We are pleased to relay this press release from Northampton's Office of Planning and Development.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2008

Northampton - It took two years and eight major public forums to create a Land Use Plan for the 4,000 acres, mostly flood plain, called the Meadows that borders the Connecticut River in Northampton.

Now, three years later the City's Best Practices Committee hopes to bring many of the original participants farmers, residents, business owners, city employees and elected officials together for the first time since the plan was accepted.

The purpose of this event is to record the story of what many consider a difficult but largely successful public process told by the people who made it happen. The forum, scheduled for August 25 at JFK Middle School, will include former Ward 3 City Councilor Marilyn Richards, current Ward 3 City Councilor Bob Reckman, (then Ward 3 Neighborhood Association President), Gerald Budgar, organizer of the Meadows Coalition, Director of Planning Wayne Feiden and Senior Planner Carolyn Misch.

The Best Practices Committee hopes to attract a number of the estimated 300 residents who were actively involved and other city residents. "We want to record as many voices as possible," explains Lisa DePiano, co-chair of the Committee, "Why people acted, what they did and how they felt about the process".

The Committee is researching models for best government practices and will make recommendations to the City Council later in the year.

The Meadows forum will begin at 5:30 PM in the JFK Middle School Community Room.

***************

MEDIA CONTACT: Alex Ghiselin 413-586-1849.


See also:

Best Practices Ad-Hoc Committee Home

Notre Dame Urban Design Studio Project Slated for September 7-13
The Design Forum, whose members include Northampton citizens interested in fostering quality urban design, decided to invite the Notre Dame University Urban Design Studio here in September. The Notre Dame group will consist of six graduate students led by Professor Philip Bess, who described the program at a public presentation held on June 2. The students will spend a week engaging with the community and offering design recommendations following the principles of sustainability and traditional urban design.

Video: Best Practices Workshop Evaluates Public Forum; Hotel Decision-Making Process Scrutinized; Wanting More from Local Media



Best Practices: Pictures and Video from the May 13 Public Forum

        

Northampton's Rezoning Subcommittee held its fourth meeting at Forbes Library on August 4. The two members of the city council (Michael Bardsley, David Murphy) and two members of the planning board (George Kohout, Kenneth Jodrie) worked to nail down the optimal size and composition of the prospective Rezoning Committee. Planning director Wayne Feiden attended the meeting as a member of the audience.

Here is a 77-minute Google video of the complete meeting. The next meeting of the Rezoning Subcommittee will take place in Forbes Library (mezzanine level) at 5pm on Monday, August 11. The public is encouraged to attend.



Adam Cohen from NSNA asked the subcommittee to consider three points in its deliberations:

1. The Rezoning Committee should include at least some "laypeople" who can convey the perspective of ordinary homebuyers. These buyers frequently have certain core priorities--such as low crime, adequate greenspace, and adequate parking--that can be neglected by planners in favor of more abstract goals, such as compact development. Even if some planners may disagree with the priorities of homebuyers, they need to respect the fact that they can't force people to live in any particular place. If Northampton does not offer sought-after amenities, many buyers will seek them elsewhere. This has been a driver of sprawl in other locales. This is not to say that either homebuyers or planners should automatically get their way, but that a balance of interests must be struck.
   


2. The potential "losers" from rezoning, in particular residents in the designated receiving areas (see proposed future land use map), must have adequate representation on the Rezoning Committee. If some people want to make Wards 1-5 more dense, it's vital that the residents from these in-town wards have ample opportunity to express their concerns.


3. The Rezoning Committee may be tempted to skimp on soliciting public input on proposed changes, arguing that the Sustainable Northampton Plan already embodies a great deal of public input. However, it is not always clear how to translate the Sustainable Northampton Plan into new laws. For example, a 2006 Sustainable Northampton survey found that 89% agreed that "Development Should Be Encouraged At Densities And Locations That Can Support Transit". On the other hand, 90% agreed that "We Should Protect More Open Space & Wildlife Corridors". It is entirely possible that many survey respondents were not aware that compact development might mean a loss of open space around where they live.

See also:

Smart Growth: When Polls and Reality Diverge
It is common knowledge among pollsters that what people say may differ from what they do. This is particularly the case when a question has a "politically correct" answer (see "spiral of silence").

In the case of Smart Growth, survey results might lead planners to misperceive how people want to live and commute. Jerry Taylor and Peter Van Doren at the Cato Institute provide an example:

Consider the survey results published by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Wisconsinites were asked where they would like to live. Only six percent said in a major city. The largest group, 44 percent, said in rural areas; the second largest group, 27 percent, preferred the suburbs. At first glance, one might think the Clinton/Gore campaign to promote "livable communities" (densely developed communities) would be resisted by a majority.

But the survey went on to ask, "where would you prefer development to occur?" The most popular response (34 percent) was "in a major city." Another question: "Do you favor zoning laws that would encourage communities to have smaller houses on smaller lots within walking distance of shopping and work?" Yes, said 76 percent. But when asked, "Would you be interested in living in such a development?" 65 percent said no...

Another hazard is that respondents might answer a question sincerely but be wrong. For example, one might assume that living in a large apartment building is more energy-efficient per square foot than living in a single-family home, but this is not correct.

Video: July 28 Rezoning Subcommittee; Comments from Alex Ghiselin and Ward 3 Association
The Ward 3 Neighborhood Association's Sustainable Northampton Study Group has prepared a plan [link] that calls on communities within the city to send nominations for their representative: the business community, environmental groups, the neighborhoods.

Video: June 30 Rezoning Subcommittee Considers Who Should Shape City's Future; Proposals from Joel Russell and Ward Three Association

        

Northampton's Rezoning Subcommittee held its third meeting at Forbes Library on July 28. Its goal is to determine the optimal size and composition of a city-wide Rezoning Committee and submit a proposal to the planning board and city council. The Rezoning Committee's decisions could have far-ranging impacts in how it chooses to implement the Sustainable Northampton Plan.

Here is a Google video that covers the entire meeting. Thanks to Owen Freeman-Daniels who shot the footage. The next meeting of the Rezoning Subcommittee will take place in Forbes Library (mezzanine level) at 5pm on Monday, August 4. The public is encouraged to attend.



During the meeting, Mr. Freeman-Daniels read a statement from the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association. Here is the text of the statement.

Statement from the Sustainability Study Group of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association

The decision of how the Rezoning Committee will work and who will be on it is the first major step toward making significant changes to the value, look and feel of Northampton.  Since changes in city regulations affect the city's economic, environmental and demographic make-up, the Rezoning Committee will affect the city as a whole.  But making this facile acknowledgement overlooks the manner of changes suggested by the Future Land Use Map and the character of the work charged to the Rezoning Committee.
 
The Future Land Use Map offers an image of what the future of Northampton could be and the appendix offers many regulations that may or may not guide us to such a future.  The changes suggested in the appendix and reflected on the map have a general tenor: to provide ways of growing the denser areas and conserving or preserving the less-dense ones.  Since most conservation and preservation involve little or no change in the status quo, it is clear that the largest and most dramatic changes coming from the Rezoning Committee will affect the denser communities.
 
The urban centers and traditional neighborhoods that are all around the city give Northampton a distinctive character and quality that the Sustainable Northampton Plan tries to preserve as well as grow and fill-in.  If the Rezoning Committee is successful, it will have done the following: suggest a mix of regulations that provide for growth in Northampton without giving up what makes Northampton distinctive.  This charge is difficult because it puts the Rezoning Committee in a constant feedback-loop with the communities it is simultaneously trying to grow and preserve.  It requires both expertise and informed community representatives.  This is the crux of the reasoning behind asking for both city officials and community representatives.  A Rezoning Committee that doesn't give community representatives full voting power risks being unresponsive to the balance of interests that is required for maintaining Northampton's unique character. 
 
The Rezoning Committee will be dealing with large and difficult issues and cannot also be required to build consensus among economic, environmental and social groups about what makes them distinctive and worth preserving.  Nor can the Rezoning Committee assume to know the right balance.  Instead, these groups must be allowed to build their own consensus and provide a representative to the Rezoning Committee who holds the balance sheet of their opinions.  The Ward 3 Neighborhood Association's Sustainable Northampton Study Group has prepared a plan [link] that calls on communities within the city to send nominations for their representative: the business community, environmental groups, the neighborhoods.
 
Therefore, we strongly urge this committee to consider our proposal.
 
Sincerely,
 
The Ward 3 Sustainability Study Group

See also:

Proposed Future Land Use Map (PDF)

The orange zones are "Traditional Neighborhood and Receiving Areas". The light green zones are "Conservation Development and Sending Areas".



Video: June 30 Rezoning Subcommittee Considers Who Should Shape City's Future; Proposals from Joel Russell and Ward Three Association

        

We have just received word that the new police station has been taken off the agenda of tonight's meeting of the Central Business Architecture Committee. We'll let you know when it's rescheduled.

For more information, please contact Peg Keller, Office of Planning and Development, pkeller@northamptonma.gov, 587-1288.

        

Citizens are encouraged to attend tonight's meeting of the Central Business Architecture Committee. A major new building for downtown Northampton, the police station, will be discussed. Here is the meeting notice:

CENTRAL BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE COMMITTEE
Revised Meeting Notice
(Item added)

DATE:     July 30, 2008
TIME:     6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
PLACE:    City Council Chambers, 212 Main Street, Northampton

AGENDA

1.)  Public Hearing:
             6:00 p.m.  Application of Thornes Marketplace, L.L.C. for alterations to upper
                               story windows located at 150 Main Street. Map 32C and Parcel 001.

2.) *Informal Session:
             6:30 p.m.     Proposed Police Station and Parking Garage, Center and Gothic Streets

3.)  Other Business

4.)  Adjourn

Peg Keller
Office of Planning and Development
pkeller@northamptonma.gov
587-1288

We are reproducing the following comments from the Northampton Design Forum with permission:

At 6:30 p.m. tonight, July 30th in the City Council Chambers, the Central Business Architecture Committee will be holding an informal review session on the proposed new Police Station at the existing Center Street site. The current building is slated for demolition; the new building will be constructed where the current parking lot is on Center Street. Also planned is a 2 story parking structure that will sit behind the building and directly abut Gothic Street.
 
This is one of the most important planning decisions of the decade for downtown Northampton, as it will be a major civic building that will shape two of our most important street spaces, Center Street and Gothic Street. It is important that everyone concerned about the future of downtown and related design issues become informed and attend this meeting if possible. If the new building can enhance these streets, the demolition of the existing police station will present a unique opportunity to improve our downtown.

See also:

Police Station Building Committee

Northampton Police Department, Massachusetts: Needs Assessment & Facility Master Plan (PDF, 2005)
The Northampton Police Department has outgrown its current facilities on Center Street [12,000 square feet]. The forty-year-old building no longer meets the space, operational or security needs of the Department. The time has come to do something about this.

The building no longer provides sufficient space for efficient operations. Policing operations are hampered by lack of space and outdated interior planning. Functions that should work closely together are separated (the Community Services Bureau works out of the James House on Gothic Street due to lack of space at the central station). There is insufficient parking to accommodate department and staff vehicles. [The current lot is around 25,500 square feet (0.58 acres), and accommodates the building footprint (6,000 sq.ft) and approximately 30 spaces.] The situation is becoming more serious and intolerable year by year...

Northampton covers almost 36 square miles and has a current population of around 29,000. The population has remained stable since the 1960s and is not anticipated to grow significantly over the next 25 years. The need for police service has increased steadily and is expected to continue to do so. There are a number of factors that make Northampton a unique place, and place unique demands on its police service. The city is home to a number of colleges, and attracts a large number of visitors to its restaurants, bars and many events.

These factors, combined with a large number of social services facilities, make Northampton’s police service needs unique. The department has contributed, supported and protected a unique quality of life in the city, but is becoming increasingly hampered by the lack of resources and suitable facilities.

The police department currently comprises 64 members (April 2004) of which 59 are sworn officers. Under the Chief of Police the department is organized into Administration and Operations divisions, each headed by a captain.

• Operations – Patrol, Investigations
• Administration – Records, Community Services, Technical Services

Communications and 911 emergency dispatch functions are currently housed on the upper floor of the central fire station on King Street.

The need for police service in Northampton is growing. The Northampton Police Department deals with approximately 33,000 to 34,000 calls per year. The numbers of calls for service and the time spent on each call has gone up, and crime rates are rising. Crime rates were up 43 percent in 2003, much higher than anticipated. In the ‘top 8’ crime categories crimes increased from 1,367 in 2002 to 1,958 in 2003, an increase of 43 percent. This trend has been obvious for several years and the department’s success in solving crimes and laying charges comes at the cost of increased overtime and court appearances.

As of April 2004 police staffing was at the same level as in 1990. Staff number peaked at 68 from 1996 to 2000, but a loss of 5 officers since then has not yet been replaced. The current shortage of staff resources is making it more difficult for the department to maintain a pro-active approach to crime reduction and enforcement in recent years.

To meet the increasing needs of the city we have estimated that total police staffing (not including dispatchers) could reach or exceed 80 by 2030 (an increase of 25 to 28 percent, or about 1 percent per year)...

To meet 25-year accommodation needs for a department of up to 80 members (up from 62 currently) a facility of around 31,500 square feet is required, including an indoor firing range and small police garage...

To accommodate a new building and on-grade parking for 75 to 80 vehicles a site of 1.8 acres or more would ideally be required. Smaller sites could be used by stacking functions (to reduce the building footprint) or by providing alternate parking arrangements (e.g. deck or basement)...

To support future policing operations in Northampton we recommend appropriate facilities be designed and built as soon as possible. We also believe that it would be more cost-effective in the long term to construct a facility that meets 25-year program needs, rather than rely on disruptive and expensive alterations or expansion later.

The new facility should be designed to be cost effective to maintain, and be durable enough to stand up to hard 24-hour use. This need for high-quality components, and the need to design a facility that will reflect an appropriate architectural character for the city, will form a significant financial investment for the city -- however the payback in increased police efficiency, staff morale will be obvious. Something must be done sooner or later, and the least expensive approach would (in our opinion) be to take advantage of current low interest rates and initiate this project as soon as possible...

        

The July 28 Republican reported:

Nearly 20 percent drop in home sales reported across Massachusetts

Single family home sales across the state fell 19 percent in the first half of the year compared with January through June in 2007, according to figures released today by The Warren Group.

The median price also fell during 9.2 percent during the same time period to $315,000, the lowest price for the first two quarters since 2003.

...The median price in Hampshire County was down 13 percent to $240,000...

AP reported on national home prices on July 29:

S&P: Home prices drop by record 15.8 pct. in May

Home prices tumbled by the steepest rate ever in May, according to a closely watched housing index released Tuesday, as the housing slump deepened nationwide.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city index dropped by 15.8 percent in May compared with a year ago, a record decline since its inception in 2000. The 10-city index plunged 16.9 percent, its biggest decline in its 21-year history...

See also:

CNNMoney: "Foreclosure filings up 120%" (7/25/08)

Bloomberg: "U.S. Foreclosures Double as House Prices Decline" (7/25/08)

CNNMoney: "Home sales at 10 year low" (7/24/08)

Springfield Republican: "Foreclosures soar in Pioneer Valley" (7/24/08)

        

Attendees packed a small meeting room on July 23 to see the master plan for the Three County Fairgrounds. Yesterday's Gazette reports:

Bruce Shallcross, general manager of the Three-County Fairgrounds, said the board of directors liked what they saw Tuesday night from Curtis Catron of Knoxville,Tenn.-based Bullock Smith & Partners. Catron presented the master plan to that board and to a neighborhood group Wednesday night...

...Catron said the total cost for the project would be $40 million. He said multiple sources for financing are under consideration, and the entire process could take 10 to 15 years to complete.

The development's marquee attraction will be a new 80,000-square-foot, climate-controlled exhibition building to be constructed near the back of the fairgrounds at the corner of Fair Street and Cross Path Road...

The exhibition building will enable fairground officials to host various events on a year-round basis, as well as multiple events at one time. In addition to horse shows, the annual fair and Paradise City Arts Festival, the fairgrounds will be able to host computer, flower and antique shows, to name a few...

Here is NSNA's Google video of the entire meeting (79 minutes) of July 23. Curtis Catron gives a detailed presentation of the master plan and answers questions from the audience.




See also:

Gazette: "Neighbors weigh in on renovation plans" (7/24/08)
Michael Filas, of 222 Bridge St., said he was dismayed by the total asphalt footprint for the plan, which includes the paving of several grass parking lots in the area...

Catron told residents that completion of the exhibition hall alone would increase fairground revenues to nearly $35 million from the current $15.5 million, while hotel taxes would jump from $67,000 to $140,000. State taxes would go up from $490,000 to $1 million.

Springfield Republican: "Northampton gets $25,000 grant to upgrade Three County Fairgrounds" (4/28/08)
Founded in 1818, the Three County Fairgrounds is among the oldest fairgrounds in the country and operates the longest continuously running agricultural fair at summer's end. Over the past decade, however, the site has shown signs of wear and tear. A few years ago, the Fairgrounds Association dropped pari-mutuel racing from the annual fair. Major customers such as the Morgan Horse Association have also expressed concerned about the deteriorating conditions of the fair's stables.

3 County Fair Website

        

CNNMoney reports on sales of existing homes in June (July 24):

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales by homeowners dipped in June to an annual pace of 4.86 million...

That's the lowest rate on record since the first quarter of 1998...

The existing home sales rate - including single-family, town homes, condominiums and co-ops - is down 15.5% from the 5.75 million units sold in June 2007.

...with inventory still on the rise, home prices are falling further. The number of homes available for sale at the end of June rose 0.2% to 4.49 million, which represented an 11.1-month supply of inventory at the current sales pace, up from a 10.8-month supply in May...

June existing-home sales fell 6.6% in the Northeast on a month-to-month basis and dipped 15.8% from June 2007. The median price was also down sharply, 12.6% below June 2007.

See also:

CNNMoney: "Foreclosure filings up 120%" (7/25/08)
A total of 739,714 foreclosure filings were recorded during [April-June 2008], up 14% from the first quarter, and 121% from the same period in 2007.

Bloomberg: "U.S. Foreclosures Double as House Prices Decline" (7/25/08)
[Rick Sharga, executive vice president for marketing at RealtyTrac:] "Based on market conditions themselves, we are nowhere near the end of this trip. Best-case scenario, we're looking at another year of this."

...Florida, Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Massachusetts and Illinois rounded out RealtyTrac's top 10 [in foreclosure rates]...

Foreclosures push all home values down by an estimated 6 percent, and will contribute to national prices declining another 15 percent by the end of 2009, Ethan Harris and Michelle Meyer, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. economists in New York, said in a report yesterday.

Springfield Republican: "Foreclosures soar in Pioneer Valley" (7/24/08)
Lenders foreclosed on 1,027 properties in Hampden County during the last fiscal year, almost double the number from the previous year.

It far outstripped the record of 800 set in 1980, said County Register of Deeds Donald E. Ashe on Wednesday...

According to the Hampshire County Register of Deeds, the number of foreclosures went from 59 a year ago to 106 in the fiscal year just concluded.

The Republican: "Home prices slide in Pioneer Valley" (7/18/08)
Hampshire County sales were down 29.3 percent and the median price was $270,000, down 3.1 percent compared with the second quarter of last year...

        

Recent rains have once again underscored the limits of artificial stormwater management systems. The July 24 Springfield Republican reports that recent rains overwhelmed the detention pond at the Jewish Community Center:

Some cities and towns have seen a mind-boggling 5 to 7 inches of rain over the last 36 hours, [abc40 meteorologist Eric] Fisher said...

Springfield firefighters...are at the Jewish Community Center pumping out some 2 to 3 feet of water that has accumulated in the building's basement...

Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger said the flooding at the 1160 Dickinson St. building has been caused by overflow from the facility's retention pond...

Mark Dindas, executive director of the center said similar flooding happened during heavy rains several years ago.

The detention pond, Dindas said, can't handle such torrential downpours and that the problem will have to be corrected.

See also:

Alex Ghiselin, Letter to Gazette: "Don't let development encroach on our wetlands"
The failure of the storm water system built as a part of the Northampton High School renovation six years ago illustrates why protecting wetlands is so important. Silt has filled the retention pond so there is no capacity to slow a storm surge which now flows unimpeded into the Mill River and contributes to flooding downstream. This accumulated silt also raised the water table and spills ground water into nearby basements...

Snow and Slush Expose Limits of Storm Drains

Easthampton Flooding Hazard: Snow-Clogged Storm Drains

Kohl's Condo Proposal: Where Things Stand, and What You Can Do

Kohl Construction condo proposal showing detention pools. At the base of the wetland lies Millyard Brook:



Gazette: "Region's storms going to extremes, report finds" (12/5/07)
Extreme downpours and snowstorms are rising in frequency nationally, with the highest increases in New England...

Massachusetts saw a 67 percent rise in severe storms during [1948-2006], trailing only Rhode Island and New Hampshire...

...the top 10 severe storms in the state all occurred in the past decade...

Bloomberg: "Climate Change May Muddy Better-Than Bottled New York Tap Water" (7/7/08)
"One of the effects of climate change is to have more frequent and more intense weather events," Mugdan said in a June 30 interview. [Walter Mugdan is water division director for the US Environmental Protection Agency]

...There are twice as many downpours of 2 inches or more now as 50 years ago, said Art DeGaetano, director of the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Carbon dioxide, a by-product of burning coal and oil, causes the atmosphere to hold more water vapor, leading to heavier rains.

EPA: Wetlands and Flood Protection
Wetlands within and downstream of urban areas are particularly valuable, counteracting the greatly increased rate and volume of surface-water runoff from pavement and buildings...

A one-acre wetland can typically store about three-acre feet of water, or one million gallons. An acre-foot is one acre of land, about three-quarters the size of a football field, covered one foot deep in water. Three acre-feet describes the same area of land covered by three feet of water. Trees and other wetland vegetation help slow the speed of flood waters. This action, combined with water storage, can actually lower flood heights and reduce the water’s destructive potential. (Source: EPA)

        

The July 18 Republican reports on the state of the local housing market:

Home prices slide in Pioneer Valley

Hampshire County sales were down 29.3 percent and the median price was $270,000, down 3.1 percent compared with the second quarter of last year...

There were 3,500 houses on the market July 1 compared with 3,300 a year ago and 2,000 back in 2005...

See also:

TMCnet: "Local home sales down: Buyers are 'in the catbird seat'" (7/20/08)
The national economy -- rising unemployment, gas and grocery prices -- has put the brakes on home sales nationally, with the National Association of Realtors reporting that sales in May were down 15.9 percent from the same month last year.