In 1987, Town Meeting authorized the eminent domain taking of about 27 acres of land on the east end of Olympia Drive, of which about 13 acres were designated for affordable housing. Though the Town has an easement over the road upon which the property has frontage, the road itself is owned by the University of Massachusetts which significantly complicates development of the property under existing zoning requirements. The only way this property can be developed is by using Chapter 40B, the comprehensive permitting law. This state law allows development to proceed with suspension of the Town’s Zoning Bylaw, though it still requires ZBA approval. There is a critical shortage of affordable housing in Amherst, both rental and homeownership opportunities for low-and moderate-income households. Amherst has owned this land since 1987 and the development of this land for affordable housing is long overdue. The envisioned housing development will be a mixed-income development with a minimum of 25% of the units available to households with incomes below 80% of the HUD defined median income.