through the ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ž ๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ (see maps below for directions).
โ€ข The space is in use before us until 6:45 pm. ๐–๐ž ๐š๐ฌ๐ค ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐š๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐ง๐จ ๐ž๐š๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐ž๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ง ๐Ÿ•:๐ŸŽ๐ŸŽ ๐ฉ๐ฆ.
โ€ข We will open the doors to the gym ๐จ๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐ฐ๐ž ๐ก๐š๐ฏ๐ž ๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ž๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ž๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฉ.

We appreciate everyone's cooperation, patience, and understanding as we navigate an unfamiliar setup. Please call us at ๐Ÿ”๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ‘-๐Ÿ”๐Ÿ•๐Ÿ‘-๐Ÿ”๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ ๐ž๐ฑ๐ญ. ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ“ with any questions.

Thank you Amherst Aroma Joes!
01/16/2026

Thank you Amherst Aroma Joes!

Please RSVP to SHARE at 603-673-9898 to save your seat for this very imporant workshop.
01/16/2026

Please RSVP to SHARE at 603-673-9898 to save your seat for this very imporant workshop.

01/07/2026

๐Ÿšง Planning Board Application Continued ๐Ÿšง Founderโ€™s Way

The applicant has requested a continuance for CASE #: PZ19998-110325 (Michachunk Development, Inc. โ€“ Founderโ€™s Way & Gatchel Way) related to a Final Subdivision Approval Amendment and a requested road standard waiver.

โ— This application will NOT be heard tonight.

๐Ÿ“… Updates and future meeting information will be shared once the matter is rescheduled.

12/26/2025

๐ŸŽ™๏ธ New Episode of the Amherst Exchange Podcast

We recently welcomed Marti Warren and Stacey Morison, two Board members of The Amherst Bear- the new community paper, to the Amherst Exchange Podcast.

In this episode, they share:
โ€ข How the paper got its name
โ€ข What residents can expect to see in upcoming issues
โ€ข Why local, community-based journalism matters now more than ever

The Amherst Bear is focused on telling Amherstโ€™s stories, highlighting local voices, and strengthening community connectionsโ€”and this conversation offers a great look at the vision behind the new paper.

๐ŸŽง Watch the full episode on the Town website at AmherstNH.gov.
You can find the link in the Citizen Action Center.

Be sure to check it out and support local journalism in Amherst.

Address

2 Main Street
Amherst, NH
03031

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