Video: Kohl Presents Revised Proposal to Conservation Commission on February 26

Here is a Google video of most of the Conservation Commission meeting of February 26. Only a short portion at the end was not recorded. This video is 3 hours and 12 minutes long and was recorded by Adam Cohen. It is also available on Vimeo. Here are the agenda items covered in the video: […]

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March 11: Public Forum to Discuss Planning and Sustainability for Northampton

The Ward Three Neighborhood Association is circulating the following announcement: The Northampton Design Forum (NDF) is a local citizen group which invited the Notre Dame Urban Design Studio to Northampton last fall. This was funded entirely by private donations. We have planned a public forum to discuss the intersection of Planning and Sustainability on March […]

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Tonight’s Zero Lot Line Workshop POSTPONED Due to Snow

City Councilor David Narkewicz reports that the Zero Lot Line Workshop planned for tonight has been postponed due to snow. We’ll let you know the new date when it’s announced. See also: Gazette: “What’s up with zero lot lines?” (3/2/09) March 2: Zero Lot Line Workshop Video: Planning Board and Ordinance Committee Discuss Zero Lot […]

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Video: School Committee Meeting of February 12; Presentation of Strategic Plan

Here is a complete Vimeo video of the School Committee meeting of February 12. The video is 2 hours and 46 minutes long and was recorded by Lachlan Ziegler. The Northampton Public Schools Strategic Plan (PDF, 192 KB) is presented and discussed during 0:32:40-1:37:37. Below are selections that relate to the possible closing of an […]

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March 10: Zoning Revisions Committee to Meet; Our Suggestions

Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development is circulating this announcement: The Zoning Revisions Committee (advisory to the Planning Board) will meet Tuesday March 10 at 7 PM in City Council Chambers. Please Contact Carolyn Misch at cmisch@northamptonma.gov for further information. The Zoning Revisions Committee is charged with recommending zoning changes that implement the Sustainable Northampton […]

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March 2: Zero Lot Line Workshop

Citizens are urged to attend a Planning Department workshop on proposed changes to the zero-lot line rules. Here are the details, also available as a PDF (271KB): See also: Video: Planning Board and Ordinance Committee Discuss Zero Lot Line Changes, Traffic Mitigation Payments Some issues that arose during and after the [1/8/09] discussion include: 1:42:15-1:45:55… […]

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Video: Planning Board Meeting of January 22; Hospital Hill; Kohl Condo Proposal

Here are two Vimeo videos (part 1, 86 minutes; part 2, 112 minutes) of portions of the Planning Board meeting of January 22. These videos were recorded by Lachlan Ziegler. Part 1[We join the Planning Board just a minute or so into the start of their meeting] 0:00:00-0:59:59… Informal discussion with Mass Development on Planned […]

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Video: Conservation Commission Meeting of 1/22/09; Non-Compliance with Wetlands Protection Agreements; Kohl Asked to Revise Condo Proposal Again

Here is a Google video of a large portion of the Conservation Commission meeting of January 22. This video is 3 hours and 7 minutes long, and was recorded by Adam Cohen. See portions of a Gazette article on this hearing, pictures of the Kohl condo proposal as reviewed, the conservation staff report and a […]

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Planning Commissioners Journal: “Managing Stormwater Runoff: A Green Infrastructure Approach”

This article from the Winter 2009 edition of Planning Commissioners Journal underscores the benefits of working with nature to manage stormwater: Managing Stormwater Runoff: A Green Infrastructure Approachby Lynn Richards, Acting Director for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Development, Community, and Environment Division …Green infrastructure strategies reduce and manage stormwater through infiltration (water soaking into […]

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Northampton Redoubt: “Mr. Kunstler, is all infill good?”

Daryl LaFleur published the following interview with James Howard Kunstler on Northampton Redoubt this weekend. Kunstler is the author of The Geography of Nowhere, written “Because I believe a lot of people share my feelings about the tragic landscape of highway strips, parking lots, housing tracts, mega-malls, junked cities, and ravaged countryside that makes up […]

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