Here are YouTube videos of open comment sessions hosted by Northampton’s Planning Board on September 11 and September 12. Members of the public gave feedback on proposed revisions to zoning in urban residential districts URA, URB and URC (look under Hot Topics on the Office of Planning and Development web page). These videos were recorded […]
Continue reading Videos: Public Comments on Proposed Zoning Revisions
Here is a YouTube video of the 12/8/11 meeting of Northampton’s Planning Board. This recording was made by Emily Odgers. As you can see from the news accounts below, the Planning Board denied a special permit for a proposed Cumberland Farms in downtown Florence. The hearing on the Cumberland Farms proposal begins at 0:49:18 on the video.Here […]
Continue reading Video: Northampton Planning Board Rejects Cumberland Farms Proposal for Florence
Here are two YouTube videos of recent community discussions of proposed zoning changes organized by Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development (see meeting flyer). Streets to be affected include Hawley Street, Conz Street, Damon Road, and areas of Florence (West Farms, Pine Street). Also proposed are new rules to facilitate the reuse of former educational and […]
Continue reading Videos: Community Discussions on Zoning Changes; Concern for Conz Character
Here is a YouTube video of “An Illustrated Talk on The Natural History of Our Meadows”, a presentation by naturalist Laurie L. Sanders, author of Rediscovering Northampton: The Natural History of City-Owned Conservation Areas. This presentation was part of the 11/16/11 annual meeting of the Meadow City Conservancy Coalition. This recording was made by Adam […]
Continue reading Video: “An Illustrated Talk on The Natural History of Our Meadows”
At a special 10/11/11 meeting in Northampton’s City Council Chambers, residents from the Round Hill Road neighborhood discussed plans by the Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech to sell most of its properties in the area. This recording was made by Emily Odgers.See also:MassLive: “Clarke School solicits proposals for nearly all its remaining campus” (5/16/11)The […]
Continue reading Video: Round Hill Road Neighbors Discuss Clarke School Properties
Here is a YouTube video of the complete 9/8/11 meeting of Northampton’s Planning Board. The City Council’s Ordinance Committee was also on hand for the portion of the meeting that discussed changing zoning regulations along King Street. Click for a summary of the proposed changes and the details of the changes. This video is 3 hours 8 minutes long […]
Continue reading Video: Planning Board, Ordinance Committee Wrestle with King Street Zoning
Joel Kotkin analyzes the migrations of America’s young adults in a recent post on New Geography.com. Some excerpts: [Wendell] Cox looked at where 25- to 34-year-olds were living in 2000 and compared this to where they were living by 2010, now aged 35 to 44. The results were surprising: In the past 10 years, this cohort’s […]
Continue reading As Young Adults Mature, Cities Struggle to Retain Them
On July 26, Ward 3 City Council candidate Owen Freeman-Daniels published “Keep public access to public lands” on his campaign website. Quoting from his appearance on the Bill Newman radio program, Freeman-Daniels writes, “The Meadows is a really tough issue. I think it has to do with– there’s a mix there. There’s the public who […]
Here are two YouTube videos from the 7/14/11 meeting of Northampton’s Planning Board. Both videos were recorded by Adam Cohen. The first video is 29 minutes long and shows Planning Director Wayne Feiden suggesting zoning map changes. These changes include extending the Central Business District down parts of Conz and Hawley Streets. The intent is […]
Continue reading Videos: Proposed Zoning Map Changes; Zoning Revisions Final Presentation
Here is the final report of Northampton’s Zoning Revisions Committee. The ZRC was charged with recommending changes to the city’s zoning code to better conform it to the Sustainable Northampton Plan. This report will now be considered by the Planning Board. Zoning Revisions Committee Final Report – July 7, 2011 Here is a complete […]
Continue reading Zoning Revisions Committee Releases Final Report