Today’s Springfield Republican reports on the North Street Neighborhood Association and its opposition to Kohl Construction’s condo plans… Prompted by a proposal to develop the only patch of woods between Bridge Street and the Industrial Park, a group of residents on and around North Street have formed a neighborhood organization…Kohl, who owns the land, has […]
Month: July 2007
Gazette: “Trees add to city’s appearance, well-being”
Today’s Gazette gives a welcome plug for shade trees in Northampton. We say, if it’s good to plant ’em, it’s even better not to take ’em down in the first place… When it’s hot and you’re on foot, it’s shade you crave. Then you appreciate trees – enough to hug them. In much of the […]
Historical Commission Gives Kohl Leave to Tear Down 8 View Avenue
Northampton’s Historical Commission today voted to permit Kohl Construction to demolish the house at 8 View Avenue. Tristram Metcalfe cast the lone dissenting vote. The commission found that the house, which dates back to the turn of the century and perhaps earlier, lacks sufficient historical or architectural importance to merit saving.Two cameramen were present at the […]
Downstreet.net: “Despite Tree City USA Honor Northampton Planting Lags”
Ed Shanahan is the editor of downstreet.net. He writes: As a member of the Northampton Tree Committee, I, like other members of the committee, have been frustrated by our inability to advance the cause of shade trees in this community.Each year, the city removes more dead or hazardous trees than it replaces, leaving a net […]
The Nature of Northampton: Henry James and Tracy Kidder
Henry James captures the air of Northampton in Roderick Hudson (1875)… …The next day was Sunday, and Rowland proposed that they should take a long walk and that Roderick should show him the country. The young man assented gleefully, and in the morning, as Rowland at the garden gate was giving his hostess Godspeed on her […]
Irony of Infill: You Have to Drive to Enjoy Nature
A key assumption built into infill is that walking access to amenities associated with civilization takes priority over walking access to nature. If developers are permitted to aggressively pave over green spaces downtown, more residents will be compelled to drive if they want to enjoy parks and woods. Most likely their overall time spent in ‘unbuilt’ environments […]
Environmental Consultant: “there are likely to be several hundred vernal pools in the City which could be certifyable”
As commissioned by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, New England Environmental, a consulting firm, just sent a report on vernal pools to Suzanne Beck. Suzanne is the executive director of the Chamber. Here are excerpts from Michael Marcus’s report, which assesses the vernal pool portion of Northampton’s proposed wetlands ordinance. The complete report is available […]
Poem: “We Have Faith”
Daryl LaFleur: North Street Area and Urban Ecology
Daryl LaFleur recently posted the following to Paradise City Forum. He has kindly given us permission to reprint it here. We have added emphasis to certain passages. The North Street neighborhood residential development as proposed by Mr. Kohl presents Northampton with a unique in-town development opportunity. While I often read entries on the PCF that […]
An Open Invitation to Bill Dwight, WHMP Commentator
Dear Bill,I understand you discussed the North Street Neighborhood Association on your July 26 WHMP radio program [mp3 file]. We would welcome the opportunity to present our case on the air. If it’s NIMBY to be concerned about the paving over of what green space remains in downtown, feel free to call us NIMBYists. More […]