Please encourage your friends and neighbors to attend the May 14 hearings on the latest Kohl condo proposal. Download our flyer (PDF, 394 KB) and pass it around freely. The flyer includes a review of our major objections to the proposal. Request a free yard sign from info@northassoc.org. We’ll let you know where to pick […]
Neighborhood Character
Knoxville Infill Housing Design Guidelines: Lessons from Experience
As the Zoning Revisions Committee gears up to implement the vision of the Sustainable Northampton Plan, there are useful lessons to be drawn from other cities that have traveled the infill path. Today, let’s look inside the Heart of Knoxville Infill Housing Design Guidelines (PDF, 2.4MB). We highlight several passages that have a particular bearing […]
Earth Day Photo Essay: Spring Buds in the North Street Woods
In honor of Earth Day, please enjoy these pictures of the woods between North Street and the new bike trail… See also: Topographical Map Shows How Kohl Condo Proposal Will Eat Into a Rare Stand of Mature Trees in Downtown Our Guest Article at Northampton Redoubt: “The Kohl condo proposal and the Struggle Over the […]
Impervious Surface: New Condo Proposal Differs Little from Previous One
Jono Neiger and Sebastian Gutwein from the Regenerative Design Group have prepared these charts that compare impervious surface in Kohl Construction’s previous and current North Street condo proposals. Neiger serves on the faculty of the Conway School of Landscape Design, Graduate Program in Sustainable Landscape Planning & Design. To our eyes, Kohl’s new proposal (see […]
Kohl Construction Files New Notice of Intent for North Street Condos
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Ward 3 Neighborhood Traffic Calming Study Needs Neighbors’ Signatures
The Ward 3 Neighborhood Association is making the following call for signatures: The Traffic Calming Committee of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association is almost ready to submit our application packet to the city’s Parking and Transportation Commission to have them do a traffic calming study in the neighborhood bordered by Bridge St., Pleasant St. and […]
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 […]