Jim Nash, a former member of Northampton’s Zoning Revisions Committee, has an excellent letter in today’s Gazette. Here is an excerpt: What is missing from this zoning package are design standards, regulations that ensure that when development occurs it adheres to our urban streetscape and neighborhood sensibilities. Such regulations are even more important for larger […]
Opinion
Letter to Gazette: Northampton’s new zoning proposal lacks safeguards
Today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette includes this letter from NSNA member Adam Cohen. Links have been added for convenient reference. To the editor: The new zoning proposed for Northampton’s urban residential neighborhoods may well give flexibility to owners of one- to four-family homes, but it also gives too much latitude to developers of larger projects. Bad […]
Clarifying Our Position on Smart Growth
A recent article in Northampton Media, referring to NSNA member Adam Cohen, suggests that NSNA is flatly opposed to Smart Growth: Cohen, known for videotaping of public meetings, has used his blog posts and email blasts to oppose so-called “smart growth” as a land-use planning tool. Our actual position is more nuanced. By definition, most […]
Videos and Slides: Main and King Street Transportation Charrette, Final Presentation and Q&A
Here are two YouTube videos covering the complete final presentation (53 min) and Q&A session (41 min) from this week’s Main and King Street Transportation Charrette, featuring consultants from Nelson\Nygaard. These videos were recorded by Adam Cohen.Here are the slides from the final presentation: Main Street King Street Charrette Final Presentation Many of the ideas […]
Alexandra Dawson: “Standing tall for our wetlands”
Alexandra Dawson has an excellent column in today’s Gazette. Here is an excerpt: …in the long run, nearby development [to wetlands] can result in grass clippings, raked leaves and dog droppings – or worse – getting pushed over the line. And then the wetland loses a lot of its resource value.The Northampton City Council some […]
Videos and Slides: Main and King Street Transportation Charrette, Introduction and Goal Setting
Here are YouTube videos from the first day (3/14/11) of the Nelson\Nygaard transportation charrette focused on Main Street and King Street in Northampton. These videos were recorded by Adam Cohen. The consultants’ overarching philosophy is informed by New Urbanism and makes a priority of building mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly urban environments. It is reminiscent of proposals made during the Notre […]
March 14-16: Main and King Street Transportation Charrette
Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development announces a Main and King Street Transportation Charrette. As you can see from the articles we include below the announcement, we’re concerned that increasing urban density beyond a certain point could result in unpleasant increases in total downtown Northampton traffic, even if vehicle miles per capita decrease somewhat. We have, of course, expressed other […]
Video and Slides: Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future; Citizens Debate Proposals at Forum
Here is a complete blip.tv video of the 2/15/11 public forum, “Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future”. The Zoning Revisions Committee (ZRC) presented proposals and alternatives for comment. This video is 1 hour 49 minutes long and was recorded by Adam Cohen. A similar forum will be held at Bridge Street School tonight at 7pm (details). Several citizens […]
Letter to Gazette: “Northampton zoning change deserves closer look”
Today’s Gazette contains a letter to the editor from Barbara and Mark Dubeck of Northampton: Today and Wednesday, the city’s Zoning Revisions Committee will hold two public forums on “Rezoning Northampton for a Sustainable Future.” While the Planning Office has encouraged feedback on the proposed changes, we’ve been told the revisions won’t be ready for […]
Mike Kirby: “Why Northampton needs the Upper Roberts Meadow Dam”
Online now at Mike Kirby’s blog: …The three engineers that examined the dam for GZA in 2007 found a dam that had its problems, but a dam that was in no immediate danger of collapse. “Seepage was not observed near the toe or downstream of the dam and embankments.” The bulk of the leakage was in […]