North Street area residents researching their titles and deeds may see references to “Plan of Land: Estate of Mrs. Caroline M. Roberts” (1913). For convenient reference, we reproduce this plan below and as a large-scale PDF.
Month: July 2007
Kohl Construction’s Wetlands Application
Here for your reference is Kohl Construction’s Wetlands Application (PDF) relating to its proposed condos behind North Street. Kohl is doing this project under the business names Northern Avenue Homes, Inc. and Tofino Associates, Inc. In the application, Kohl asserts there are no existing or potential vernal pools on the development site. Below are the […]
The Sustainability Plan: Infill, Forests, Wetlands and Whom to Email
Northampton’s Planning Board will hold two two-hour workshops to review the Sustainability Plan (PDF) on August 9 and 16. The public is encouraged to send comments to sustainablenorthampton@cecilgroup.com. Here are several passages of particular interest from the plan, with emphasis added. The plan’s authors have anticipated that infill might not be popular with neighboring residents. […]
Millyard Brook and Surrounding Wetlands a Longstanding Feature of Ward 3
These maps from 1873 and 1884 show how Millyard Brook and the surrounding wetlands are a persistent and longstanding feature of Ward 3. See also: May 5 Letter to Gazette: “Don’t relax Northampton’s protection of wetlands” In 1989, Northampton passed a wetlands ordinance – still in effect today – with stronger wetlands protections than minimal […]
Text of Springfield’s Ordinance to Protect “Significant Trees”
Springfield has an ordinance that protects trees that are 75+ years old or 3+ feet in diameter. Such trees may be cut down only if they are diseased or damaged, or if the person who wants to cut it down can prove hardship in excess of the public’s interest in preserving the tree. SIGNIFICANT TREES […]
June 1 Hampshire Life: “Northampton’s tree huggers dig in”
This June 1 article from the Gazette’s June 1 edition of Hampshire Life discusses the recent history of trees in Northampton and the work of the Tree Stewards. Some excerpts: [Lilly] Lombard and [Sue] Crimmins, along with a few others, call themselves the Tree Stewards, and they are determined to keep the city green. The […]
May 5 Letter to Gazette: “Don’t relax Northampton’s protection of wetlands”
Joanne Montgomery has kindly given us permission to reprint her letter to the Gazette, published in May 2007: To the editor: I am writing to urge broader coverage of opposition to the city’s proposed Amended Wetlands Ordinance. The city’s new business-friendly proposals would skew the process in favor of developers at the expense of wetlands […]
Proposed Changes to Northampton Wetlands Protection: Making Way for Infill
Below for your reference are the proposed changes to wetlands protection in Northampton, also available as a PDF. Rules for vernal pools, which are to enjoy at least 100 feet of buffer space in a related proposal (PDF), are also under consideration. The Ordinance Committee will discuss these ordinances in a public meeting on July […]
June 15 Gazette: “Concerns build up over condo proposal”
The Gazette earlier reported on Kohl Construction’s June community meeting. While not a new article, excerpts from it are provided here as a reference: …Denenfeld – and her neighbors living on both Northern Avenue and North Street – are concerned that a 5.49 acre, 31-unit condominium subdivision proposed for their neighborhood could strain traffic, ruin […]
Letter to Gazette from Ward 5: “Don’t sacrifice wetlands to encourage development”
Today’s Gazette publishes a letter from Elizabeth Steiniger of Florence: …As a ward 5 resident, I elected my representative to respond to the needs of the ward’s constituents–both human and non-human–rather than represent the perceived needs of the real estate industry… [W]etlands protection serves to mitigate flooding greatly, a fact I am grateful for as […]