At a special joint meeting on April 17, Northampton’s City Council and Planning Board discussed the composition and mandate of a new Rezoning Committee. This committee would suggest changes to Northampton zoning laws in accordance with the new Sustainable Northampton Plan. After about an hour’s discussion, the participants agreed that an ad hoc committee of […]
Continue reading City Council and Planning Board Proceed Cautiously on Rezoning Committee
An article in the April 10 Gazette suggests that trees and wetlands will be increasingly important in the years ahead to moderate wet and dry periods and preserve water quality in the Connecticut River watershed… Changes predicted for Connecticut River “…Typically, we see precipitation held as snow throughout much of New England in winter, and […]
Continue reading Gazette: “Changes predicted for Connecticut River”
An important public meeting concerning the Sustainable Northampton Plan is on tap for Thursday, 6pm in City Council Chambers (212 Main Street). The Planning Board will meet with the Mayor and City Council to discuss forming a Sustainable Rezoning Committee. This committee would suggest new zoning laws that could change Northampton neighborhoods considerably. In particular, […]
On April 12, Northampton’s Broad Brook Coalition hosted a presentation and nature walk by Heather Ruel of the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Heather presented this 15-minute video on vernal pools and their certification in Massachusetts, then led a tour through vernal pools in the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area. According to Broad Brook, “Vernal pools […]
Continue reading Video Guide: Certifying a Vernal Pool in Massachusetts
NorthAssoc was treated to an impromptu hula hoop performance on Market Street by Megan E. LaBonte. Megan was practicing to march in the March 30 St. Patrick’s Day parade in Holyoke. Turn the volume down on your computer (the music is loud!) and enjoy (31 seconds)…
We are reprinting the April 4 bulletin from Northampton Education Action Team with permission. It gives details about the welcome events of last week and what concerned citizens can do going forward… NEAT BULLETIN The School Committee’s Budget and Property Sub-Committee met tonight (Thurs.) and voted to take off the table the decision to close […]
Continue reading NEAT Bulletin: “Phenomenal” outpouring from community headed off school closing
The Environmental Law Institute has just made available a Planner’s Guide to Wetland Buffers for Local Governments as a free 25-page PDF download. This survey of today’s buffer management regimes holds several lessons for Northampton. Among them, the 10-foot buffer zones in our new Wetlands Ordinance are extremely narrow. Buffer zones in ELI’s survey range […]
Continue reading Just Released: Planner’s Guide to Wetland Buffers for Local Governments
Today’s Gazette reports on how Northampton school officials have moved away from considering the closure of an elementary school in the coming year: Responding to public outcry over the proposal, school officials are now urging the exploration of other options to close an anticipated budget shortfall of more than $800,000… “I think the superintendent was […]
Continue reading Gazette: “Superintendent: Hold off on school closing”
The Northampton Education Action Team reports that the School Committee’s Budget and Property Sub-Committee voted yesterday to take off the table the decision to close a school next year. Details coming soon…
Continue reading Breaking News: School Closure Off the Table
As the fate of Bridge Street School–the most “downtown” of all Northampton’s elementary schools–hangs in the balance, it’s a good time to review “Back to School for Planners”, an article from the Fall 2004 issue of Planning Commissioners Journal. The author is Tim Torma, a policy analyst in the EPA’s Smart Growth Program. From “Back […]