“A three-story apartment building with 15 residential units is proposed for 34 Dewey Court — the end of the dead-end street — but in August, a neighbor filed an appeal in state Land Court in response to the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals approving one of several permits the developer needs from the city. “Currently, the 1.3-acre […]
Ordinances and Regulations
Video: Citizens in Wards 3 & 4 Express Concerns about Proposed New Guidelines for Larger Residential Developments
Councilors Ryan O’Donnell (Ward 3) and Gina-Louise Sciarra (Ward 4) hosted residents in City Hall on May 5 to discuss proposed large-development zoning with Wayne Feiden, Director of Planning and Sustainability. While some residents favored increased density in downtown Northampton, others expressed concerns about congestion, parking shortages, and ambiguities in the zoning language that developers […]
Letter to Gazette from Jim Nash: Northampton zoning package lacks design standards
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 […]
Video: Planning Board Advances Urban Residential Zoning Proposals
Northampton’s Planning Board approved zoning changes for urban residential districts URA, URB and URC. The package includes an amendment to require Special Permits for developments of 7+ units. The proposal will next be revisited by the City Council’s Ordinance Committee at its June 10 meeting. Here is a YouTube video of the Planning Board meeting […]
Residents Express Concerns about Rezoning at Ordinance/Planning Board Meeting
Here is a YouTube video of the complete May 13 meeting of Northampton’s Committee on Elections, Rules, Ordinances, Orders & Claims, followed by a joint meeting of the committee with the Planning Board. Here is the agenda of these meetings. This video was recorded by Ruth McGrath. The joint meeting with the Planning Board begins […]
May 13 Public Hearing on Proposed Zoning Changes in Residential A, B, C Neighborhoods
From Northampton’s Office of Planning and Sustainability: Proposed zoning amendments in the residential districts have been submitted to City Council. These changes reflect the ongoing conversation about modifying regulations to reflect the existing neighborhood districts surrounding Florence Center, downtown Northampton and neighborhoods in between. The official proposal for public hearing has been modified from the […]
President of W3NA Comments on Introduction of Ordinances to Increase Density
Jerry Budgar, president of the Ward Three Neighborhood Association, circulated these comments to Northampton ward and neighborhood groups this week: I just want to give everyone a heads-up that a package of rezoning proposals that would, in some instances, substantially increase density in many areas of the city has been introduced to the City Council […]
Higher Density Urban Residential Zoning Goes Before City Council on April 18
Ordinances for higher-density zoning in Urban Residential Districts A, B and C will go before Northampton’s City Council on April 18. Wards 1-4, downtown Florence and downtown Leeds can expect the greatest impact. See the zoning map. It is expected that these ordinances will be referred for review to the Planning Board, the Committee on […]
Ward 3 Neighborhood Association Conveys Rezoning Concerns to City Officials
This message was circulated to city officials today from the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association. See the proposed residential district zoning changes in the Northampton Planning and Development web pages under Hot Topics. November 27, 2012 Dear Mayor David Narkewicz, City Council President William Dwight, Ward 3 City Councilor Owen Freeman-Daniels, and City Councilor at Large […]
Videos: Public Comments on Proposed Zoning Revisions
Here are YouTube videos of open comment sessions hosted by Northampton’s Planning Board on September 11 and September 12. Members of the public gave feedback on proposed revisions to zoning in urban residential districts URA, URB and URC (look under Hot Topics on the Office of Planning and Development web page). These videos were recorded […]