Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Town of Amherst public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
8 issues with high priority
2026 Community Development Action Plan
The town's annual plan for federal community development funding — typically supporting housing, infrastructure, and services for lower-income residents.
Pending Town Landmark Nominations
Three resolutions would designate local properties as landmarks, adding protections for the town's historic buildings.
Pedestrian crossing for Casey Middle School students
Kids walking from Laurel Lane and Emerald Trail to Casey Middle School have no controlled crossing of Casey Road and must detour 375 feet east to Young's Road, which lacks crosswalk striping and ADA ramps. The board's unanimous support sends the request to Erie County, which owns the road.
Unbuilt Auden Apartments trailway crossing on North Forest Road
The approved site plan promised a pedestrian connection to the Alec Creek Trailway, but only the sidewalk and a landing were built — no crosswalk or RRFB — leaving people crossing a 35-mph county road with marginal stopping sight distance. The board ordered speed counts before referring it to the county.
Palmdale Drive and Neighborhood Speeding & Cut-Through Traffic
Residents on Aegean Avenue and Waterway Lane report speeding and non-compliant stop behavior, but federal warrant data — speeds and volumes — fell short on both streets, and the town still lacks a policy for speed humps, which the highway department opposes for snow removal.
Senior Center Operational Policies and Restrictions
The town addressed temporary inconveniences at the senior center caused by canopy painting and parking lot maintenance happening right during early voting. Staff and senior center members are actively helping guide voters around the construction.
Proposed Lodging Occupancy Tax Request to State Legislature
The town established a 2.5% bed tax on short-term lodging to generate revenue for capital improvements and general town services.
2027-2032 Capital Improvement Program
The town reviewed its multi-million dollar capital plan focused heavily on essential infrastructure like wastewater treatment and highway paving.