July 30: Northampton City Council Special Meeting on Landfill Ballot Question

Concerned citizens are urged to attend this special meeting of the City Council: See also: Videos: City Council Meeting of 7/9/09 – Landfill Ballot Questions, Local Meals and Hotel Taxes, Conservation Water Not Waste Launches to Save Barnes Aquifer Gazette: “A duel of votes, voices: On landfill future, two possible paths to city’s fall ballot” […]

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July 27: Northampton Design Forum – Leeds, Baystate and Florence

The Northampton Design Forum announces the following event. Download the full-size flyer (PDF, 27KB) and the excerpt from Envisioning Sustainable Northampton (PDF, 1.5MB): See also: Video: Pubic Forum on Planning and Sustainability, 3/11/09 Here are the “10 Principles of Good Neighborhood Design”, also available as a PDF (30 KB): Northampton Design Forum Form-Based Codes Institute […]

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Videos: City Council Meeting of 7/9/09 – Landfill Ballot Questions, Local Meals and Hotel Taxes, Conservation

Here is a blip.tv video of the complete Northampton City Council meeting of 7/9/09. This video is 3 hours and 54 minutes long, and was recorded by Mimi Odgers from Water Not Waste. We have also broken out shorter segments of this video that cover the public comments period, ballot questions on expanding the landfill […]

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Water Not Waste Launches to Save Barnes Aquifer

We welcome a new citizens’ group and blog to the Pioneer Valley political scene: Water Not Waste.“Water Not Waste is a new citizens’ group committed to preserving the quality of the Barnes Aquifer in Western Massachusetts. We oppose the expansion of the Northampton Landfill over this aquifer. Our current priority is passage of the Proposed Initiative […]

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Houston Chronicle: “Density hasn’t been kind to Cottage Grove…”

The Houston Chronicle published a cautionary tale about infill on June 28: How urban can Houston become?Density hasn’t been kind to Cottage Grove, a small neighborhood with narrow streets, few sidewalks, poor drainage and scarce parking for the owners of its many new homes and their guests.Like many neighborhoods inside Loop 610, Cottage Grove in […]

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Special Permit As Issued to Kohl Construction for North Street Condos

Here is the special permit issued by the Planning Board in June to Tofino Associates/Northern Avenue Homes/Kohl Construction to build 20 condo units off North Street. Kohl still needs approval from the Conservation Commission (July 23 hearing expected) as well as a resolution to a lawsuit in Land Court over matters of title and rights-of-way. You […]

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City Councilors Michael Bardsley and Marianne LaBarge Seek a Non-Binding Public Vote on the Fate of the Landfill

This press release appeared today on the Sustain Northampton Yahoo group: Press ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJULY 3, 2009On Thursday, July 2, 2009, At Large City Councilor Michael Bardsley and Ward Six City Councilor Marianne LaBarge submitted an Order to be place[d] on the agenda of the meeting of the Nothampton City Council scheduled for Thursday, July […]

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Video and Slides: Planning Board Grants Special Permit to Kohl Condos on 6/25/09

Here is a blip.tv video of the Tofino Associates/Northern Avenue Homes/Kohl Construction hearing on June 25 before Northampton’s Planning Board. The board granted a special permit to Kohl to build 20 condo units off of North Street. Kohl has not yet secured approval from the Conservation Commission (hearing expected July 23). A Land Court lawsuit over title […]

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Planning Board Grants Special Permit to Kohl Condo Proposal; Conservation Commission, Land Court Hearings To Come

Last night the Planning Board granted Tofino Associates/Kohl Construction a special permit to build 20 condo units off North Street. Kohl still requires approval from the Conservation Commission, which is expected to hold a fresh hearing on the proposal in July. Kohl also has yet to resolve a dispute before Land Court involving matters of […]

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