Here are excerpts from local newspaper reports on the lawsuit between Kohl Construction and several abutters in the North Street neighborhood. The abutters dispute Kohl’s title and rights-of-way in portions of his land between North Street and the new bike trail… The Republican, “Residents fight condo project”, 3/14/08 Kohl’s project was a frequent reference point […]
Continue reading News Coverage of Lawsuit vs. Kohl Construction
Despite the uncertainty of titles within Kohl Construction’s property off North Street, Northampton’s Conservation Commission voted tonight to approve a Vernal Pool Assessment Protocol for this property. Between March 15 and June 1, LEC Environmental Consultants (LEC), a firm hired by Kohl, will establish monitoring stations around the probable vernal pool area and visit the site […]
Continue reading Conservation Commission Approves Vernal Pool Assessment Protocol on Kohl Property
Press ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseContact: Brad Shimel, Esq., 413-586-3480Northampton Residents Sue Developer Douglas Kohl to Resolve Questions of Title and Rights-of-WayNorthampton, MA, March 13, 2008: A group of neighbors living near a proposed 26-unit condominium project on undeveloped land off North Street have filed a lawsuit with the Land Court in Boston challenging the developer’s ownership […]
Daryl LaFleur kindly granted us permission to reprint his article from today’s Northampton Redoubt. If you use Firefox and the videos don’t play, please try viewing this page with Internet Explorer.Sunday, March 09, 2008Videos and photographs of a walking tour of North Street Northampton’s Mill Yard Brook and vernal poolsDouglas Kohl granted me permission to […]
All those concerned about the fate of the North Street woods and wetlands are encouraged to attend the following public hearing. Kohl Construction’s proposed 26-unit condo project will encroach within 35 feet of the wetlands. These wetlands, centered around Millyard Brook, are suspected to contain one or more vernal pools. The Conservation Commission plans to evaluate […]
This news item from the February 17 Republican underscores why it’s a bad idea to locate paved surfaces near bodies of water… Road salt taints 9 home wellsTests of private home wells along Route 10 have shown that three in Westfield and six in Southampton are contaminated by road salt, officials said yesterday…All of the homes […]
Continue reading Paved Surfaces, Salt and Water Bodies: A Bad Mix
Terrain.org is an online journal devoted to smart growth that’s integrated with the natural environment. It won a 1999 Media Award for Sustainable Development, and has an entire category devoted to UnSprawl. Randall Arendt’s article, “Cultivating Natural and Cultural Landscapes through Conservation Subdivision Design”, is a good example of increasing sensitivity among Smart Growth advocates for […]
Millyard Brook runs along the back of the parcel Kohl Construction would like to develop behind North Street. It is classified as an “intermittent stream”, meaning there are some days when it is dry, typically in the summer.On January 11, a mild and rainy day, Millyard Brook is clearly not dry, but helping a large volume of […]
Continue reading Photo Essay: Millyard Brook Swells with Water in Winter
Daryl LaFleur’s Northampton Redoubt discusses how Kohl Construction’s proposed condo project off North Street has spurred a larger debate over what Smart Growth means and how to implement it… It’s great to read everyone’s posts on the Paradise City Forum listserv regarding the North Street Condominium proposal and Smart Growth……the Kohl development on North Street will […]
Continue reading Northampton Redoubt: Urban Planning, Public Policies, and Urban Ecology
Here are pictures taken yesterday from the bike path and roads surrounding the woods behind North Street. Kohl Construction proposes to build 26 condo units in and around these woods. As observed in Preserving and Enhancing Communities: A Guide for Citizens, Planners, and Policymakers, Protecting open space is often about protecting what makes a community special […]