10D-013 145 water st planningr./
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT • CITY OF NORTHAMPTON
Citvq Hall • 21 o Main Street Room 11 • Northampton MA of o60 -3198 • ( 5 -1266 • Fax: 5 87 -1264
WaNne Feiden, Director • email: plan ning @citNmortbampton.mams • internet :wwrvnortbamptonplanning.org
March 27, 2001
Deborah Belkin
145 Water Street
Leeds, MA 010503
RE: Map IOD, Parcel 13
Dear Ms. Belkin:
I appreciate your interest and concern regarding access to and activities allowed on Roberts Hill
Conservation area. This letter confirms and clarifies our conversation yesterday.
Old Sheppard Road, the unpaved portion of which extends beyond the current black top surface in front
of your house, provides public access to Roberts Hill Conservation Area. Therefore, no use of
motorized vehicles, including your son's motorbike, is allowed in this area. In addition, the various
temporary storage shelters that you have erected on this access road should be removed and placed on
your property. This should be done as soon as construction of your garage is complete, or sooner if your
construction is delayed beyond this coming season.
With regard to the construction of your garage, you may allow contractors and construction trucks on
this section of unpaved Old Sheppard Road, only temporarily and only for. the purpose of this project,
under the following conditions:
1. All vehicles must be parked to the side of the road nearest your property so that pedestrians may
pass freely to the conservation area;
2. You must return the road to its existing condition, filling any ruts created by the vehicles and
generally stabilizing the area;
3. If you plan a permanent access to your garage via a driveway that extends from this unpaved section
of Old Sheppard Road, you must first obtain permission from the Conservation Commission. To do
this, please contact Cynthia Williams, Conservation Planner and Wayne Feiden, Planning Director.
Specific items that will need to be addressed will be improvements to this portion of unpaved road
and establishment of a public marker for users of the conservation area.
Finally, the efforts that you and other residents in the neighborhood have undertaken to stabilize Old
Shepard Road with bark mulch is very much appreciated. These are the type of activities that the Leeds
Civic Association will be conducting. We hope that you and your neighbors will participate with them.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me any time at 587 -1287.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Misch, AICP
Senior Land Use Planner /Permits Manager
planning board - conservation commission • zoning boardo f appeals • housing partnership • redevelopment autboritN • nortbampton GIS
economic development • communitNJevelopment • historic district commission • historical commission central businessarchitecture
original printed on recgcled paper
1401
LA WRENCE A SMITH
139 Water Street
Leeds, Massachuseta 01053
(413) 584 -9517 (h)
(413) 572 -6246 (w)
(413) 568 -6850 (far)
1arnmgJth139(a@yahao (h)
larry .smathC4mail.ci.westfieldmaus (w)
Mason Maronn
Northampton Conservation Commission
Re- Roberts Hill Conservation Area - Continued Dirt Bike Use
Mason,
cr
December 8, 2000
As of yesterday morning (December 7 at 7:15 a.m. the Howard's kids (this time it was their youngest
son Seth) were still riding their dirt bikes throughout the Roberts Hill Conservation Area. Last Friday a
Police Officer did approach the Howard kids, and apparently told them that they couldn't ride their dirt
bike in the street, but that he didn't know if they could ride their bikes in the conservation area or not, so
they have continued to do so. While they no Ionger ride down the street, they continue to ride the dirt
bike in the public way around the cul - de - sac. They also use this public way as their starting ramp for
jumping over the rise in their front yard.
To compound the issue, the Howard's have now constructed a dirt bike jump (they have laid down a large
log and covered it with earth) in the middle of the at the roadway leading up to the conservation are$,
which impinges on and discourages access to the area_ They ride up the dirt road, turn around in the
conservation area (where the parking area used to be) and race down the hill and over the jump. I believe
(at least according to the neighborhood kids) that one kid (not theirs) has already broken his arm using the
jump. They have cut two additional logs so I anticipate that they will be constructing additional jumps.
The Howard continue to abuse the area, which has discouraged its use by others_ Over the years the
Howard's kids have cut down trees and spray painted graffiti on boulders in the conservation area. The
parents have discouraged its use by restricting access up the entry road by parking their cars on it, and
dumping their cordwood in the winter, and hark mulch in the spring, in the middle of it
The parents typically, though they know that it is wrong, will allow it to continue until somebody tells
them to stop.
I think that the Conservation Commission needs to tell them to stop.
Yours, ,, r�
L
arty S; h
cc: Ray LaBarge, City Councilor
Northampton police Department
..o'
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT • CITY OF NORTHAMPTON
City Hall • 21 o Main Street, Room ii • Northampton, MA o f o60 -3198 • 4 1 3)5 8 7 -12 . 66 • Fax: 587-12.64
Wayne Feiden,Director -ema it: plaililing@city.yiortbamptoyi.ma.us • internet :wwwnorthamptonplanning.org
December 7, 2000
James Howard and Deborah Belkin
145 Water Street
Leeds, MA 01053
Dear Mr. Howard and Ms. Belkin:
Residents in your neighborhood have brought to our attention that your children have been using
motorized dirt bikes in the Roberts Meadow Conservation area. Use of motorized vehicles is
prohibited in all city owned conservation areas. The one exception is that snowmobiles may be
used in Roberts Meadow only when the ground is frozen and covered with snow). Please ensure
that your children understand this restriction.
If you have any questions about the use of the Conservation areas, please feel free to contact
Cynthia Williams; the City's conservation planner, or me.
Sincerely,
l Y
1
Carolyn Misch, AICP
Senior Land Use Planner/Permits Manager
cc: Northampton Conservation Commission
Ray LaBarge, Ward 7 City Councilor
planning board • conservation commission • zoning board o of appeals • housing partnership • redevelopment authority • northampton GIS
economic development • communityJevelopment • bistoricdistrictcommission • historicalcommission• centraIbusinessambitecture
originalprintedon recycledpaper
1402
`.W `../
LA RWENCE B. SMITH
139 Water Street
Leeds, Massachusetts 01053
(413) 584 -9517 (h)
(413) 572 -6246 (w)
(413) 568 -6850 (fax)
lanysmith139 @yahoo_ca (h)
IBM- smi a 1 W
Mason Maronn
Northampton Conservation Commission
Mason,
December 1, 2000
As we discussed earlier in the week my neighbors (Jay Howard and Debbie Belkin) who live at the end of
Water Street ( #145) in heeds have given their son Casey (e grade) a new dirt bike. For the past week,
with the knowledge and consent of his parents, Casey has turned the entire neighborhood of Leeds, as
well as the Roberts Hill Conservation Area, into his own private dirt bike course. From before 7.00 in the
morning to until after 10:00 at night (I assume taking time off for school) Casey, and more recently along
with a couple of his fl lends, have been riding their bikes on his property as well as through the streets of
the center of Leeds, up the old railroad bed along the Mill River, and throughout the Roberts Hill
Conservation Area. The fact that these dirt bikes have now taken over the Roberts Hill Conservation Area
has made it inaccessible to those of us who used to utilize it for its intended purpose, that being a
naturalized open space area. While his parents will probably argue that he is only going up the dirt road
and not entering the Conservation Area, this is not true as we have witnessed him riding on the trails.
Of even greater concern is that Casey has now informed the other kids in the neighborhood that his
Parents are planning on getting his younger brother Seth (e grade) his own dirt bike for Christmas. Now,
since the Howard's property is relatively small, relative to its use as a dirt bike course, I can't imagine
where the parents think their kids will be using these bikes. They certainly aren't taking them to
authorized and legally established dirt bike courses (wherever that might be).
I guess I have three questions relative to the Roberts Hill Conservation Area:
a) is the use of this area for a dirt bike course permitted, and
b) if so, how does this use impact the purpose and uses for which this area was originally established, or
C) if not, what steps can the Conservation Commission take to prevent this family from using/abusing it
as such.
Thanks,
arro t
CC' Ray LaBarge, City Councilor
Northampton police Department
, %MW
.00
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT • CITY OF NORTHAMPTON
City Hall • 21 o Main Street, Room i i • Nonbam MA o i o60 -3198 • (4 -Fax: 587 -1264
Wayne Feiden, Director • emai t: planning @city.northa mpton.ma.us • internet:wwwnorthamptonp[anning org
December 7, 2000
James Howard and Deborah Belkin
145 Water Street
Leeds, MA 01053
Dear Mr. Howard and Ms. Belkin:
Residents in your neighborhood have brought to our attention that your children have been using
motorized dirt bikes in the Roberts Meadow Conservation area. Use of motorized vehicles is
prohibited in all city owned conservation areas. The one exception is that snowmobiles may be
used in Roberts Meadow only when the ground is frozen and covered with snow). Please ensure
that your children understand this restriction.
If you have any questions about the use of the Conservation areas, please feel free to contact
Cynthia Williams, the City's conservation planner, or me.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Misch, AICP
Senior Land Use Planner/Permits Manager
cc: Northampton Conservation Commission
Ray LaBarge, Ward 7 City Councilor
planning board • conservation commission -zoning boa rd o appeals • ho using partners - redeve top men tauthority • northamptonGIS
economic deve top men t • community development • yistoricdistrictcommission - historicaIcommission • centraI business architecture
original printed on recycledpaper