ZRC possible next steps
TO: Zoning Revisions Committee (ZRC) and Planning Board
FROM: Wayne Feiden, FAICP, Director of Planning and Development
Carolyn Misch, AICP, Senior Land Use Planner/Permits Manager
DATE: October 1, 2010
RE: Sustainable Northampton Zoning Implementation
The ZRC, Planning Board and the community has been discussing the next steps towards significant
zoning changes. We wanted to offer our recommendations on how to move forward.
“The perfect is the enemy of the good”
Northampton has much to be proud of in our zoning, sustainable elements of which have long
earned widespread accolades. These sustainable elements have played a major part in why
Northampton consistently earns the highest Commonwealth Capital score in the state, why the
American Planning Association gave Northampton its coveted Great Places in America: Streets
award, why we won a Mass. Chapter APA Outstanding Planning Award for Social Advocacy, why
we became one of the National Historic Trust’s Dozen Distinctive Places. City Solicitors and Town
Counsels, American Planning Association, the former Office of Commonwealth Capital, and
Department of Housing and Community Development have all asked us to speak at conferences to
highlight some of these zoning successes.
We know, however, that there are substantial opportunities to improve our zoning and there are
sections that we should all be embarrassed about.
Sustainable Northampton includes objectives of a major rewrite of our zoning, including a possible
move towards form-based code. The plan is clear, however, that we first need to address “low-
hanging fruit” zoning changes. A massive revision is a very long term project. If we focus on this
before we work on the low-hanging fruit that is easy to address, we breed discontent with
regulations that we know how to fix and do a disservice to our population.
For example, during the time which we have virtually stopped making zoning changes so the ZRC
can move forward, ignoring low-hanging fruit has led to:
An indefensible requirement for a permit for a tiny expansion of a medical office building.
A fast food restaurant needing permission to be more environmentally sound by not having
unneeded parking spaces.
A bank requiring a more difficult permit than a fast food restaurant needs.
Rules that create cluster residential developments that do not serve community interests.
Tables that are unnecessarily complex, confusing residents and wasting public resources.
Reliance on outdated dimensional standards that eliminate or severely restrict ability to
upgrade/preserve existing housing stock. (costs are so high they can’t be recouped without
adding units).
Missed opportunities to allow live-work or home occupations within walking distance of
downtown.
Missed opportunities to allow new single family homes on infill lots.
Requiring home owners to traverse the special permit process to create modest additions or new
single family homes.
King Street Rezoning Proposed Next Steps
After four months of review of the Chamber’s proposal, OPD and ZRC analysis, and two
community meetings, it is time to all sit down together and move forward.
We recommend holding a joint Planning Board/ZRC/Chamber Economic Development
Committee design and policy workshop/charrette in late October or early November. A charrette is
the most creative way to work together and not create cross purposes.
The public would be welcome to attend and contribute at a defined public comment session,
perhaps held in the middle of the charrette, but this session would primarily be a work session to
find common ground and creative solutions for those who have worked so hard on this issues. Any
finding, would then be open for public vetting and interactive participation.
Sustainable Northampton Rezoning Proposed Next Steps
We recommend recommitting to:
Addressing the low-hanging fruit identified in the plan.
Fixing the basic tables in zoning that make up the huge percentage of the public’s use of zoning.
Replacing text with graphics.
Expanding the GB and CB business districts in areas recommended by the plan when there is
consensus.
Expanding range of uses allowed as home office/occupation
Expanding areas where mixed use is allowed.
Altering dimensional tables in residential districts where there is consensus
In order to complete these items by the end of the ZRCs two year term, we recommend that OPD
planning staff and Planning Board submit a series of proposals to the ZRC for them to conduct
community outreach and provide review comments. Some of these would be based on the
foundation for proposed changes the ZRC has already created. This would save the ZRC the time
writing, researching and prioritizing proposals and would allow the ZRC to best serve the role it was
created for—involve and represent diverse stakeholders.
The Planning Board could then re-evaluate how effective this somewhat redefined role is in March
or April and renew or reconstitute the ZRC at that time based on what this evaluation.