The lead editorial in today’s Gazette says public input needs to be involved earlier in the planning process:
See also:
Letter to The Republican: “planners and most board members are out of touch with the city’s residents”
The planners and the head of the Planning Board worked on their computers and shuffled papers throughout the public session, barely noticing the speakers, some of whom are well-known city residents. All but one of the board members failed to address any of the public’s concerns, limiting themselves instead, to small details…
Fran Volkmann: Planning Board Needs to Consider Proposals in their Broader Context
At its meeting on Thursday night, the Planning Board addressed only a few of the many “tree” questions and essentially no “forest” questions…
…At no time did it address a single idea, question, or item of information submitted to it in an extensive set of letters and public comment.
The quality of decision-making on the board may well be the single most important determiner of the quality of major projects such as this hotel. The way the board reaches decisions also influences in important ways the level of acceptance of projects by the community. And, not least over the long run, the board’s approach to decision-making determines the level of trust and confidence that the public has in the board and in the Planning Department that guides its work.
While the Planning Board’s options are limited statutorily, in our opinion there needs to be a way for the board to garner public opinion earlier in the process and work with developers sooner to address design concerns…
…Northampton would benefit from a review of its planning process – with a particular eye on its public notification efforts to ensure that the public is involved early in the process.
The city also needs to take another look at the use of special permits issued by the Planning Board, which essentially guarantee that developers will be able to proceed with their projects even before site plans are approved. A special permit was issued for the Hilton, as it was for developers of the former Northampton State Hospital grounds. It has been suggested that, by issuing a special permit early in the process, the board diminishes its ability to shape the design of a development.
For their part, residents need to stay informed and they need to resist the urge to let others do their talking for them. That requires some effort that might be hard to muster in our busy everyday lives, but it’s essential to good policy-making…
See also:
Letter to The Republican: “planners and most board members are out of touch with the city’s residents”
The planners and the head of the Planning Board worked on their computers and shuffled papers throughout the public session, barely noticing the speakers, some of whom are well-known city residents. All but one of the board members failed to address any of the public’s concerns, limiting themselves instead, to small details…
Fran Volkmann: Planning Board Needs to Consider Proposals in their Broader Context
At its meeting on Thursday night, the Planning Board addressed only a few of the many “tree” questions and essentially no “forest” questions…
…At no time did it address a single idea, question, or item of information submitted to it in an extensive set of letters and public comment.
The quality of decision-making on the board may well be the single most important determiner of the quality of major projects such as this hotel. The way the board reaches decisions also influences in important ways the level of acceptance of projects by the community. And, not least over the long run, the board’s approach to decision-making determines the level of trust and confidence that the public has in the board and in the Planning Department that guides its work.