31 Chapel St_Jackqueline McCreanor3/23/23, 3:52 PM City of Northampton Mail - Please read during Public Comment at tonight’s 3/23/2023 Planning Board Meeting
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=46b15cdcbd&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1761188461011129677&simpl=msg-f:176118846101112967…1/2
Nathan Chung <nchung@northamptonma.gov>
Please read during Public Comment at tonight’s 3/23/2023 Planning Board Meeting
2 messages
Jacqueline McCreanor <jacqui.mccreanor@gmail.com>Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 3:36 PM
To: Carolyn Misch <cmisch@northamptonma.gov>
Cc: Geo Kohout <geokohout@gmail.com>, nchung@northamptonma.gov
Public Comment from Jacqueline McCreanor in Northampton:
I believe it is important for City officials and staff to foster honest and open communication with Northampton residents
due to the fact that the Planning Department’s decisions have serious and far-reaching impacts on the city, its residents,
business owners, various additional stakeholders, the environment, and wildlife.
Residents in Ward 2 feel very strongly about containing Planned Village zoning, known as PV zoning, which gives
enormous flexibility to developers. PV zoning has already begun to creep across the road from Village Hill to Chapel
Street.
The neighbors in this area of town have accepted the change from URB zoning to PV zoning at 31 Chapel Street only,
which is the former site of the old and long-standing Metrix car repair shop.
Residents of Ward 2 have been told that 33 Chapel Street and the rest of the block will retain its URB zoning.
There has been temptation by some City officials and staff to re-zone 33 Chapel Street from URB to PV zoning, due to a
project being undertaken on that abutting property. However, due to the efforts of concerned residents and City
Councilors, URB zoning has been upheld at 33 Chapel Street, while 31 Chapel has been re-zoned to PV.
Further complicating the issue are the ANR land swaps between 31 Chapel Street and 33 Chapel Street, and the
subsequent zoning issues which have arisen. This has caused reasonable concern among neighbors.
Presently, the zoning of a 15-foot sliver of land, that is being swapped between the two properties, stands to be clarified.
Residents of the neighborhood strongly believe that the 15-foot sliver of PV-zoned property being swapped from 31
Chapel to 33 Chapel should be rezoned to URB, just as the ANR land swap of URB-zoned land from 33 Chapel to 31
Chapel Street stands to be re-zoned to PV.
Residents have been told that 33 Chapel Street will remain a URB zone.
Regarding 31 Chapel, they have graciously accepted not only the change in zoning from URB to PV, they have also
graciously accepted the change in plan for the site to house office space and twenty-two residential units. The original
plan had called for office space and six residential units. The change in plan has resulted in an increase of sixteen
additional units, which is a significant increase.
I respectfully and strongly urge the Planning Board to honor the URB zoning status at 33 Chapel Street for the entirety of
the property, and thereby re-zone the 15-foot piece of land involved in the ANR land swap between 31 Chapel Street and
33 Chapel Street from PV zoning to URB zoning.
Thank you.
Geo Kohout <geokohout@gmail.com>Thu, Mar 23, 2023 at 3:51 PM
To: Jacqueline McCreanor <jacqui.mccreanor@gmail.com>
Cc: Carolyn Misch <cmisch@northamptonma.gov>, nchung@northamptonma.gov
Hello Jacqui,
I'm happy to read this into the record at tonight's Planning Board meeting
if you are unable to participate in person or via Zoom.
3/23/23, 3:52 PM City of Northampton Mail - Please read during Public Comment at tonight’s 3/23/2023 Planning Board Meeting
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ik=46b15cdcbd&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f:1761188461011129677&simpl=msg-f:176118846101112967…2/2
Do you want this read during the Public Comment part of the evening's agenda
or when we take comments on the applications for 31 Chapel St ?
G
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