The city has just circulated the following announcement… NORTHAMPTON HISTORICAL COMMISSION Site Visit Notice In preparation for a public hearing to address an application for demolition of a house at 8 View Avenue, to be heard July 30th at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Hearing Room 18; an on-site visit will be conducted by […]
Month: July 2007
Kohl’s Condo Proposal: Where Things Stand, and What You Can Do
Kohl Construction proposes to build 31 condo units in the forest between North Street and the bike path. This development, with its access roads and 66 parking spaces, will claim 5.49 acres of land. These pictures show the area affected:The urban forest behind North Street is already surrounded by developmentThe crucial large lots slated for […]
EPA: Urban Heat Islands
The Environmental Protection Agency describes the effects of development on local urban temperatures. Note the dramatic moderating effect of an urban park. What Is a Heat Island? The term “heat island” refers to urban air and surface temperatures that are higher than nearby rural areas. Many U.S. cities and suburbs have air temperatures up to […]
Poem: Song for Rana
Charlotte Muse has kindly given us permission to reprint this poem, the winning entry in the 2007 W.B. Yeats Society of New York Contest. SONG FOR RANA by Charlotte Muse Epigraph: The frog (Rana; of the family Ranidae) isdisappearing all over the world. Come back to our dreams with your cold and warty skin your […]
Great Weather on Tap for Saturday Barbecue
After a soggy few days, we are happy to relay that AccuWeather calls for pleasant, partly sunny conditions for Saturday’s NSNA barbecue. A high temperature of 80 degrees is forecast, with gentle breezes and humidity below 60% in the afternoon. We have been laying in supplies of lemonade and classic flavors of soda pop all […]
Benefits of Urban Wetlands and Their Buffer Areas
In their Wetlands Request for Determination of Applicability (PDF) filed with the city last month, Kohl Construction portrays the wetlands between North Street and the bike trail as “degraded”, partly because there’s a grain of truth to this and partly (presumably) to make people feel less bad about development in this area. Kohl’s Area Description: […]
Gazette: “North Street has a blog”
Today’s Gazette mentions NorthAssoc.org in Dan Crowley’s Off the Beat column: A new “urban” blog focusing on the concerns of a neighborhood group has popped up on [the] Internet. The North Street Neighborhood Association is a new community organization devoted to maintaining the quality of life in the North Street area, according to its Web […]
Living City Properties Buys 26-28 Northern Avenue; Link to Kohl?
Today’s Gazette reports the following property transfer: Gabriele Lavallee, Gabrielle Lavallee, Roger Lavallee Attorney-in-fact, Roland Lavallee, Roland L. Lavallee, Living City Properties Inc., 26-28 Northern Ave., $315,000. Business West provides the following information about Living City Properties, a recent incorporation: Living City Properties Inc., 150 Main St., Suite 310, Northampton 01060. T. Wilson Flanders, 7 […]
In Memory of Lady Bird Johnson, Conservationist
We salute Lady Bird Johnson (1912-2007), one of the leading conservationists of our time. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center tells the story… Mrs. Johnson was First Lady of the nation before she was able to translate her love for the land into national policy. Once started, she has amassed a lifetime of achievement as […]
1991: Zoning Board of Appeals Member Vetoes Proposed Multi-Family Project as Out Of Character for Woodmont Road Environs
In 1991, Northampton’s Zoning Board of Appeals shot down a three-unit apartment house proposed for Woodmont Road as out of character for the area. The Gazette reported the story in “Zoning board rejects permit for Woodmont Road apartment”: Residents of the neighborhood cheered when the zoning board of appeals rejected a Holyoke construction company’s application […]