Kohl Construction this week filed a new Notice of Intent to the Northampton Conservation Commission regarding its proposal to build 23 condo units off North Street. The Conservation Commission will hear this new proposal on May 14, 5:30pm in the City Hall Hearing Room, 210 Main Street, 2nd floor (enter via the back door). A […]
Infill
Planning Board Debates Kohl Condo Density – Quotes from the March 26 Hearing
At a March 26 hearing (video), some Planning Board members voiced density-related concerns about the latest 23-unit condo proposal from Kohl Construction (21 units shown here, 2 proposed for the end of Northern Avenue not shown). Download the high-resolution PDF (1.1 MB). Here are selected quotes, with thanks to Lisa Maloney for transcription assistance: Video […]
Our Guest Article at Northampton Redoubt: “The Kohl condo proposal and the Struggle Over the Meaning of Infill”
The Valley Advocate’s Northampton Redoubt blog today publishes a guest article from NSNA member Adam Cohen, “The Kohl condo proposal and the Struggle Over the Meaning of Infill”. This article reviews the current state of the condo proposal and outlines many of our key objections. A difficulty that is becoming increasingly apparent is how unresolved […]
Planners’ Assumptions about Future Household Size and Car Usage May Prove Wrong
Northampton’s Planning Department observes that average household size in the city has fallen from 2.86 in 1980 to 2.14 in 2007. They believe this trend will continue: Average household size (people per dwelling unit) will continue to decline. This will be driven by decreases in average family size, the number of children and number of […]
Video: Zoning Revisions Committee Meeting of 4/1/09; Wayne Feiden Gives Zoning Tutorial
Here is a complete Google video of the 4/1/09 meeting of Northampton’s Zoning Revisions Committee. This video is 2 hours and 3 minutes long and was recorded by Lachlan Ziegler. It is also available on Vimeo. Here is the meeting agenda: Human Resources Conference Room, 2nd Floor Memorial Hall (enter at side door facing Unitarian […]
Video: Planning Board Meeting of 3/26/09; Board Declines to Endorse Zero Lot Line Changes; New Kohl Condo Proposal Discussed
Here is a complete Vimeo video of the 3/26/09 meeting of Northampton’s Planning Board. This video is 3 hours and 25 minutes long, and was recorded by Lachlan Ziegler. There’s a gap of a few seconds at 2:20 for camera changeover. Here is the meeting agenda: THE PLANNING BOARD AND THE CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE […]
Tree Loss and Slab-on-Grade Foundations: A Poor Fit with the Sustainable Northampton Plan
Kohl Construction claims its North Street condo proposal deserves deference as “infill”, but its proposal is in fact at odds with many recommendations of the Sustainable Northampton Plan. In our last article, we discussed how Kohl’s latest concept now includes two cul-de-sacs. These are disfavored by the Sustainable Northampton Plan and in this case for […]
Good Cul-De-Sacs and Bad Ones
The Sustainable Northampton Plan disfavors cul-de-sacs. Page 51 states: Avoid creating cul-de-sacs and dead ends when possible and instead create a network of streets. Dead end streets, while desirable to some residents, add significantly to the delivery of city services and increases traffic flows to other local streets… Kohl Construction’s latest condo proposal for North […]
Gazette: “Developer to submit revised North Street plans”
Today’s Gazette reports: Developer to submit revised North Street plans Despite withdrawing an application to the Conservation Commission for a townhouse development in the North Street neighborhood, developer Douglas Kohl has not abandoned the controversial project and plans on submitting revised plans in May… The new plan the Planning Board preferred calls for 23 units […]
March 26 Planning Board Agenda: Zero Lot Line Development, Traffic Mitigation Payments, Hospital Hill
Here is the March 26 Planning Board agenda. Tofino Associates/Northern Avenue Homes/Kohl Construction is on it (8:00pm) but in the face of opposition to Tofino’s North Street condo proposal from some members of the Conservation Commission, Tofino withdrew its Notice of Intent (NOI) from the Department of Environmental Protection last week. Tofino is also still […]