Statement from City Councilor David Narkewicz Concerning the 2009 City Election

Ward 4 City Councilor David Narkewicz circulated the following announcement this morning: Dear Ward Four Friends and Neighbors,Today I am announcing that I will not seek re-election this fall to a third term on the Northampton City Council.Serving as your Ward Four City Councilor has been a great experience. I deeply appreciate the support you […]

Continue reading


Breaking News: Conservation Commission Balks at Approving Kohl Condo Proposal at March 12 Hearing; Kohl Interested in Withdrawing Application

In a session that ran over two hours last night, Northampton’s Conservation Commission found itself unable to advance a proposal by Kohl Construction to build 23 condo units off North Street. Four members were eligible to vote on the proposal: Chair Kevin Lake, Susan Carbin, Paul Wetzel and Downey Meyer. Lake and Carbin expressed that […]

Continue reading


Video: Finance Committee Meeting of 2/25/09 with FY2010 Budget Presentation; Schedule of Budget Briefings by Ward

Here is a complete Google video of the Finance Committee meeting of 2/25/09. In this meeting, Mayor Clare Higgins presents the factors affecting the Fiscal Year 2010 budget. This video is 1 hour and 19 minutes long and was recorded by Lachlan Ziegler. It is also available on Vimeo. The information presented by the Mayor […]

Continue reading


Mayor’s Email Update March 2009: FY2010 Budget Information Available; Presentation to Ward 3 on March 16

The Mayor’s office is circulating this update today: Mayor’s Email Update 3 March 2009 FY2010 BUDGET INFORMATION AVAILABLE Dear neighbors, I am sending a quick email update today to let you know that we have added a number of pages to the City’s website to share the most current information we have about the FY2010 […]

Continue reading


March 11: Public Forum to Discuss Planning and Sustainability for Northampton

The Ward Three Neighborhood Association is circulating the following announcement: The Northampton Design Forum (NDF) is a local citizen group which invited the Notre Dame Urban Design Studio to Northampton last fall. This was funded entirely by private donations. We have planned a public forum to discuss the intersection of Planning and Sustainability on March […]

Continue reading


Northampton Democratic Caucus Will Be Held on February 7

Michael Bardsley, one of the two At-Large City Councilors for Northampton, is circulating the following announcement. Download a PDF of the caucus flyer. …The Northampton Democratic Caucus will be held February 7th at the JFK Middle School. The meeting starts at 11:00 AM. You must be there by 11:30 AM to be able to vote […]

Continue reading


Gazette Reports on Kohl Condo Hearings; Pictures of the Latest Proposal; Conservation Staff Report; HYLA Critique

Today’s Gazette reports on the Conservation Commission and Planning Board hearings yesterday for Kohl Construction’s proposed condo project off North Street (see schematic diagrams and narrative). We’ll have videos of both these hearings online within a few days. No decisions were made. Hearings are scheduled to continue on February 26 (Conservation Commission) and March 26 […]

Continue reading


Rail Trail Bridge Installation Will Close Part of North Street on Friday Morning

Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development has the following announcement: OPD North Street between King Street and Market Street Closed Friday 9:00 AM to noon Our contractors will be, weather permitting, installing the Manhan Rail Trail Bridge over North Street on Friday January 9th from 9:00 AM to noon. North Street from King Street to […]

Continue reading


The Towing – An Open Letter from Ellen LaFleche

We would like to share with you this open letter to Mayor Clare Higgins from Clark Avenue resident Ellen LaFleche. To All It Concerns, My husband works as an activities director at a local retirement community, and although our own retirement is more than a decade away, we spend lots of time talking about where […]

Continue reading


Breaking News: Conservation Commission Wants Kohl to Leave 35-Foot Wetland Buffer Zone Alone for the Most Part

At tonight’s meeting of Northampton’s Conservation Commission, the sense of the Commission was that Kohl Construction should largely leave alone the 35-foot buffer zone around the wetland behind North Street. This is likely to require a substantial redesign of Kohl’s plans, which called for encroachment as close as 12 feet. The Commission did not take […]

Continue reading