Metropolitan Portland has been grappling with issues of Smart Growth for years. Its Nature in Neighborhoods program recognizes that greenspace is an important amenity for residents: The Portland metropolitan region is set in an exceptional natural landscape. It is surrounded by hills and mountains and laced with rivers and streams. It is a region of national […]
Neighborhood Character
Letter to Gazette: “Increased housing density will hurt Northampton”
Saturdays’ Gazette publishes a letter from Beverly Parker Bingham of Northampton. She expresses concerns about the higher densities sought in the draft Sustainable Northampton Plan: …The Northampton we all wish to sustain is the Northampton that we have now…The Northampton League of Women Voters was the major force behind the creation of our master plan. The […]
Pictures of Northampton Streets at Various Densities
Yesterday we called for the Sustainable Northampton Plan to include pictures so the public can better understand its vision. Northampton planning director Wayne Feiden alerted us to images relating infill and density on the Office of Planning and Development website.Below we have extracted images from OPD’s Density Study Poster (PDF) and Northampton Density Samples (PDF). OPD also presents […]
Grasping the Sustainable Northampton Vision: We Need Pictures
In all the 78 pages of the draft Sustainable Northampton Plan (PDF), there is only a single graphic. It’s the Future Land Use Map, an abstract, top-level view of the city. That’s unfortunate, because without drawings, pictures and illustrations, it’s difficult to envision how the Plan will change the look and feel of Northampton. James Kunstler, […]
Berkeley, California: Cautions on Infill
In what may be a preview of infill controversies in Northampton, many Berkeley residents are protesting plans to build a three-story rooming house with six units in the back yard of an existing single-family home in a residential neighborhood. The Berkeley Daily Planet tells the story: “LeConte Neighbors Protest Proposed Project”, 10/30/07“A three-story accessory building […]
The New Draft Sustainable Northampton Plan: Balancing Compact Growth Against Taxes, Urban Greenspace, Homeowner Preferences; Come to the November 8 Hearing
The Planning Board will hold a formal public hearing in collaboration with the Sustainable Northampton Steering Committee and City Council on the draft Sustainable Northampton Plan on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 7:00pm in the Cafeteria at Bridge Street School. Cecil Group consultants will hold an informal Open House question and answer session on the […]
HUGE Northampton Tag Sale & Bake Sale on September 29
The North Street Neighborhood Association invites the public to a HUGE Neighborhood Tag Sale & Bake Sale on Saturday, September 29, 9am-1pm. This sale will raise funds for the association. Come to North Street between Market Street and Northern Avenue. Download a flyer for this event (PDF). (In case of rain, the date will change to […]
Flooding Incidents in the North Street Neighborhood: 2003-2007
Flooding is already an issue for many residents around North Street. Kohl Construction’s proposed condo development–with its 31 units, 66 parking spaces, and associated access roads–is likely to make things worse. The 5.49-acre project will replace a good portion of the neighborhood’s water-absorbing woodland with impervious surfaces. Here are recent flooding incidents as reported to the Northampton Fire […]
Fran Volkmann: Planning Board Needs to Consider Proposals in their Broader Context
Fran Volkmann is a former member of the Northampton City Council and the Planning Board. In Tuesday’s Gazette, she expresses concern about how the Planning Board handled the Hilton Garden Inn proposal. Many of the issues she mentions also arise with Kohl Construction’s condo proposal for North Street. The zoning ordinance lists a number of […]
National Geographic Adventure magazine names Northampton as one of the top 50 adventure towns in the nation
The September issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine names Northampton as one of the top 50 adventure towns in the nation. “Earnest Northampton combines the cultural breadth of a major metropolis–art galleries, diverse eateries, nightly concerts–with the low-key sensibility of a small town.” Today’s Gazette reports on the honor. Comments from public figures underscore how important […]