Here is a video of the last 59 minutes from the June 26 meeting of Northampton’s Planning Board. A discussion of lighting standards for gas stations is followed by a longer discussion of evolutions at Hospital Hill (Kollmorgen Electro-Optical proposes to locate an expanded plant there). At the end is a brief discussion of local […]
Month: June 2008
Notre Dame Urban Design Studio Project Slated for September 7-13
A new group, the Northampton Design Forum, released this announcement today: On Tuesday, June 24, 2008, the “Northampton Design Forum” was formed under the umbrella of Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd (APE), a non-profit arts organization based in Northampton. The Design Forum, whose members include Northampton citizens interested in fostering quality urban design, decided to invite […]
The Condos at Bixby Court: A Closer Look
At the kind invitation of Joel Spiro and Vincent Silluzio, we visited the Bixby Court condos on June 20 to take a closer look. The development consists of ten units housed in seven buildings. It includes two homes built in the early 19th century and remodeled plus five new farmhouse-style townhouse units. Each unit includes […]
Springfield Republican: “Victory gardens fight price wars”
Following on the heels of a similar article in the June 14 Gazette, yesterday’s Republican reports on surging interest in home gardens: Victory gardens fight price wars … “Vegetable plant sales have been phenomenal. Our sales are up maybe 30 percent this year,” said Leo L. Lapinski, who owns Gooseberry Farms in West Springfield… According […]
Wall Street Journal: “Home prices in 20 major U.S. cities have dropped a record 15.3% in the past year”
Today’s Wall Street Journal reports: Home-Price Gains Are Erased, Now Stand at 2004-2005 Levels …Home prices in 20 major U.S. cities have dropped a record 15.3% in the past year and are now back to where they were in 2004, according to the Case-Shiller home price index released Tuesday by Standard & Poor’s… The S&P/Case-Shiller […]
Mike Kirby: “The Meadowbrook Chronicles Part One”
We are pleased to reprint the latest article by Mike Kirby, former city councilor. You can also find it on his blog, Kirby on the Loose. The Meadowbrook story has many important facets. Of particular interest to us are the consequences that can follow from building homes near wetlands.The Meadowbrook Chronicles Part OneFor some time, […]
Salem, Oregon Analysis: Balanced Land Use Key to Balanced Municipal Budget, Quality of Life
In 2001, ECONorthwest prepared a “Fiscal Impact Analysis Relating to City Growth and Annexations” for the City of Salem, Oregon. This 60-page report is available from the City of Salem Community Development Department, 555 Liberty Street SE, No. 305, Salem, Oregon 97301-3503. Among the most interesting findings are how different land uses affect municipal revenues […]
Conservation Easements Encouraged by New Tax Rules
Today’s Gazette reports that a panel discussion entitled “Meet the Conservation Landowners: An Highland Communities Initiative Event” will take place at 7pm tonight at the barn on the William Cullen Bryant Homestead, 207 Bryant Road in Cummington. The article notes how the donation of development rights to property is encouraged by new tax rules. Panel […]
Gazette: “As food, other costs rise, more stake hopes on home gardens”
The lead story in today’s Gazette reports on surging interest in home gardens: Veggie-mania: As food, other costs rise, more stake hopes on home gardens …Locally, garden centers are seeing a spike in sales of garden supplies… According to the Associated Press, W. Atlee Burpee & Co., the nation’s largest seed company, has sold twice […]
Conservation Commission Approves LEC Vernal Pool Assessment; No Pools To Be Certified
Last summer, Northampton’s Conservation Commission voted to request vernal pool assessment on Kohl Construction’s property off North Street. Vernal pools are rare and fragile environments that enjoy special protection in Northampton’s Wetlands Ordinance.This spring, Kohl hired LEC Environmental Consultants to determine if his vernal pools merited certification. This work was monitored by Hyla Ecological Services, a […]