Northampton’s City Council plans to discuss the following non-binding question for the November 3 ballot at its September 3 meeting (City Council Chambers, 212 Main Street, 7:15pm).See also:Video: Special Meeting of the Board of Public Works and the City Council, 8/21/09; Landfill Ballot Question No. 2The claim that there will be “no new environmental risk […]
Month: August 2009
YES! Magazine: “Upgrading the Way We Do Politics”
For those who are frustrated with the way citizens and public officials interact, YES! Magazine offers alternatives: Upgrading the Way We Do Politics…”The term ‘town hall’ conjures up images of townsfolk gathering in some New England hamlet,” writes deliberative democracy scholar Jim Fishkin. But today’s typical “town hall meetings” don’t live up to that tradition. […]
September 15: Urban Agriculture Meeting
Jim Nash of the Zoning Revisions Committee is circulating the following invitation: On September 15th at 7 PM, the Urban Agriculture Sub-committee of the Zoning Revisions Committee will be meeting with the public to discuss modifications and changes to current regulations around chickens and livestock. The meeting with be held in Hearing Room 18 on […]
Pictures from the August 27 Conservation Commission Hearing on the Kohl Condo Proposal
Northampton’s Conservation Commission discussed a hydrological review of the Kohl Construction North Street condo proposal at an August 27 hearing. They took no vote but agreed to discuss the proposal again on September 10 at 5:30pm (City Hall Hearing Room, 210 Main Street, 2nd floor). The commissioners desired to refine language in the draft covenants and project […]
Lessons from San Diego: Why We Need Infill Design Guidelines
Densification without design guidelines invites problems. Diana DeRubertis analyzes San Diego’s experience for Planetizen: Residential Infill, 70’s-StyleIn 1979, the City of San Diego launched a plan to steer new development into the craftsman-lined neighborhoods close to downtown. The idea was sound: scatter higher density housing throughout existing “smart growth” communities. Part of the city’s General Plan […]
Conservation Planner Bruce Young’s Staff Report on Latest Kohl Condo Proposal
Northampton Conservation and Land Use Planner Bruce Young has issued the following staff report on Kohl Construction’s latest 20-unit condo proposal for North Street. Concerned citizens are urged to attend the hearing on August 27, 6pm in the City Hall Hearing Room (210 Main Street, 2nd floor, enter via the back door). Staff Report [partial]To: […]
The Urbanophile: “The Downside of Living Carless in a Small City”
We’ve touched on the social benefits of car ownership before. Here are more thoughts on the subject from The Urbanophile: The Downside of Living Carless in a Small City…In a metro area that is nearly all auto oriented, much of the setting of civic life in that city is outside of the core downtown area […]
September 1: Ward 3 Transportation Subcommittee First Open Meeting
We are circulating this announcement at the request of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association:Ward 3 Transportation Subcommittee First Open MeetingThe first public meeting of the Ward 3 Transportation subcommittee will be Tuesday, September 1 at Northampton Coffee, 269 Pleasant Street, at 6:30 PM. We intend to discuss a variety of topics: the new bike path opening […]
Video: Michael Bardsley Speaks at His Campaign Headquarters Grand Opening
Michael Bardsley campaign headquarters hosted a grand opening yesterday at 131 Main Street in Florence. Mr. Bardsley is running for Mayor. Here is his 18-minute speech in a video made available by the campaign. Additional videos and pictures can be found at MichaelBardsley.com. Please note: The North Street Neighborhood Association does not endorse specific candidates […]
August 27: Conservation Commission Revisits Kohl Condo Proposal; Hydrological Review
Kohl Construction’s proposal to build 20 condo units off North Street goes back before the Conservation Commission on August 27, 6pm in the City Hall Hearing Room. We believe that several key concerns raised by commission members in March have been addressed little if at all in the current proposal. Concerned citizens are urged to […]