It’s not a great time to be a builder of homes, Bloomberg reports today: Builders in the U.S. started work on the fewest homes in a decade in July as the industry showed no sign of recovering from the 18-month recession.The greater-than-forecast 6.1 percent decrease to an annual rate of 1.381 million, followed a 1.47 million pace […]
Continue reading Bloomberg: “U.S. Housing Starts Dropped in July to 10-Year Low”
The North Street Neighborhood Association today debuts a radio ad campaign on WHMP-AM. The campaign consists of 30-second spots that will air primarily on the morning talk shows of Tom Vannah and Chris Collins and The Bill Dwight Show.Text of the radio ad: Northampton has long been proud of its tradition as Paradise City, a place […]
We encourage all concerned citizens to attend Thursday’s City Council meeting (August 16). The public comment period begins at 7:15pm. The meeting will take place in the second floor hearing room in City Hall (210 Main Street). This room is smaller than the regular meetingplace, so we suggest you arrive a few minutes early to […]
Continue reading Reminder: City Council Meeting on August 16
The September issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine names Northampton as one of the top 50 adventure towns in the nation. “Earnest Northampton combines the cultural breadth of a major metropolis–art galleries, diverse eateries, nightly concerts–with the low-key sensibility of a small town.” Today’s Gazette reports on the honor. Comments from public figures underscore how important […]
Robert Bissell has kindly allowed us to publish the following statement on NorthAssoc.org…In a major disappointment for conservationists, the Vernal Pool provisions (PDF) were deleted from the Wetlands Ordinance at the Ordinance Committee meeting in late July. These provisions were the product of over two years’ worth of effort from concerned citizens, wetlands experts and members […]
Continue reading A Statement from Robert Bissell on the Wetland Ordinance Debate
Conservation easements are booming, reports The New York Times (“Love That View?”, June 29, 2007). The Land Trust Alliance says they’re up 148% since 2000. Landowners give up the right to develop a parcel, conveying it to a nonprofit land trust. To earn a tax benefit, the land “must be a habitat for certain types of wildlife, […]
Continue reading Conservation Easements Preserve Land, with Potential Tax Benefits
On the opposite coast, a large proposed infill project is generating its own share of controversy. The Seabright Neighbors Association of Santa Cruz, CA opposes a “high density” townhouse project that will abut a park: The proposed development is a Hummer! It does not respect the character of the neighborhood, violates zoning rules and packs […]
Continue reading Seabright Neighbors Association: Infill Imbroglio in Santa Cruz
These Belchertown Wetlands Regulations, dated May 23, 2006, may provide guidance as Northampton debates its own regulations. It notes the benefits wetlands provide and regulates development that encroaches within 100 feet of a wetland. Developers are required to model watershed behavior during 2-, 10- and 100-year storms. Regulations of vernal pools are integrated into the general discussion of wetlands […]
NSNA members Steve Hathaway and Adam Cohen visited with Bill Dwight today on WHMP radio, a response to Dwight’s previous discussion of infill and the merits of North Street concerns on July 26. Cohen and Hathaway emphasized that NSNA is not against all infill, but that it deserves a critical look when acres of green space […]
NSNA member Joyce Devine kindly shares another poem with us, “Dear Neighbors”…See also:Poem: “We Have Faith”Photo Essay: The Forest Behind View Avenue