Vision 2020 report -full report
NORTHAMPTON VISION 2020 VISION AND CONSISTENCY ANALYSIS A BLUEPRINT FOR THE NORTHAMPTON VISION 2020 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN In early 1999, the city asked the public, in workshops and other
formats, how Northampton should look in the next 20 years. This summary emerged from those public conversations. This information, which needs a great deal of refinement, elaboration
and public participation, will guide the Northampton Vision 2020 comprehensive plan that will be written starting in 2000. The goals, objectives, and actions will be refined and elaborated
after more public participation. For updated information on the Vision 2020 comprehensive planning process, see the Vision 2020 section of the city’s web page at: www.city.northampton.ma.usAdopted
by the Northampton Planning Board, June 10 1999. This project was funded in part by a Municipal Incentives Grant awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development.
Vision 2020 – Page 1 NORTHAMPTON VISION 2020 VISION AND CONSISTENCY ANALYSIS A BLUEPRINT FOR THE NORTHAMPTON VISION 2020 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN Adopted Northampton Planning Board: June 10,
1999 Prepared for: Northampton Planning Board Additional members of Vision 2020 Steering Committee Daniel L. Yacuzzo*, Chair Terry Culhane Anne Romano Joanne Campbell Kenneth Jodrie*
Donna Bliznak Andrew J. Crystal* Richard Abuza M. Sanford Weil Donald Clark Paul Diemand Ann Shanahan Richard Marquis* Tom Parent Orlando Isaza David Foster Alton Neal Peg Pitzer *also
on Vision 2020 Steering Committee Al Sax Suzanne Beck Diane Welter Prepared by: Office of Planning and Development, City of Northampton, Massachusetts Wayne Feiden, AICP, Director of
Planning and Development (principal project coordinator) Peg Keller, Housing & Community Development Senior Planner John Bennett, Senior Planner/Permits Manager Cynthia Williams, Land
Use and Conservation Planner Aleta DeLisle, Cam Holub, and Laura Krutzler, Secretaries Andy Kuether, James Thompson, Michael Olkin, Jean Murtagh, GIS Consultants Greg Kerstetter, Writer/Editor
Vision 2020 – Page 2 A VISION FOR THE FUTURE: WE, the residents of the City of Northampton, including the villages of Florence, Leeds, and Bay State, want to retain all that makes this
place we call home so attractive. We know that our community represents a special union between a slowed-down rural life and a vibrant urban one. We also know that this place could be
a more perfect union, a city where differences are more warmly embraced, all are educated well and both natives and newcomers can find a home. Today, after more than a century, the phrases
on our city seal remain helpful directives: caritas (charity,) educatio (education,) and justitia (justice.) With those larger ideas in mind, we envision a city of distinct places, which
are at once separate in geography and connected as part of a larger community. We care about this city precisely because it has what so many other communities’ lack: a sense of place.
The physical character of our buildings, the beauty of the landscape, and the passion for community we citizens hold dear makes this city livable and worth planning for. In too many
cities and towns across this country, one strip mall looks like any other. No one should mistake this city for another. We aim to keep it that way. At the commercial center of this city
is our vibrant downtown, a place distinct from the smaller villages of Florence center, Leeds or Bay State. Downtown should be treated differently than the villages. We invite commercial
enterprises to fill in the nooks and crannies that remain vacant downtown. We also welcome expansion that adds to a walking-friendly, bustling atmosphere that is a region-wide destination
spot for shoppers and tourists. We also realize that by achieving a narrow, albeit necessary, market niche, downtown has lost some dear qualities. Few stores cater to local needs (no
one can buy a hammer downtown.) The rental cost of apartments and business space has risen steeply, pushing out those of low and moderate incomes. Some feel that success has stolen our
downtown. While many of us see downtown as a commercial engine, we view our villages as our keepsakes, places to be
Vision 2020 – Page 3 saved and cherished. Florence center and Leeds remind us that while Northampton is a city, we have town roots. If Florence center grows, it should do so within already
existing boundaries. The commercial center should not push into and threaten the bordering residential neighborhoods. Because we admire village life, where small stores sell to local
customers and neighbors frequently see each other walking in town, we look to extend that pattern. As much as possible, we want to avoid sprawling neighborhoods that have no center.
We want to encourage small stores to open within and near the entrances to our villages, and there also we should encourage community and civic centers, where senior citizens and our
youth can gather. We want compact development patterns that are pleasant and safe for pedestrians and bicyclists, while not restricting public choice for a variety of housing and development
styles. Compact development provides job opportunities and encourages people to build retail stores and homes close together. That sort of development binds together a neighborhood and
reduces automobile use by making public transportation, walking and bicycling more practical. While, at present, prosperity reigns in our community, work remains. We want to improve
the availability and diversity of well-paying jobs for our residents, so many of whom have difficulty finding work that pays enough to raise a family on. Helping to create jobs from
different sectors of the economy — technology, the arts, industry, education and service — allows for people of different economic levels to live here. To allow a more diverse population
to live here, we need to increase housing opportunities in every city neighborhood for families of all incomes. We must do this out of a sense of justice, and because democracy and pluralism
depends on the creativity inspired by diverse ideas and points of view. The quality of life in Northampton remains the envy of many. To maintain it, we will ensure that any future housing
growth or industrial development, improves, rather than compromises the quality of life. Growth should be at a human scale and sustainable in the long run. Part of the job of maintaining
the quality of life here is recognizing why this city succeeds. While many of the building blocks for success have been here for years, some credit must also go to the legions of artists
who have made homes here and who have created a community honoring creativity. The prosperous economy here, in part, reflects the good works of many artists. As a city, let us not take
this artist-economy for granted.
Vision 2020 – Page 4 Education is one of the foundations of our community, both as an economic force and a moral guidepost. The university and colleges in the area give many of us work,
and we desperately believe that our public schools must imbue in our children a love of learning. And yet, education is one of our greatest frustrations. While we push for one of the
best public education systems in the state, our financial means restrict us. We are a city of moderate incomes with high educational ambitions. We want to build better schools, provide
more teachers and buy more books. Too often, we miss those targets. We want to ensure that youth services go beyond our schools and involve youth in the essential aspects of our community
life that applies to them. Just as we value our children, we realize and respect how much our senior citizens mean to our community. One way we can honor them is to ensure they remain
independent, active, and able to contribute to the community for as long as possible. Community centers provide places for seniors and others to gather and share in community life. Many
of us depend on and love our automobiles. At the same time, many of us identify car and truck traffic as the biggest factor eroding our quality of life. Throughout the city, in rich
and poor neighborhoods, speeding car and truck traffic frightens us and forces us back into our homes and off the streets. We want our traffic laws obeyed. We also want our city engineered
in such a manner that vehicles must slow down while driving through Northampton. More than forcing vehicles to slow down, though, we want this city to become more friendly to those using
alternative forms of transportation. We want safe and direct walking paths, lanes that allow bicycle commuting and short cuts that allow people on foot or bicycle to get places directly.
We do not see this issue as one of ancillary importance, rather one of paramount concern. While there is much to celebrate here — our standing as a premier arts community, our villages
that retain enduring character and the beauty of the undeveloped countryside — work remains to be done. Let’s get to it.
Vision 2020 – Page 5 SUMMARY OF GOALS GOAL 1: MAINTAIN VIBRANT URBAN AND VILLAGE CENTERS GOAL 2: ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC EXPANSION AND JOB CREATION: GOAL 3: ENHANCE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS
AND HOUSING: . GOAL 4: IMPROVE MULTI-MODAL CIRCULATION AND PARKING SYSTEMS GOAL 5: CALM TRAFFIC TO PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOODS AND VILLAGES GOAL 6: EXPAND OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION GOAL 7:
PRESERVE TRADITIONAL LAND USE PATTERNS WITHOUT CREATING SPRAWL GOAL 8: ENHANCE SERVICES AND FACILITIES FOR QUALITY OF LIFE GOAL 9: PRESERVE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Vision 2020 – Page 6 GOAL 1: MAINTAIN VIBRANT URBAN AND VILLAGE CENTERS Enhance pedestrian-friendliness of commercial areas. Enhance downtown’s standing as commercial, civic and
cultural center of region. Maintain Florence center and satellite commercial areas and villages as local-serving commercial areas. Improve commercial buffers of urban and village
centers. Help locally-based retail stores and services. Redevelop former Northampton State Hospital as a vibrant village center. Policies, objectives and actions from workshops.
Will be expanded during comprehensive planning process. Policies and objectives to meet goals Partial list of actions for goals and objectives To be done Partially completed, but
can use improvement. Help create more commercial buildings in village or urban vacant spaces. Make sure no historically or architecturally significant building is lost. Zoning parking
credit Dimensional standards Design standards for downtown Tax policies (TIF) Increase the number of official walking routes downtown and in villages. Make those routes are
obvious, direct and interesting, making downtown and the villages walking friendly. Improve walking routes and bike paths Increase density of activity to make walking interesting
Increase the budget of city’s Arts Council. Bring more civic and cultural events to the city. Provide civic and cultural spaces and financially support them. Convert commercial strips
at the edge of downtown so that they look more like the central business district. Expand Central Business District boundary on Pleasant Street and Bridge Street when appropriate
Revitalize Pleasant Street to make commercial area vibrant Retain and expand traditional village amenities downtown by giving tax breaks and extending zoning privileges. Zoning
to ensure low rent areas available Loan programs Make sure that retail commercial growth occurs downtown, Florence center, State Hospital and pedestrian-scale areas. Guide land-and
truck-extensive businesses to new Business Park, King Street and industrial areas. Zoning boundaries and districts Subdivision standards CDBG and other state and federal grant
funding Economic development activities Create a satellite commercial area near Florence Road and Route 66. It should provide local needs as needed (see map). Commercial entranceways
to Florence, downtown or Leeds should have a village look, not resemble commercial strips. Zone new commercial satellite area and expand (see map) Infrastructure and streetscape
in entranceway areas Zone changes for strip areas Lobby state and county politicians to keep government offices downtown. Set example with city government Encourage other institutions,
especially state and federal Minimize losses of historical building downtown. Increase the pedestrian-scale commercial design. Downtown design standards Dimensional standards in
downtown and Florence Increase visibility of public road signs. Make sure private signs conform with downtown aesthetic. Zoning regulations and city practices
Vision 2020 – Page 7 Make sure that Florence business district grows within already existing boundaries. No residential or greenspace should be lost to commercial growth. No additional
zoning changes in residential neighborhoods Provide more public benches, cigarette disposal receptacles, trash cans, telephones, restrooms, and garden spaces downtown and in village
centers. Bike paths, bike linkages and bike racks Streetscape improvements, public art, kiosks, benches Underground utilities, period streetlights, restrooms, pay phones Parks
and greenspace should be used to keep urban and village centers attractive for pedestrian traffic, without creating dead spots that impede pedestrian flow. Encourage redevelopment
of Round Housing Parking Lot downtown to create mixed use development while preserving or expanding the number of parking spaces. Conduct a hazardous waste assessment and address
any findings. Consider how to encourage private development of air rights above lot. Increase landscaping along King Street to make it more appealing. Zoning regulations must force
businesses to landscape. Significant inconsistencies between vision of maintaining vibrant urban and village commercial areas and current practices: 1) Current in-lieu of parking fees
are one of the biggest disincentives for downtown development. 2) The lack of downtown parking is discouraging downtown development.
Vision 2020 – Page 8 GOAL 2: ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC EXPANSION AND JOB CREATION: Expand local economy by creating and retaining jobs. Diversify economy. Promote and grow local businesses
when possible. Retain and enhance education, amenities, housing, and character that make city attractive to businesses and customers. Ensure development is sustainable over long-term
and is low-pollutering. Ensure economic growth does not interfere with community goals or vision and conforms with Vision 2020. Leverage private capital to finance long term investment,
create jobs, generate taxes and create marketplace opportunities. Provide strong focus on sectors of the local economy where investment is lagging. Policies, objectives and actions
from workshops. Will be expanded during comprehensive planning process. Policies and objectives to meet goals Partial list of actions for goals and objectives To be done Partially
completed, but can use improvement. Increase by 50 percent small businesses in city, with emphasis on small business development, retention of locally-grown businesses, and providing
incubator opportunities for new local businesses. Implement business retention strategy, including emphasis on small business development, retention of locally-grown businesses, and
providing incubator opportunities for new local businesses. Make sure that existing commercial and industrial land parcels are filled in next 20 years, especially old mill buildings,
with sensitivity to surrounding residential areas. Use zoning and CDBG assistance Increase downtown commercial development by 50 percent, especially those enterprises supplying goods
serving local needs and those businesses which bring new export dollars into the community. Best areas to develop are those with good access to parking. Use zoning Parking improvements
(see parking session) Reconsider parking in-lieu of fees Focus on infrastructure and streetscape Double industrial opportunities in commercial, industrial, and business park areas
Expand infrastructure to business park. Improve infrastructure and road access at NSH (state hospital) and industrial park. Consider installing traffic actuated lights at intersection
of Routes 10, 66 and 9. Rewrite city regulatory and non-regulatory objectives to encourage sustainable development friendly to the environment. Use zoning performance standards and
other regulations Use public investment and tax programs City economic development efforts should focus on improving job opportunities for all, especially living wage jobs and job
opportunities for people who are underserved. Make sure that in developable areas commercial development occurs before housing. Write guidelines for NSH (state hospital) land that
encourages commercial growth before residential. Significant inconsistencies between vision of economic development and current practices:
Vision 2020 – Page 9 1) The lack of public investment in infrastructure prevents new commercial real estate from being available to meet demand. 2) Higher costs of development in urban
center and villages, in part because of infrastructure policies, discourages new investment in these areas.
Vision 2020 – Page 10 GOAL 3: ENHANCE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOUSING: Preserve vital neighborhoods near downtown, Florence center and throughout the city. Maintain high
and medium density housing downtown. Retain affordable housing and encourage new dispersed affordable housing in every neighborhood. Resist gentrification and the income stratification
that it brings. Allow housing growth to meet demand without creating stress on municipal services or sense of community Encourage common ground between neighborhood groups across
the city. Help build neighborhood cohesion and self-identity. Preserve ability of consumers to have a choice of housing types. Policies, objectives and actions from workshops.
Will be expanded during comprehensive planning process. Policies and objectives to meet goals PARTIAL LIST OF Actions for goals and objectives To be done Partially completed, but
can use improvement. Make available low-interest loans for more homeowners to preserve the vitality and density of residential neighborhoods in and around downtown, Florence center and
other village centers. Invest in infrastructure in these residential areas. Provide regulatory protection for incompatible development Increase the amount of affordable housing,
so that well above 10 percent of the housing units are affordable. Preserve a range of housing types and costs throughout the city. Including these options in all appropriate areas avoids
neighborhood conflicts about certain areas receiving an inappropriately high concentration of any housing type. Preserve affordable housing units. Require or strongly encourage
all new subdivisions and housing projects to provide affordable housing. Allow no commercial development threatening the integrity of residential neighborhoods. Do not convert residentially
zoned areas in urban centers and villages to commercially zoned areas except for key parcels in the downtown. Encourage mixed commercial/residential areas in high traffic areas immediately
surrounding downtown. Increase the amount of new mixed residential/commercial/industrial development in business and industrial areas when that it will not displace commercial, industrial
or artists’ space. Encourage mixed commercial/residential areas appropriate special industrial areas and in all commercial areas. Limit housing development in city’s outlying areas,
where it will stress municipal services and alter the character of the community. Consider phased development and adequate public facilities ordinances. Strengthen subdivision
bylaws to ensure subdivisions minimize public burdens. Encourage housing in areas with adequate sewer and water service. Require housing developers to preserve open space and natural
resources. City should become a participant in linking community groups Designate a city liaison who brokers meetings between community groups, or create a bulletin board, electronic
if possible, so groups can communicate. Enhance the beauty of neighborhoods and the livability of them. Plant trees near sidewalks. Acquire pocket parks, on land of less than 6,000
square feet — the minimum area of land needed for a building lot — and acquire other land unlikely to be built on.
Vision 2020 – Page 11 Encourage the growth of neighborhood projects and organizations City must be willing to cost share in purchasing tot lots or pocket parks in CDBG income-eligible
areas Significant inconsistencies between vision of enhancing neighborhoods and current practices: 1) Some neighborhoods are at risk from commercial development, without adequate zoning
protection. 2) The lack of a regulatory and incentive push for affordable housing and a range of housing prices in every new subdivision limits affordable housing and creates a perception
that some neighborhoods are host to an “unfair burden” of urban problems while wealthy new developments avoid them. Subdivision standards, and to lesser extent zoning and other ordinances,
allow and may even encourage new residential development other than the traditional neighborhood development which is so valued in Northampton.
Vision 2020 – Page 12 GOAL 4: IMPROVE MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION, CIRCULATION, PARKING AND COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS Ensure clear flow of people, goods, services and information (roads,
paths, computer networks). Change traffic circulation systems to allow for bicyclists and pedestrians. Encourage more mass transit that people will use. Improve accessibility
and affordability of parking without adding parking that detracts from pedestrian scale. Require compact development patterns that encourage walking and biking. Reduce traffic
congestion downtown, near Coolidge Bridge, on King Street and on Damon Road. Policies, objectives and actions from workshops. Will be expanded during comprehensive planning process.
Policies and objectives to meet goals Partial list of actions for goals and objectives To be done Partially completed, but can use improvement. Business development should generally
be encouraged build in the urban core and redeveloped areas that are most suited to providing pedestrian, bicycle traffic, or transit access. Use zoning to encourage infill. Reexamine
in-lieu of parking fees Redevelop state hospital, as urban village Create multi-modal transportation system with the pedestrian and bicycle circulation and and alternative transportation
systems that allow residents to find alternatives to automobiles for many of their trips. Improve transit and explore improved urban center looped bus service. Explore free public
bikes program. Develop 12 mile bike path network linking all urban and village centers in Northampton together and with those in surrounding communities. Develop short bicycle
paths to connect city streets through paper streets and other paths that can shorten distances for bicycles and pedestrians. Develop 20 mile bike lane and bike route system linking
residential areas with bike paths and urban and village centers (see attached map) Develop park-and-ride lot, with bicycle lockers, at Sheldon Field, on the U. Mass express bus line.
Provide better bus linkages to Holyoke, and from there to Holyoke Community College and Springfield, to Florence and to Easthampton. Develop park-and-ride lot, with bicycle lockers,
somewhere in Florence area. Use land use regulations to ensure development is transportation and bicyclefriendly. Install more bicycle racks throughout the city, including at bus
stops. Install weather and vandalism protecting bicycle racks at key locations. Make bus stops more user-friendly by posting bus route maps and schedules and by creating more stops,
especially an additional Main Street stop. Do a citywide analysis of existing major intersections and traffic flow throughout the city. Determine how intersections enhance or harm the
character of the community, not just the immediate intersection area. Evaluate these tradeoffs. Review and improve safety and functioning of critical urban center intersections.
Evaluate new development and traffic improvements to consider off-site impacts on residential neighborhoods. Consider traffic light at intersection of Hampden Ave. and Pleasant St.
Evaluate options for using Damon Road/Bridge Road as formal route 9A
Vision 2020 – Page 13 Buy new land to expand public parking off Main Street, downtown, without creating dead areas in pedestrian traffic flow. Meet parking demands by building new lots,
using existing lots more intensely, encouraging non-car transportation alternatives, and using walking routes to shorten walking distances so that existing parking can serve new needs.
Create second downtown structured parking facility (garage or deck) north of Main Street. Develop public and private lots in and especially at edge of downtown, but not at the
loss of residential structures or open space opportunities. Shared use of private parking lots to meet parking needs from multiple land uses, some of which may generate peak parking
demands at different times. Retain the tradition of free parking in Florence center. No change needed to the system. Encourage private parking lots. Encourage commercial development
in areas with access to public or private parking, especially on the edge of downtown, while preserving downtown’s pedestrian nature. Expand the Central Business and General Business
Districts when it will encourage infill at pedestrian-scale. Increase by 10 percent the density of housing in and within walking distance of downtown. Encourage new downtown mixed residential
development to minimize the need for driving downtown. Use zoning and public funds to encourage infill housing in and around downtown. Infill housing should replicate existing land
use patterns or, close to the urban core, include mixed residential/commercial. The final comprehensive plan needs an overview of existing traffic patterns Summarize all existing
traffic counts and flows as part of analysis of Vision 2020 Comprehensive Plan. Use a citywide bicycle or bicycle/pedestrian committee to help coordinate non-motor vehicle transportation
improvements Transform existing rail trail committee to bicycle committee by broadening membership and charge. Make sure downtown is pedestrian friendly, and explore possibility of
re-routing some of Route 9 traffic from Main Street to Damon Road and Bridge Road. Study impact of re-routing some traffic from Route 9 and creating a Route 9A. Raise crosswalks
across Main St. that would make pedestrians feel safer while not complicating snow removal. Consider expanding traffic islands in middle of Main Street. Significant inconsistencies
between vision of multi-modal transportation and current practices: 1) City and state focus on roads primarily for motorized traffic makes it harder to have non-motorized transportation.
2) While zoning encourages “good” development patterns, it also allows new development’s land use patterns, especially in residential areas, and is often at odds with a goal of encouraging
non-motorized transportation and pedestrian-scale development. 3) Encouraging more public transportation often is difficult sell to a society so in love with cars. 4) There is an apparent
conflict between encouraging infill downtown and in nearby residential neighborhoods, while promoting pocket parks and preserving the character of neighborhoods.
Vision 2020 – Page 14 GOAL 5: CALM TRAFFIC TO PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOODS AND VILLAGES Slow automobile traffic to retain safe, livable, child-friendly neighborhoods. Slow automobile
traffic to retain pedestrian-friendly villages and urban centers. Policies, objectives and actions from workshops. Will be expanded during comprehensive planning process. Policies and
objectives to meet goals Partial list of actions for goals and objectives To be done Partially completed, but can use improvement. Enforcement regulations to calm traffic. Police
should increase focus on enforcing traffic laws, slowing traffic speed and improving traffic safety. Educate citizens to calm traffic. Organize neighborhood groups aimed at educating
citizens about the danger of speeding. Bring back Safe Roads Program or its equivalent. Engineer roads to calm
traffic and reduce speeds. Engineer traffic calming in whenever roads are reconstructed and for high priority retrofits to improve traffic safety, retain pedestrian-scale scale and child-friendly
neighborhoods and streets. Improve safety of pedestrian crosswalks and intersections. Create raised crosswalks at sidewalk level (vertical displacement) Use patterned asphalt for
crosswalks that contrast with the street. Use vertical streetscape elements (trees, etc) to make streets look narrower. Create sidewalk extensions (“neck-downs”) and pedestrian
refuge areas, such as traffic islands. Use other horizontal displacements, such as chiicanes, to slow traffic (generally every 250-300 feet). Narrow non-arterial streets to 11
foot lanes through use of on-street parking, medians/islands and bike lanes (which both accommodate bikes and calm traffic). Portland found 1-3 MPH reduction from bike paths. Create
safe roads committee to consider multi-department effort at calming traffic. Create committee with members from city boards, departments and the public. Coordinate actions with city
bicycle committee. Minimize pedestrian "dead-spaces" at intersections, crosswalks and parking lots. Keep parking lots interesting through landscaping or buildings between the lots
and the road Significant inconsistencies between vision of calming traffic and current practices: 1) The city’s lack of engineered traffic calming measures in streets encourages people
to drive faster. 2) Subdivision Regulations that allow subdivisions to be built without interconnecting streets create isolated areas of very low traffic and other areas which must host
high speed arterials.
Vision 2020 – Page 15 GOAL 6: EXPAND OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION .Preserve and expand city holdings of open space, wild lands and small pieces of open land in developed areas. Use
open space and recreation to ensure that the urban and village centers are attractive places to live, work and visit. Make more natural areas available for public use. Provide
recreation opportunities for individuals of all ages and physical abilities now and for future generations. Preserve the character of rural areas, farms, forests, and rivers Policies,
objectives and actions from workshops. Will be expanded during comprehensive planning process. Policies and objectives to meet goals Partial list of actions for goals and objectives
To be done Partially completed, but can use improvement. Make sure all appropriate recreation areas are accessible to those with physical disabilities. Complete handicap accessibility
improvements at all feasible recreation areas Upgrade all parks in urban and developed areas. Add and maintain downtown and Florence pocket parks, green ways, rail trail (bike path)
linkages and Mill River access. Increase the number of ball fields by at least 10 to serve burgeoning recreation needs. Acquire land for ball fields at Northampton State Hospital
and in western section of city. Link all the city’s conservation districts to each other with greenways so that hikers and walkers can traverse the city. Create a citywide trail system
that is marked. Explore possibility of getting easements from private landowners, so hikers can cross to public lands. Add to the city’s conservation land holdings by acquiring small
green areas downtown and in villages of Bay State, Leeds and Florence. Conservation Commission must make it a priority Provide recreation, conservation and open space opportunities.
Acquire parcels that are accessible to residents. Acquire parcels that help define neighborhoods and the community. Acquire restrictions to preserve farms, forests and rivers
and other resources. Acquire parcels for new recreation opportunities. Acquire land with vistas and interesting landscapes, especially in western edge of city. Conservation Commission
charge. Make sure that no city farm goes out of business. Farm land should not be lost to housing. Link city farmers with conservation groups and state agricultural protection restriction
program. Foster the current Northampton farmers’ market. Acquire land that serves as gateway between urban, suburban or rural landscapes. Conservation Commission charge. Significant
inconsistencies between vision and current practices: 1) New development is not contributing to the preservation of open space and is converting open space to housing much faster than
open space is being preserved.
Vision 2020 – Page 16 Significant inconsistencies between vision of open space and current practices: 1) New development is not required to provide compensating open space, except in
the very limited number of PUDs and cluster subdivisions.
Vision 2020 – Page 17 GOAL 7: PRESERVE TRADITIONAL LAND USE PATTERNS WITHOUT CREATING SPRAWL Redevelop vacant land in built-up areas, guarding against sprawl. Promote new villages
(commercial, residential areas) where feasible. Foster continued mixture of uses in villages: Florence, Leeds, Bay State. Discourage development damaging village character of urban/residential
neighborhoods. Ensure new downtown development meshes with architectural heritage. Maintain clear distinction between rural, suburban and urban areas. Promote traditional neighborhood
development patterns. Policies, objectives and actions from workshops. Will be expanded during comprehensive planning process. Policies and objectives to meet goals Partial list of actions
for goals and objectives To be done Partially completed, but can use improvement. New development should be accompanied by open space preservation so that at least one acre of
open space is preserved for each acre of land developed. Acquire open space for conservation and recreation purposes. Use zoning to ensure open space preservation. Suburban style
development should be matched by an equal or greater amount of compact development. Amend zoning and subdivision regulations, Add adequate facilities/concurrency ordinance with
no development until city services/water and sewer can accommodate it. Adopt a best practices design manual Ensure that new housing development will not outstrip school, public works,
public safety services, and ability of downtown roads to handle suburban traffic. Consider phased development ordinance. Add adequate facilities/concurrency ordinance. Consider
impact fees or exactions where development pays for its own services. Consider community preservation act, taxing real estate sales. Implement detailed 2020 Land Use Plan (early draft
attached) Revise regulatory structure to move city toward land use plan Build satellite commercial areas/community centers to create sense of place in less urban areas (e.g. Ward
6). Change zoning for a new neighborhood business area. Encourage community centers in buildings, such as schools, already owned by the city. Create land zoned for new economic
development opportunities where it will not harm neighborhoods. Rezone to create new industrial and commercial areas (see land use map) Encourage development patterns that contribute
to, and do not sap, the strength of their neighborhoods. Amend zoning rules to encourage new developments to be linked with existing neighborhoods. Make sure that all existing buildings
are reused and rehabilitated. Some zoning has been changed to allow for easier reuse of old mill buildings. Cluster all housing developments in rural areas, leaving more open land,
with designs that still allow for housing choices. Current zoning allows some advantages for developers who cluster houses. Revise subdivision rules and regulations Protect historic
buildings defining visual character of downtown. Exploring need for historic historic district downtown.
Vision 2020 – Page 18 While showing a preference to village-type growth, do not preclude homeowners from choosing large lots in suburban areas. Current zoning allows for large lots
in outlying areas. Make certain the community groups have role in city planning. Inform neighborhood groups of planning issues, as individual abutters are now notified. Prevent any
significant development from sensitive floodplain areas. Revise Special Conservancy zoning and Watershed Protection zoning to prevent development in floodplain areas Define that portion
of Rural Residential zoning that should be rural and preserve the character of that area. Adopt zoning that preserves farms and forests, instead of simply calling for larger suburban
lots and calling that rural. Develop site standards for large retail establishments along King Street (or any where else) Adopt zoning which encourages buildings to be located closer
to the street with parking on the side or rear. Require detailing and façade articulation with building projections and recesses for buildings over 100 feet long. Reduce traffic impacts
from new residential development and sprawl Evaluate impacts from current residential development patterns, especially development in the Ward 6/Route 66 section of the city. Address
anomalies and inconsistent messages sent in the zoning. Especially coordinate city zoning at town boundaries with that of surrounding towns. Rezone parcels on Hatfield town line or
near town line that abut commercial or industrial areas in Hatfield to match Hatfield zoning. Work with adjoining towns for coordinated zoning. Examine pre-existing non-conforming
commercial and industrial areas and consider if some of these should be rezoned commercial or industrial. Significant inconsistencies between vision of traditional development patterns
without sprawl and current practices: 1) Land use guidance regulations allow but do not especially encourage development patterns consistent with this vision. 2) There is not adequate
control to ensure that new development only takes place when adequate facilities are in place to support that development nor to phase development to minimize adverse impacts. 3) Rural
residential zoning does not preserve rural character of the city and special conservancy may not be much more effective at preserving floodplains.
Vision 2020 – Page 19 GOAL 8: ENHANCE SERVICES AND FACILITIES FOR QUALITY OF LIFE Allow for more public gathering spots. Ensure public buildings accessible to physically disabled.
Plan for more community centers. Build community by improving communication between groups. Better involve public in planning and city government. Improve climate of tolerance
for differences. Build the sense of connectivity between people and their neighborhoods. Policies, objectives and actions from workshops. Will be expanded during comprehensive planning
process. Policies and objectives to meet goals Partial list of actions for goals and objectives To be done Partially completed, but can use improvement. Integrate social services
and affordable housing programs with neighborhood concerns. City broker dialogue between social service agencies and neighborhoods. Use CDBG to meet community goals. Integrate CDBG
consolidated planning process with city comprehensive planning process. Use CDBG process process to bring agencies and neighborhoods together. Increase the city budget for education
and recreation for all age groups, including multigenerational activities. Work through the School Department for excellence in education. Work with the Recreation Commission and
CDBG subrecipients. Provide more programs for young people and involve youth in decision making. Redesign community leadership structures to include youth as meaningful participants.
Increase cooperation and collaboration among social service agencies Use CDBG process and funding Work with social service sector Design collaborative programs for families
and children that reflect their interests Improve sense of neighborhood identify Develop network of neighborhood associations covering entire city Open schools and municipal buildings
for public gathering. Lobby School Committee to open school buildings to community, without groups having to pay extra for the use. Preserve existing entertainment and recreation
complexes without harming neighborhoods. Work to make sure Three-County Fairgrounds and Northampton Airport continue to be viable enterprises. Significant inconsistencies between
vision of enhanced facilities and services and current practices: 1) Youth issues are not being adequately addressed not so much because of a lack of any specific services but because
youth are not integrated into the decision making process.
Vision 2020 – Page 20 GOAL 9: PRESERVE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT Protect important ecological resources, including surface and groundwater resources, plant
communities and wildlife habitat. City should take lead in protecting architectural and cultural history. Preserve ecological and wildlife linkages, especially water-based linkages.
Policies, objectives and actions from workshops. Will be expanded during comprehensive planning process. Policies and objectives to meet goals Partial list of actions for goals and objectives
To be done Partially completed, but can use improvement. Improve quality of storm water discharges Improve city discharges as streets and discharges are being rebuild with artificial
wetlands and treatment at discharge point Use regulations to reduce non-point source pollution Discourage development in environmentally sensitive areas and encourage environmentally
sound development Zoning and city infrastructure extension policies Zoning, Zoning, subdivision regulations, city investment, grant investment Review zoning restrictions that
undermine energy efficient building Protect valuable ecological resources Acquire, in fee and by restriction, valuable ecological and open space linkages Reuse brownfields sites
Use property tax and TIFs to encourage reuse of brownfields and previously developed properties. Provide performance standards to preserve the environment Improve performance standards
in zoning Preserve cultural and architectural history Historical Commission should complete an inventory of historic properties Inventory of historic properties should be available
for review on the Internet and at local libraries. Historical Commission should begin acquiring historic preservation restrictions on key buildings. Historical Commission should
examine new proposals for local historic districts and demolition delay ordinances. The city should consider tax incentives to encourage historic preservation. Maintain clean clean
sidewalks and parks and encourage individuals to clean after themselves and pets. Install plastic bag holders in parks and downtown so dog owners can clean up after their pets. New
acquisitions to city vehicle fleet should include alternative fuel vehicles, such as natural gas, fuel cells, electric. Energy Resources Commission/Central Services should work with
School Department and DPW to implement. Provide for quality street trees and streetscape Consider how to expand street tree program Provide parking spaces and refueling places for
electric vehicles. Energy Resources Commission should work with the Parking Commission to implement.
Vision 2020 – Page 21 Reduce city dependence on disposable items. City should purchase products from companies that promote recycling and waste reduction Significant inconsistencies
between vision of preserving natural and cultural resources and current practices: City storm water discharges need to be rebuilt throughout the city and water quality improvements
are needed to those systems. RELATIONSHIP OF GOALS TO PLAN ELEMENTS PLAN ELEMENTS GOALS Land use Housing Economic development Natural, cultural resources Open space and recreation Services
and facilities Traffic circulation Vibrant urban centers Economic expansion Enhance Residential Neighborhoods and Housing Improve transportation
services Calm traffic Expand open space and recreation Preserve village land use; prevent sprawl
Vision 2020 – Page 22 Enhance services promoting quality of life Preserve natural, cultural resources
Vision 2020 – Page 23 AREAS WHERE ZONING IS OUTDATED OR DOES NOT PROMOTE 2020 VISION Rural Residential zoning does not preserve open space Mill River General Industrial areas
River Run General Industrial General Industrial in Bay State Village, encompassing the Cutlery Building General Industrial in Leeds, encompassing the old Button Shop Ridge Top
zoning does not preserve ridge tops Hatfield Town Line Route 5 (North King Street) south of Interstate 91 exit 21 Bridge Street business cluster near Post Office Outlying
areas of Florence Center, especially medical offices on Nonotuck Street FUTURE STEPS The comprehensive planning process begins with this document. City officials and community members
will engage in a series of public meetings over the next 20 years to animate the visions collected here. The Office of Planning and Development, along with city councilors and other
city departments, will spearhead the most intensive public discussion period over the next year. First, the plan is for seven meetings in the seven different political wards across the
city. The purpose of the meetings is to
Vision 2020 – Page 24 identify any new issues and to focus on primary actions that the city should undertake. The Office of Planning and Development also intends to hold a citywide meeting
sometime in the next year with the same intentions as the smaller ward meetings. Beyond the first year, the steering committee will meet with community members annually in late winter
to pore over the vision statement with an eye trained on making sure the goals remain relevant. A major revision session will also be held once every five years. At that meeting, the
community will get the chance to rework its vision, making it reflect the new times. Any future steps should also include our human future: our children, who were the least represented
group in the visioning process. The primary strategy for promoting student enthusiasm in community planning will be having an Office of Planning and Development staff member work with
a middle school or high school teacher in building class curriculum. Students who take an interest in the curriculum might then be invited to get more involved with the planning process.
APPENDIX A: Background Introduction and Statement of Purpose Community Setting---History of Northampton Jenny Lind did not call this city “paradise” for nothing. The 19th Century diva
dubbed Northampton “paradise” after a long stay here, and ever since some residents, with little humility and a dash of boosterism, have decided to keep the moniker, calling the community
— “Paradise City.” For an artist, a gourmand, a bicyclist or a parent, the city just might be paradise. Authors of numerous magazine articles and books have over the last decade named
Northampton one of the best places in the country to raise children, ride bicycles, eat out in restaurants and make a life as an artist. While residents of other communities across the
nation might quibble with Northampton’s self embrace of “the best city” in which to raise a child or “the best small arts city,” no one can argue that Northampton is a dominant economic
and cultural force in Hampshire County and the middle Pioneer Valley. Located on the west side of the Connecticut River, the city sits in the valley between that waterway and the old
hills to the west. The land nearest the Connecticut River is rich and deep with agricultural history. The soil, though, thins out as the elevation rises, and so does the agriculture.
The city of 35.7 square miles is mid-way between Connecticut and Vermont. It’s also mid-way by automobile between Albany,
Vision 2020 – Page 25 N.Y. and Boston. Northampton has rich natural and human landscapes. Government and various private organizations provide Northampton residents with open space,
conservation land, and recreation areas in which to play. The demand, however, for open space and recreation areas outstrips what is available. Open space is dear here for the same reason
it is elsewhere: rapid suburban development, escalating land values, and limited municipal financial resources for land purchases. While its natural neighbors are a river and old hills,
its political neighbors are the towns of: Westhampton, Williamsburg, Hatfield and Hadley and the City of Easthampton. The Connecticut River and its rich floodplains attracted Native
Americans to camp and fish along the riverbanks. The agricultural potential also attracted white settlers. They founded Northampton, first known as Nonotuck, in 1654. As Northampton
developed, industrial, commercial and institutional sectors surpassed agriculture in economic importance. Farming, though, has not been forgotten. It continues to prosper, especially
in the 3,600-acre Connecticut River floodplain. One of its main effects is cultural. The region’s people identify with agriculture and perceive themselves as part of an area where farming
is indispensable. Farmers plant large fields of vegetables in the fields along the Connecticut River. Apple orchards also play a significant role in the region’s self-perception, if
not its economy. Since the end of World War II, Northampton's economy has changed significantly. The industrial component of the economy, once the linchpin, has contracted. In its place,
the commercial and service sectors of the economy have grown. The city’s economy used to be tightly wound around the role of two major institutions, the former Northampton State Hospital
and the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The state hospital closed in 1994 and the Veterans Hospital has been shrinking for a generation. Smith College, the other large city institution,
though, has grown, as has the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Any light pointed at Northampton must first shine downtown. The city’s downtown central business district has succeeded
where many of its size across the nation have failed. The downtown serves as the cultural and shopping hub of Northampton and attracts tourists, gourmands and residents from surrounding
communities. Main Street retail vacancy rates remain low. Even the upper floors of Main Street buildings are largely filled with offices and residences. Around the country, downtowns
in similarly sized communities suffer from inattention, competition, and high commercial vacancy rates. The result is decay. Even in communities with healthy downtowns, success often
means a bustling downtown from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with little evening and weekend activity. This downtown hops day and night, weekdays and weekends. A large part of downtown’s success,
however, lies in the ability of shop owners to find market niches that either compete
Vision 2020 – Page 26 successfully or avoid direct competition with strip shopping malls, regional shopping malls and e-business. This success has created some problems. For many residents,
the "new" downtown does not meet community needs the way the "old" downtown did. To develop a successful market niche, the retail and service sectors have had to define their products
differently than in the past, and Northampton has lost many traditional department stores, hardware stores and similar establishments that historically anchored downtown. While this
trend is inevitable and is found in most successful central business districts, a valuable element of downtown has been lost. Shoppers find it difficult to buy basic needs downtown,
like a spool of thread or a pair of pliers. As a result, local loyalty to downtown is soft among some residents. Success has meant expansion downtown. Commercial activity has spread
out from its Main Street core. Over the past decade, because of the increasing scarcity of affordable downtown first-floor retail space and the shortage of high-quality office space
with available parking, a new wave of redevelopment and revitalization has pushed onto nearby Pleasant Street and other commercial areas near Main Street. The lead role played by Northampton's
downtown is not a new one. It has been the leading retail center for Hampshire County over the centuries. It has long served as a regional center and it has traditionally had the largest
market share of retail spending. While downtown Northampton remains the most defined urban/retail center in the county, it has a smaller market share of total county retail spending
now than in the past and a smaller market share of retail (non-restaurant) spending than the Hampshire Mall in Hadley. Per capita retail and restaurants sales for Northampton are significantly
above those sales for Hampshire County and for the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city does pulse beyond Main Street. Vibrant service, commercial, and institutional sectors
sectors are found in the city’s outlying villages. Those looking can find a hearty commercial and residential pulse in Florence Center — the center of business and culture for many city
residents and the surrounding hilltowns. Florence’s “village center,” where homes, businesses and industry are all within walking distance of each other, is a highly praised feature
of the village. This close physical proximity of homes and businesses produces a neighborliness that makes the village one of the most livable places in the Pioneer Valley. Florence
has a strong identity and character that set it apart from the rest of Northampton. Some would say the village has a healthy “sense of place.” Most of Florence’s Main Street retail businesses
serve local needs, such as pizza and groceries. Many businesses, however, also serve clients throughout Northampton and the region. Florence’s successful village center fills a critical
economic and social niche not provided downtown — where rents and density are too high — or on on highway strip commercial areas. As in other village centers, Florence’s businesses face
stiff competition from regional commercial centers and strip commercial areas, such as King Street. Florence Center businesses have maintained a tradition of serving the commercial needs
of locals shoppers.
Vision 2020 – Page 27 That niche complements other commercial areas, rather than competing with them. That successful commercial strategy has been used since the 19th century. The center
of Florence has served as a commercial center for most of its history. In its earliest days, when Florence was less accessible from Northampton Center, (because of the slow speed of
transportation and communication systems) it served local needs and those of travelers on the Boston-Albany Stagecoach Road. The decline of Massachusetts’ industrial sector and the rise
of competing automobile-oriented commercial areas, however, threatened Florence and caused significant declines for Florence businesses. Today, however, Florence business owners have
identified how to serve their core local area market. Florence Center and surrounding industrial areas host a variety of industrial businesses, mostly in older mill buildings, and medical
uses, including Kaiser Permanente and medical offices. As a result, Florence Center has a much greater economic presence than is typical for a small “village center.” This helps diversify
the economy and culture of the entire city. Florence’s industrial areas are being challenged to face the dramatic change in industrial space demands. Located in multi-story traditional
mill buildings, many industries have left for newer more efficient industrial spaces. Because Florence and Northampton are such desirable places to live and work, each time an industry
has left Florence creative entrepreneurs have redeveloped the buildings to serve new uses. Those old mill buildings, used in one instance today as studios for artists, used to be at
the core of a mill town that produced, among other things, buttons and silk. Florence Center also includes a significant residential component, including several single room occupancy
hotels (SROs) and dense housing developments. The center is surrounded by highly desirable housing in a wide variety of price ranges. Most of this housing was build before World War
II and remains in excellent condition. As Florence’s economy developed in the 19th century, its role as a civic and cultural center also grew. In fact, Florence became
a center for progressive thinking during the middle of the century. A sort of utopian community developed in the village, attracting visionaries like the former-slave-turned-spiritual-leader
Sojourner Truth. The Northampton Association for Education and Industry (1840s), for example, served in Florence as a conduit for progressive ideas on social, political and economic
change. Cosmian Hall (1874-1948) served as a cultural center for the city. Growth and Development Patterns and Population Characteristics Northampton has a population of approximately
30,000 people, with a population density of 840 people per square mile. The population has remained stable since 1950. While the total population of households has been increasing for
the past thirty years, it has been offset by the decrease in the population of mental hospitals.
Vision 2020 – Page 28 Major institutions, like Smith College, the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center, Clarke School for the Deaf, and the Hampshire County Long-Term
Care Facility, affect how many people decide to live here. We expect to see a slight growth in Northampton's population — 2.0 to 2.5% per decade — because the household population keeps
growing and no one is leaving the city anymore. The Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center has been nearly closed since the early 1990s. Because of enrollment at Smith College, there are significantly
more women than men between the age of 17 and 24. From ages of 25 to 65, there are approximately the same number of men as women. After age 65, women outnumber men, because men suffer
from significantly higher mortality rates. The Age-Sex Distribution graph, or population pyramid, shows that Northampton, like many regions of the country, has an aging population. There
are fewer people per age range in the ranges less than 19 than in the ranges between 20 and 44. Although Northampton's population has not increased significantly, a dramatic decrease
in family size has created a corresponding increase in the number of households and, therefore, the number of housing units. While this trend exists in most U.S. communities, the combination
of this trend and a major decrease in the number of people living in institutions has fueled most of the last 20 years of residential development. No figures have been collected on the
number of residents without complete mobility or other disabilities. One thing is certain: more people with disabilities are using public facilities because of improved power wheelchairs,
more sidewalk curb cuts and an increase in accessible buildings. The migration rates of people moving into and out of Northampton are high, but in-and out-migrations appear to balance.
College-age students contribute to the population turnover, but there is also a significant amount of turnover at other age levels. Sometimes this turnover reduces the sense of a stable
neighborhood and residents' commitment to their community, but may also contribute to the vibrancy of Northampton. Approximately 61% of employed Northampton residents work in Northampton.
Most of the remaining 39% of the employed residents commute out of the city, mostly to Amherst and cities and towns in Hamden County. Northampton residents fill slightly over half the
jobs in Northampton. (U.S. Census Bureau, 1990 Journey-to-Work statistics, prepared by P.V.P.C.) The number of people who live within walking distance of downtown is high for a city
the size of Northampton. Approximately 41% of Northampton's population lives within one mile of the center of downtown.
Vision 2020 – Page 29 POPULATIONS (AS % OF CITY) AREA POPULATION % OF CITY POPULATION City of Northampton 29,289 100% Live within one mile of center of downtown 12,050 41% Live within
one-half mile of center of downtown 6,750 23% Live in or abutting Central Business District 1,000 3.4% Florence 6,700 22.9% Florence Center 1,800 6.1% (Source: 1990 U.S. Census, with
estimates of % of block groups) (There may be overlap) This downtown population, especially with the wide variety of incomes that exist, may be the most important single factor in allowing
for a healthy downtown. This population provides a base of customers for downtown businesses and helps provide the vibrancy that is critical to the health of downtown. It also generates
a need for a variety of housing types and opportunities. There are a wide variety of incomes and housing stock in the downtown and surrounding residential neighborhoods. Downtown also
has a much higher proportion of rental units than the rest of Northampton. RENTAL HOUSING (AS % ALL UNITS) City of Northampton 48.6% Within 1 mile of CBD center 68.4% Within 1/2 mile
of CBD center 80.8% (Source: 1990 U.S. Census. The presence of Smith College does skew these figures. These figures include all Smith College and private rental housing except dormitories.)
ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS Geology, Soils, Topography and Landscape/Village Character The terrain of Northampton ranges from the flat, alluvial Mill and Connecticut River floodplains
to the moderately steep hills in the western and northern edges. The hills are often shallow to ledge with soils and topography poorly suited for development. Most
Vision 2020 – Page 30 development in Northampton has occurred in the areas above the floodplain and below the steeper hills. Although Northampton looks "built-out" from most of the roads,
the majority of the city's land area is "back" land that has not been developed. Most of the city’s development occurred in a corridor along the Mill River and the flatter sections of
the city northeast of the Mill River. Downtown Northampton, Bay State, Florence, and Leeds are all located within one mile of the historical Mill River (in 1939 the Mill River was diverted
from downtown to control floods). Most non-agricultural development avoided the Connecticut River floodplain because of the potential for flood damage. During the last two or three decades
the agricultural economy of Massachusetts has declined, resulting in the loss of some marginal farms, both in and out of the floodplain. Today, the pattern of developing along the Northampton-Florenc
e-Leeds corridor and rural areas outside the corridor remains. Since World War II, however, much of the previously rural areas have been transformed to strip and suburban development.
Commercial development has spread from the original Northampton-Florence corridor to include extensive strip and shopping plaza development on King Street and North King Street. Industrial
uses in the Northampton-Florence-Leeds corridor, and especially along the Mill River, have shrunk. That industrial contraction has been offset, in part, by industrial development in
the Northampton Industrial Park. Residential development has also changed. Suburban development transformed the Ryan Road, Burts Pit Road, Florence Road, Westhampton Road areas; apartment
complexes built north of downtown changed that area; and scattered housing in every corner of Northampton has few places open. Even with the changes, clear lines still exist between
urban, "small town," suburban, and rural areas. Northampton remains a city with a strong sense of both community and place. This urban development pattern has in large and and small
ways been shaped by the strength of the urban centers of Northampton and Florence, the King Street shopping areas, the residential neighborhoods, and the existence of large tracts of
public and quasi-public land, including the Northampton State Hospital, Smith College, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Smith Vocational and Agricultural School, Look Memorial Park, Northampton
Reservoir watershed lands, and the Veteran's Administration Medical Center. Northampton’s land is a three-part geological story. There is the floodplain, then the deep, flat glacial
outwash and rolling glacial till in the areas where most development has occurred and then the steeply sloping glacial till in the hills on the north and western ends of town. Elevations
range from 99 feet mean sea level (M.S.L.) on the Connecticut River to 890 feet M.S.L. in the hills in the western side of town. The USDA Soil Conservation Service lists three generalized
soil types for Northampton: 1. Hadley-Winooski-Limerick Association: Deep, nearly level, well drained, moderately well drained, and poorly drained, loamy soils formed in alluvial material;
on floodplains.
Vision 2020 – Page 31 2. Hinckley-Merrimac-Windsor Association: Deep nearly level to steep, excessively drained and somewhat excessively drained, sandy and loamy soils formed in outwash
deposits; on outwash plains. 3. Charlton-Paxton-Woodbridge Association: Deep, level to steep, well and moderately well drained, loamy soils formed in glacial till; on uplands. To the
southeast of Northampton are the Mt. Tom and the Holyoke mountain ranges, running in a unique east/west fashion. These mountains restrain the northerly expansion of the Springfield-Chicopee-Holyoke
metropolitan area while helping to define the Northampton area and Hampshire County. Water Resources Northampton water resources include open water bodies, wetlands, floodplain, and
drinking water supply aquifers and watersheds. These water resources are all sensitive ecological resources, but they also provide some of the best agricultural, forest, open space,
scenic, recreation, and wildlife habitat resources. Water Resource Type Acreage WATER BODIES (rivers, streams, ponds) 1,200 acres FLOODPLAIN (100 year flood) 4,800 acres WETLANDS (swamps,
marshes) not completely mapped DRINKING WATER SUPPLY WATERSHEDS AND AQUIFERS 5,000 acres (includes water and wetlands) Northampton's primary water supply comes from the Francis P. Ryan
Reservoir Complex in Whately and the Mountain Street Reservoir in Williamsburg. The city's aquifer in Florence, with one well on Clark Avenue and one off Spring Street, provides approximately
15 percent of Northampton's water supply. The Leeds/Roberts Meadow Reservoir complex provides an emergency water supply. Part of Hatfield's aquifer is in the Broad Brook area of Northampton.
Although never as polluted as the section of the river below the Holyoke Dam, the water quality in the Connecticut River in Northampton has improved since 1972, when the federal Clean
Water Act was passed. Improved sewage treatment plants, expansion of areas served by sanitary sewers, and ending of combined sanitary and storm water sewers (CSOs), have combined to
improve water quality in the Connecticut River and Mill River. Northampton's Hockanum Road waste water treatment plant was upgraded to secondary treatment in the early 1980s and currently
services 85-90 percent of Northampton
Vision 2020 – Page 32 houses. There have been some improvements in pollution from rain runoff. That source, though, remains the most significant threat to water quality. Vegetation and
Fisheries and Wildlife Northampton has diverse natural habitats that support a variety of plants and animals. Approximately 50 percent of Northampton is a mixed deciduous forest, including
oak, maple, beech, with smaller coniferous forests, including spruce, pine and hemlock. Several thousand more acres of land are used for agriculture or are abandoned fields and wet meadows.
Deer, bear and other mammals thrive in the woodland and forest edge, especially in the northern and western sides of Northampton. Game birds, such as pheasants, ruffed grouse (partridge),
woodcock, and turkey, are present in large numbers. Trappers also know that raccoons, muskrats and fox are abundant. For several years there have been increases in the numbers of otter
and opossum, plus an explosion of beaver. Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, which conducts detailed biological assessments and bird counts, has counted upwards of 200 species of birds in or
passing through the sanctuary, including the Bald Eagle, Redtail Hawk, and Screech Owl. The various lakes, streams and rivers in Northampton provide environments for a variety of fish,
such as trout, salmon, bass, pickerel, northern pike, shad and walleye. The Connecticut River, the Ox-Bow, and the Mill River in the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary are especially significant
aquatic habitats. Although Northampton has diverse plant and animal habitats, the habitat is not as productive as it once was. Like most areas in New England, wetlands were filled or
drained to allow development, prior to federal and state wetlands protection acts. Even with those acts, small amounts of wetlands, especially isolated wetlands continue to be lost or
degraded because of nearby development. As development extends up valley corridors and increasingly up hillsides, wildlife habitats are being fragmented. Although this fragmentation
is not as serious as in many urban areas, it is degrading the range and productivity of the flora and fauna in those habitats. In 1993 the Conservation Commission hired a trained naturalist
to do an ecological assessment of the Conservation Commission's properties, the lands abutting those properties, and several other sensitive sites. This information, including "Rediscovering
Northampton, The Natural History of City-Owned Conservation Areas" was collected to provide greater data with which to make land management and land acquisition decisions. Much of this
information has been incorporated into this plan. Scenic Resources and Unique Environments
Vision 2020 – Page 33 Expanding on the DEM Scenic Landscape Inventory, significant scenic resources and unique environments were mapped for Northampton. These resources include the notable
"viewsheds," or vistas, from public roads, water bodies, and permanently protected open space. The assessment also shows historic districts. Known archaeological sites are not shown
on this map in order to protect them. As development occurs, especially development with little sensitivity to the community's views, some scenic views are being lost. In addition, as
farmland has been abandoned, closed forests are replacing formerly pastoral views. Environmental Problems Much of Northampton has sensitive ecological resources, especially the water
resources such as wetlands, streams, floodplain, and drinking water aquifers and watersheds. Much of the richest wildlife habitat in Northampton is at some risk, and some surface water
and wetland resources are slowly being degraded. This occurs for the obvious reasons: Wildlife habitat is converted to urban and suburban land, and development cuts into ranges and habitat
types. This loss of habitat and natural flood buffering areas is Northampton's most serious environmental problem. Storm water nad snow melt runoff laden with pollutants also poses significant
water quality problems. Over the past 40 years, tougher environmental rules and policies, including separation of combined sanitary and storm sewers, construction and expansion of the
waste water treatment plant, pretreatment standards for sanitary waste, lined landfills, wetlands regulations, erosion control standards, and improved forest management practices, have
all softened the impacts of development on natural and ecological resources. Air pollution continues to present a health hazard, especially during the summer months, to Northampton and
the Pioneer Valley. During the summer, ozone pollution builds up and blows in from the south. The pollution levels far exceed federal ozone standards. APPENDIX B: Visioning Process and
Public Comments: The Northampton Vision 2020 process was kicked off on February 6, 1999, when 250 people (including 25 facilitators) participated in an all-day community workshop at
Northampton High School. More people, some new and some who attended the all-day workshop, attended a series of seven follow-up workshops. At these more intimate workshops, an average
of 25 people attended. Most of the time was spent in small group discussions, the results of which were briefly presented to the entire workshop by representatives of each small group.
Vision 2020 – Page 34 A total of nine workshops were held: All-day community visioning (at High School) 250 people Florence center plan follow-up workshop 27 people Downtown plan follow-up
workshop 23 people Open Space and Recreation plan follow-up workshop 27 people Priority setting workshop (at Ryan Road) 14 people Priority setting workshop (at Bridge Street) 27 people
Priority setting workshop (at Leeds) 23 people Priority setting for business community (Chamber sponsored) 46 people Final summary and feedback workshop 48 people (Some people attended
more than one workshop and/or filled out a questionnaire, so these numbers cannot be added up to identify total community participation.) In addition, approximately 270 questionnaires,
email, letters or other written communication was received. Workshop, questionnaire, and correspondence raw data Job Creation and Economic Development ***Promote and protect independent
local and small businesses, to the extent they are viable. Concerned about modular business Limit economic development/businesses to small, quiet, compatible with rural character, with
heavier industry in one place Keep out chains Downtown thriving, but money does not come back to schools, neighborhoods, and art ***Stop exodus of industry, accommodate and create positive
atmosphere ***Development should not harm existing business areas or infringe on neighborhoods Development behind Yankee condominiums is a concern Over-development is a threat to open
space, trees, and nature **State Hospital as an opportunity for development, but questions about what type ***Low pay, high tax rate –this combination creates pressure for infrastructure
***Maintain current population so we don’t increase burden on city services **Northampton is nice as is—keep doing what we have been doing Address perceived conflict between community
of “rich folks” and diversity of people and housing Strength: specialty/diverse businesses, integrate diversity into planning Business rent control, more businesses on side streets **losing
commercial/industrial, and especially blue-collar jobs ***Concern for turning into a “tourist town” **require sweat equity and community service for affordable housing Control issues
: Permit alterations & Types of businesses Ok to put shelter downtown – easy access
Vision 2020 – Page 35 ***Expand mixed residential and commercial areas, while preserving residential areas from adverse impacts of development and including mixed-income housing Expense
of crafts people in old buildings Encourage preservation of historic resources through incentives Identify highway scenic routes to get state money without rules Need more and better
paying jobs, not just more service sector jobs 221 Pine St. building-problem-could expand with new business ***encourage some industrial commercial growth (Florence) ***Monitor growth-impact
on schools, traffic control/limit growth Residential grow vs. industrial comm. (Florence) **Planned growth, promote village cluster growth not suburbs ENFORCE BUILDING CODES Improve:
Chestnut medical building, Casket building (emissions), Cold Pepsi Plant *Pulaski Park (big tree), ****Upper King St. (dead space, empty buildings, ugly, keep fast food there), **Ryan
Rd. area, ***Route 9 and Bridge (and Hadley) Will Yankee Plastics Building remain? Turn down? ***Market community to promote the village business Limit industrial expansion **Downtown
pedestrian mall More downtown office space development Housing and Neighborhoods More publicity for ability to in-fill housing Keep suburban sprawl -trophy homes -out Respect neighborhood
privacy Plan to address growth on the outskirts -road improvements already impacting ***Protect downtown historic district--preserve older buildings and unique architecture Want larger
lots **Need more community outreach and participation, e.g. neighborhood councils, tenant associations Need for accessible community gathering and continuing adult education space Mixed
development in same building in downtown Zoning that allows for small housing to be on small plots *Homeless shelter, Attention to homeless Better match between housing cost and workers
salaries within city Need fewer Large lot single families /clusters of single families/Indep. living houses Increase density, In-fill, Look to potentially developable areas Creative
housing housing selections, Increase housing for elders, Quality of housing (rent – war) Need rentals of 3-4 bedrooms which is very minimal in Northampton Generate pockets of neighborhoods
to give city wide balance (8) Find ways to promote more affordable housing that doesn’t look “low cost” Subsidized housing, Displacement of subsidized tenants
Vision 2020 – Page 36 ***Provide more diverse housing options Leeds-senior housing opportunity (intergenerational housing?) More rental options needed—3+ bedroom houses, studio, small
business, and apartments ***Increase affordability of housing, including: Small affordable housing units scattered through out the city, not big projects More mixed-use housing with
mix of incomes and affordability component Housing for young couples and the elderly Provide subsidies to encourage owner-occupied units Affordable rental units Ensure low and middle
class income housing with more in-fill and density in some areas ***Co-housing clustered site with more green space ***high-density housing SRO’s downtown could endanger econ. dev. and
neighborhood Owner occupied -----rented/surrounded by institutions ***Create a neighborhood agenda ***Reuse existing structures don’t demolish, pro-active regulations, design control/incentives
Need broader use of housing rehabilitation funds **Housing types by individual neighborhood, Want to see brick row houses turned over Encourage more home ownership and its resulting
community stability Need to strengthen city/non-profit housing partnership ***Improve communication between residents and human service agencies ***Improve use of community policing
in neighborhoods ***Develop mixed – use buffer zoning ***Around the core downtown (lower Main St.)dog poop-need to be enforced ***More visible police at night, Feel safe but Not by the
arch–RR tracks up by Depot Housing-shortage-allow for growth-need more $ increase-where to sprawl to **Leeds keep rural feeling-maybe central downtown Florence expand Work to create
village feel-benches, trees **Improve ways for neighborhoods to communicate Traffic and Circulation ***More downtown parking needed (need another downtown parking garage) Need to improve:
**Round Hill Rd. (too many student cars) Bridge Rd. (too many trucks, too much speeding) Hawley Street/Northampton Post Office gateway to downtown. Barret St. Marsh (underutilized space)
Pull St. Hospital traffic off West St. to downtown Mini-van shuttle service from State Hospital development to downtown Revise intersection at Elm St. and West St. by Smith gate and
South/State/Main and Old South and Main Public transport needs expansion off #9 and #5 elderly and disabled Reroute traffic around city, perhaps on a new Route 9 or a Route 9 truck route,
while maintaining shopping activity Look at providing alternatives to car route, including better buses, light rail, trolleys Route 10 needs better access to State Hospital Development
Vision 2020 – Page 37 Create access from North King over 91 to river’s edge, Expansion of 66 ***Expand bike paths and linkages to all surrounding communities, all neighborhoods and along
both rivers Create car free downtown with no more parking garages and public transit to other areas Enforce Handicapped parking Improve pedestrian and bike only paths (with more parking
by the paths) ***Provide bike racks throughout the community **Another Conn. River bridge *Fort bridge over river to connect with St. Hospital land *Expanded discussion at traffic patterns
through Florence *Encourage more pedestrian traffic in neighborhoods and downtown **maintain and increase bike, pedestrian, and bus access to town and within town Especially in winter
residents are not given much flexibility of places to park Keep cars behind buildings *Plow bike paths More Public/Alternative transportation -less emphasis on auto traffic *Shuttle
buses from outlying parking lots, Bike-ways, Yellow bikes of Austin, Carless street downtown, carpooling Promote alternatives to driving to increase interaction in neighborhoods Address
transportation needs without more highway improvements, provide alternative means Smith needs to develop their parking garage and improve their parking system Provide long term garage
for downtown residents New buildings downtown should provide parks Encourage bicycles-wider route on bridge, more bike racks/lanes downtown Dangerous intersections ***Calm traffic and
traffic speeds Allow on-street parking. Do not widen roads, *Better traffic planning *Conflict between local desires and federal/state construction specifications ***Need better traffic
enforcement, especially in pedestrian areas Crosswalks have improved in Leeds but still a concern for kids Bridge Rd., Elm St., and Nonotuck St. are problem areas Improved infrastructure
**Like four-way stop signs, like at Burt’s Pit Rd.—need more (some opposition to this) Enforce snow clearance laws in commercial areas Better info. regarding Coolidge Bridge construction
Encourage park & rides, carpooling Route 66 left turn, by Smith College, is dangerous **Make traffic signals easier to understand Pedestrian crossing at Academy of Music is very poor,
unsafe Bridge St. and King St. are much improved, as is off Elm St. past Cooley Dickenson City should look at transportation and educate public as part of this program ***If we don’t
increase parking, give other options—no meters in Northampton and Florence Bikes should be encouraged as the preferred means of getting around with free bikes, safe places to lock up
bikes, and connecting bike paths through downtown and Look Park King Street needs improved pedestrian crossings and sidewalks and fewer curb cuts
Vision 2020 – Page 38 **Require parks and residential components for large development Improve marking and paint of crosswalks (especially Florence, King Street, Pleasant St.) ***Improve
public transit, including loop through downtown Northampton, greater bus frequency, better information, marked bus stops Enforce existing parking regulations – enforcement is not a problem,
just monitor beyond meters downtown – into residential space Need paving and parking regulations Need more information signs for parking Encourage pedestrian traffic vs. mole parking
through traffic (close streets) Use chamber to educate people from out of town about parking and pedestrian Traffic Consider overhead crosswalk for pedestrians, Better system for walking,
Elder transport on sidewalks Consider underground travel for autos Cut off traffic to some areas downtown-RT 10 to King-Main St-put green there like Boulder, Make Main street greener
with benches, (14) Treebelt – fewer cars, widen sidewalk on Main Street, Traffic free Main St. Link with how to get around and aesthetics-fewer cars enhances uniqueness Alley ways-really
use them-celebrate King to Rt.9-short streets-roar through near Dunkin' Donuts-signage-speed bumps to slow folk down (Industrial Park good example)/lower speed limit Sidewalks – Damon
Rd/King St. Right turn on red light Bike path cleared of snow trash-containers-no dumping snow No motor vehicle on bike path Find out effect of through traffic on commerce Enforcement
of speed laws on bridge road and everywhere Improve traffic flow through center would relieve traffic on side streets, “Ring system” to pull traffic from downtown Community parking lot
close to center Not have a road that goes through the community gardens Keep State hospital open to walking-not just apartment complexes for private use Need committee to look at road
development-environmental issues, bike paths, pedestrian way(6) Roads can be more pedestrian and bicycle friendly More walking encourages safety, Walk to work Parking become tight but
need to ID parking that is public P.O. lot everybody’s l Route 9 bypass around Florence North of Fitzgerald Lake? Into Rove 5 Better pedestrian access from Florence Rd. neighborhoods
Maintain free parking in Florence Sign at N Maple and bridge and light Keep Florence village feel – old style lights Slow down traffic in Florence OPEN SPACE AND RECREATIONAL Citywide
effort to set up trust’s to oversee and manage conservation areas Art school Clean up/preserve side of river Mill river corridor-walkway through Paradise pond & cut through Look park
Vision 2020 – Page 39 Look park should provide entertainment as well as walking space State Hospital – wetlands habitat for cutley(?)
CONSERVATION AND GREENWAYS ACQUISITION **** Continued expansion of the Fitzgerald Lake area and North of Laurel Park ***** Connect City’s wild areas with wildlife corridors Bassett Brook
** Activate the Smith School prop. at the Vets Hosp. as tree farm for city **** Acquisition of Saw Mill Hills (Ryan Rd./Sylvester Road area) *** Acquisition of mineral – 2000 acres leading
to Easthampton * Acquisition of Park Hill Agricultural property *** Protection of wildlife corridors into the City from surrounding towns * Gather data on where wildlife does travel
in the City *** Preserve green space at Hospital rather than development ******* Locate more in town green space, Preserve green/open space BIKE PATHS AND RAIL TRAILS ***Have bike lanes
on roadways vs. rail trails Improve mobility on bikes ***Bad location for proposal bike path along Mill River. Should preserve this area *** Better bike path maintenance ***** Bike Paths--Protect
vista view, beautify, better maintenance, Develop winter use, Create hard pack rather than paved paths, finish connecting, extend to surrounding towns, lanes in town *Concern for using
area along Mill River in Leeds for bike path—reduce tranquility Protect area along Mill River and Beaver Brook/Mill river-save village character and share with others/Preserve Mill River
area with bencheswalking trails **Controlling use of lands by dirt bikes and snow mobiles **Limit paving in park areas ***Green corridors connecting to create “necklace” for extended
walking/hiking ***Protecting “hilltops” from development—purchase or regulator ***Play area for kids—soccer, skating, playing fields (the fairgrounds?) ***City should purchase more open
and green spaces **Regulations should allow for preservation of open spaces when development occurs Invite “recreation” and informed use in Meadows (causes damage?) **State Hospital—Balanced
plan to bring industry ***City should buy land abutting the river, but clean riverbank ***Access to the river—bike trails Connect to larger greenway system Cluster development makes
transportation more efficient and preserves open space Like parks in the city, they are well-maintained by all Propose that city land is used/not limited to certain departments and restricted
to others—it should be used for its most appropriate use **Preserve the Meadows and farmland from development Need another downtown green space, e.g. old Mill River bed area Pulaski
park – more village green enclosed by buildings – focal point – make like a common
Vision 2020 – Page 40 Village green in Bay State Center Trees-overall-old-won’t last long-Summer St. Tree planting want forest trees Pocket parks-small neighborhoods be interested in
their own Not much space in village for growth, it’s small Remaining open space near Barrett St. **Look park to Hospital grounds green Old quarry off King St. **Consciousness about wild
life movement **Containing already developed ***Bridge over Mill River to Hospital ground More grounds Ryan School **Conservation land kept wild-not too much access **Bike path on roads
being rebuilt (keep trees)-Ryan Rd., Burts Put(???),Rt.66, Rt.9 concern about infill-development Need something like a tot lot in Crosby St., by Industrial Park-¼ acre Board walks on
swampland **Put a tight grip on open spaces-use need trees-hiking trails-etc **Private land-landowners can make decisions-should city make plans to fund the purchase of these areas Parking
issues at rail trail-need parking VA hospital space-golf course and arts center Maybe government heath program Zoning issues-maybe have to revise Community services in Look Park with
center with Arts Council and PTO’s LAND MANAGEMENT ***Provide funds for current conservation and recreation land-signs, trails, supervision Control for invasive plants ***Do not allow
buildings on ridgeline through zoning ***Keep agricultural land as agriculture-not change to recreation PROGRAMMATIC (PRIMARILY RECREATION) School properties/facilities being utilized
by community on evenings and weekends Look park fees becoming too expensive for locals. Provide discount for locals. Season passes for locals More citizen input in management of Look
Park (e.g. more community members on board) MANAGE PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT LOCALS VS. SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES * Open all City schools on nights and weekends, open for more recreation Create
more multi-use of the Fair Grounds Remove the wooden play structure at Jackson Street School *****Create more recreation areas in wards throughout the City, maintain existing ones-Build
skate board park, ice skating, more lighted recreation fields, more swim options, reconstruct/create more tennis courts *** Better enforcement of the City’s leash law or establish a
dog park * Institute summer playground programs in neighborhoods
Vision 2020 – Page 41 RECREATION, NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, TOT LOTS ETC. ** Locate more community garden plots (and bird sanctuaries) throughout the City Montview Rd – acquire a 4 acre plot
for a community garden location * Locate defined areas for hunting in the City Develop Keyes field as park in Florence **** Survey neighborhoods throughout the City to identify potential
open space areas ** Discuss lot size averaging *** Preserve all views of the Holyoke Range Sheldon field-Do not develop as a Park and Ride Airport grandfathered for entertainment uses
Basketball hoops for Sheldon fields School properties should allow more uses for recreation (including adult activities). Accommodate youth activities with existing school property Youth
should feel like they are part of downtown, youth community center needed Community gardens-Burts Pit Rd.-expand this area/use state hospital for these Gardens Meadow off Rd.66-maintained
as open space (area just down from monuments) not paved for parking Save property along Sylvester Rd. Save grand historic trees on State Hospital CONSERVATION AND GREENWAYS ACQUISITION
Fitzgerald Lake-increase area Expand existing areas-create large areas for sake of wild life Access to greenways and conservation areas from urban areas, especially Mill River Preserve
pristine areas Florence needs central park/common-ATM space perfect on space in front of old Bookends **Keep the cows at Smith voc. **No homeless shelter at bike path **Keep green space
downtown/green space behind bank Center situated Florence Ctr. Park ***Maintain bike path – clean it regularly FACILITIES AND SERVICES Health Care-Health care from schools, clinic in
Caldor Plaza, comm health care ctr’s-work with social/health, More senior health services and residential (VA), public health nurse Forbes library (needs Sunday and other increased hours),
need small branch libraries Residential facilities for mentally ill at State Hospital Outdoor educational facility at Turkey Hill Homelessness, food pantry need Explore alternatives
housing and transportation for elderly City unions without contracts (morale concern) Local neighborhood schools *Encourage participation and outreach, Neighborhood councils More adult
programs
Vision 2020 – Page 42 Youth – center or programs, Structured alternatives, youth congestion downtown, *Teen center run by teens, Entrepreneurship for youth, Needing forums for teens-respect
for young people, Need structured alternative for teens, business and teens can work together Barter/community dollars program Maintain what we have including infrastructure Academy
of Music, Arts Center New Police station downtown Social clinics -Mental health needs Concern over Drug increase for teens Integrate services/sharing care networks etc, Maintain diversity
Public gathering spaces: community meetings and Community center Money to staff and supply schools for quality education/Look for creative ways to cut cost in education, i.e. improve
education and physical aspect of schools Override for operating costs Information center for tapping available “people resources” Flight to charter and private schools must stop Neighborhood
schools are important to some (adults) Need public access to schools for adults Simplify Simplify use of city resources—its public use but treat it as departments??? Encourage multi-use
buildings—afford to keep them open, not just vacant school buildings Reuse vacant public buildings for uses that may not be for community services Schools should be center for community
and social services, open for recreation Conflict with school system depends on where you live—class rooms too big, teachers’ pay too low, Must have schools that appeal to a variety
of users Strengths: integrated preschools and Head Start programs in high schools Services, located in one place, for people who are in transition (down-sized, jobless, etc.) and need
guidance Small neighborhood schools—parents are more involved Satellite senior centers Nothing for teens to do in Leeds, Kids needs, hanging out, talking, place to be invited concerns
with homeless: Homeless shelter at the State Hospital—year round shelter with greater opportunity for people to be productive and work— farming and land management vs. downtown environment
VA, college campuses, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame No social services in Ward 3 Use college interns to develop “directories” of information Have “community service” function at police
department More shelters for bus riders Need to have a community center (like Bangs)in downtown/cultural events – on a bus route/Encourage downtown cultural events More restrooms and
phones(by academy) and bike racks Have a multicultural nature center for New Americans – actual place Keep recreational area going in winter-flood and skating on a field for instance-including
play areas, Need skateboard park in the city Deal with conflict between school department and recreation department-use of Facilities Facilitator wish: conserve 50 Jackson St. Development
of Department of parks and recreation (together)-all year long under one management Maybe a theater in Florence or Leeds Use South Hadley model-Book Store/shops for Florence Pikes theater
at Look Park-step up with crowd and attend dance(???)
Vision 2020 – Page 43 Need to walk to services Arts festival like taste of Northampton Discourage chain stores or limit size Encourage arts, Have artisans have 1 or 2 times a year an
open house Other Build underground Price Chopper redevelopment Expand variety of materials that can be recycled Control trees, Lack of trees in commercial districts Tension of historic
district and multiple regulations – tax incentives Mixed use done sensitivity – hard to decide Have to integrate historic-with strip on King and Pleasant Street Most of the forces for
change are beyond our control People should shop in village-need stores that draw vs. stores that serve Florence should compliment downtown Northampton and King Street Parson’s Brook
and surrounding No way to interact with highway department now-about environmental issues Not always better, different-need long range plans for $ education Watch trends # students Festival
or event to draw people to Florence Bring generation together Need to have people in area step forward to work to get what you want Florence-should not have more than our fair share,
difference opinion on current share-don’t encourage more Florence Sign design review FAVORITE PLACES ***Open Space, Recreation, and Parks ***Child’s Park ***Fitzgerald Lake Conservation
Area ***State Hospital (including sledding hills) ***River, including Oxbow, but needs public park ***Look Park, but difficult to get in – sledding, tennis, kids ***Arcadia Wildlife
***Meadows *Barret St. Marsh *Maine’s Field Pocket parks Leeds reservoir Pulaski Park House Mountain area ****Rail Trail/Bike Path ***Smith College (Library, Fort Hill, Mill River, Paradise
Pond, Greenhouse)
Vision 2020 – Page 44 ***Downtown Northampton (Main St, Forbes Library, local businesses, esp. State St Fruit Store, Serios, Farmer’s Market, Raven Used Books) Academy of Music, Calvin,
Fire and Water, Artist’s Galleries Old Fire Station ***Special character South St./West St./State St. (Skate board?)/Elm St. Restaurants/Ice cream places *Airport Clark School Area around
cement factory at Hatfield/N. Elm Jackson St School and housing complexes American Legion PVTA Mary Brown’s **Smith Vocational Farm Clement St. Bridge YMCA Junkyard ***Community gardens
Baystate Commercial, especially Smitty’s and Cutlery area *Florence Diner ***Lily Library *Cooper’s Corner Florence Post Office ***Unique neighborhoods Like self sufficient villages
Like Leeds, Bay state etc. How do you define your neighborhood? ***Based on where you walk, Sense of community through walking distance and events like parades **Houses in your area,
What you see out your front and back doors ***Where you feel comfortable and connected, ***Who you interact with, Variable and personal Length of kids tether History *Village association
Evolution of neighborhood concept based on development of new areas (state hospital) Changes (school closing) brings a neighborhood together Schools, Temple **Whole town is your neighborhood
Neighborhood concept is transitioning from physical to social/work connections Locally owned businesses *State hospital was/is? in everyone’s neighborhood There are neighborhoods within
neighborhoods that are linked by desire and/or need Surrounding open spaces, Bike path
Vision 2020 – Page 45 Unique and special local qualities Marginal/fragile neighborhood (downtown) Physical neighborhood is a larger area whereas faces define human neighborhood ***By
shared values, community work, and solidarity, defined by the activities you do Crisis brings a neighborhood together Mix of apartments and single-family houses Need time to spend where
you live and interact with neighbors Friendly cohesive, easily defined neighborhoods have been built up in cul-de-sacs, but Throughways and access roads have lost out FAVORITE QUALITIES
OF NEIGHBORHOOD AND TOWN **Progressive City Dogs and cats Diagonal parking downtown ****“college town” ****Very special sense of pride and sense of community, closeness, sense of permanence
****Village feel (for others college-town feel) Hearing kids playing in Park school Great for young families ****Sense of safety and tolerance, including safe to walk around at night
**General quality of life, Ease of living/convenience of laundry, public transport Cul-de-sacs sacs School as meeting place Quality of safety services and infrastructure *****Historical/cultural
heritage/Historic structures/architectural beauty ****Mixed use within walking distance (residential, business, open space), Vibrant pedestrian culture, Pedestrian/walkable friendly
****Don’t have to use car Ecological atmosphere ***Mixture of housing types, Mix of rentals and family housing ***Economic diversity-Proper mix of business, Small businesses, Diversity
of professions ****Social diversity, mix of age groups with lots of young people, integrated neighborhoods Living wage jobs, Work-able Honor Court **Artist spaces, Strength of arts in
community, ***Libraries, arts, ***Arts and industry mix *****Open space kind of city, ***Close natural areas, ******Rural character, Scenic vistas, Night sky, Privacy in woods, Large
trees, Nice view across Pulaski Park Natural paths link neighborhood Remaining farms/New England character Quiet, See and hear everything Businesses are attractive and friendly Centrally
located schools ****Unique mix of rural and downtown—best of both worlds Education is a big industry
Vision 2020 – Page 46 *Geography-proximity, suburban, rural, city, college-Amount of spaces between houses Urban and close to Boston, Central location ***Sense of diversity and tolerance
and acceptance for lifestyle differences (e.g. gay and lesbian community) ****Vibrant and alive downtown **Great building restoration and reuse (Academy of Music, Calvin, Community Music
School, Thorne’s Performance Space) Great and varied restaurants and ice cream Teen center in Florence Group clean ups of rural areas BIGGEST DRAWBACKS OF NEIGHBORHOOD ****Lack of Functional
downtown stores (hardware, department stores etc.) ****Lack of Parking in Northampton ****Traffic (including neighborhood streets, e.g. Williams St and Pine St., as short cuts) ****Lack
of affordable and decent housing ***Development of affordable housing should be encouraged ***Concerned about development of State Hospital *Concerned with environment along river *Concerned
about crime, especially at night and in neighborhoods Pleasant St.-lacks of open open spaces, you have walk up Elm St./Smith College **Buildings not accessible ****Too many big trucks
in town, Dumpsters at 6am, trains, in front of Barts Too much college noise, traffic, parties, lack of parking around Smith***** Tracks are not well maintained Prospect St. and Elm St.
are barriers, Prospect St. too wide to cross People getting squeezed in -need to zone smaller lots ***Increased cost of real estate, *****Anxiety about over-development **Poor school
quality Sidewalks and crosswalks not kept clear * Dogs not cleaned-up after, Dog control and dog barking Diagonal parking and Bike lanes on streets are dangerous *Main St. has separated
from rest of town ****Lack of diversity in town, Too homogeneous, ***Mix income levels ****Too many speeding cars, Speed of cars and fatalities in more rural areas *Animals-coyotes,
skunks, feral cats, beavers, rabid raccoons, Cat shelter Quality of safety services and infrastructure, **Need more infrastructure *Concerns with loss of open space, ***Need to protect
open space Concerns with growing high speed rail or gambling casinos Need standing parking places in front of video stores, dry cleaners There is resistance to change in neighborhoods
***Need better public transportation(more frequently) **Concern for air quality, water quality, level of pesticides Use bike paths for light rails/mono rails, Need curfew for bike path
Prohibitions against home businesses
Vision 2020 – Page 47 *Concerned about homelessness and other disenfranchised people Sense of neighborhood lost with loss of neighborhood schools/Strengthen village association ***Need
to be more pedestrian friendly with more and better sidewalks. *Need better upkeep of roads/**Concern with snow removal ***Need more community centers, ***Need more youth centers(accessible
near town) ***Need better community/police relations and more community policing ***Need more free activities for all *Need to include young people in planning and funding and addressing
their needs Need better transportation for elders *Need for more age/racial/ethnic/family/economic integration across the city Co-housing model expanded/Need more rental opportunities
Vocational school more community connected Need to preserve physical beauty/*Need small pocket parks and community gardens Many don’t feel welcome in downtown Safe for middle age but
not safe for teens Focus growth in currently used areas Neighborhoods are very small Concern about empty Caldor center Need more funding for public arts Schools need huge funding, Need
more for children More transportation Round Hill Rd. student parking narrows roads In Leeds: Not enough activities and places for kids Need more small industry /offices, Lack of stores,
cafés, need cable channel Need more open space and protect, Balance green with business More public transportation, Car speeds reduced, paved road for bikes In Florence: Isolation of
low-income housing, need diversity Businesses concerned with the impact of low income residents Loss of retail, Small business and industry loss, high transience, No natural food stores
or restaurants Shortage of parking Getting too big Need more community communication, greater sense of neighborhood Noise and traffic, Worried about increased traffic that comes with
growth Difficulty in maintaining affordable housing, Cost of living Safety issues increasing, School quality, No school within walking distance Need stricter zoning regulations Need
more green space downtown, Need more sidewalks
Vision 2020 – Page 48 LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN/CHANGE/KEEP (Usually if resources not an issue) Build footbridges across Mill River-Smitty’s store-Wire co More snow removal downtown including
sidewalks Less chlorine in Water/Improve water quality Fencing on top of bridge Keep things as they are at State Hospital-make right of ways through State Hospital More growth in Florence,
Leeds, and Northampton Center More coordinated effort between local groups and city -Lake Fitzgerald Newcomers guide to Northampton More single family apartments *Encourage locally owned
business More education on how transportation system should be used Make streets safer for bikes Fewer restrictions on Musante beach Preserve Smitty’s, Hospital hill Preserve mix(industry,
residential, socio-cultural) *Calm traffic(speed bumps /obstacles) Sewer and water lines defined development Preserve downtown Enforce smoking laws **Light rail from Florence to Northampton
to Amherst and within Northampton *Public outdoor pool *Village green/square in Bay State center in front of Cutlery building **Role of Northampton in regional planning *Bay State identity
to be preserved *Growth boundaries around developed areas *Public education campaign on environmental issues *Cable channel for Leeds *Maintain infrastructure (expand water system to
serve all residential areas) *Encourage arts Increase the contribution of Smith College to community benefits from their skills Make use of air space above Caldor parking lot Diamond
hall complex *Incubators Leeds --Stay the same, Preserve rural quality, Coffee shop, Downtown skate park, less bedroom/more self sustaining, Monorail to UMASS, Raise quality of elementary
education Northampton Less bedroom community, Avoid becoming “greater Springfield,” More alternative transportation; shuttle buses, Noise pollution ordinance and Eliminate neon sign
Don’t tax downtown business too much, Greater community participation in government, better identification of boards
Vision 2020 – Page 49 Preserve open space /hist. buildings, More green in dev. areas(plant trees on King St) *Need solid waste , recycling Keep business in regional neighborhoods, not
cut off by big roads FIVE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS *Control sprawl and **Maintain/preserve open space Minimize auto uses with public transit and incentives offered to employers to reduce
auto use Social services provided to those who need them Northampton should accept responsibilities with being economic and social service center Keep subsidized housing, but new subsidies
should go toward purchase rather not rentals Do not concentrate subsidized housing but disperse it Set up economic development commission **Affordable and diverse housing – creative
solutions Schools – improve and figure out how to provide for increase in school age children Limited development along the Mill River Solve problems of making urban center safe and
attractive Safety services and infrastructure Preserve and expand diversity and social cohesiveness Jobs *Access – cars, mass transportation, bikes, feet Support neighborhoods – policing,
schools, village idea, historic preservation *Get to schools for kids’ input in 2020 vision *Develop village centers with residential commercial and employment *Involve community members
decision making/develop a safe and welcoming community *Plan for efficient and non polluting transportation systems *May not be growth but change *Schools and community centers Affordable
business space