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ANNUAL REPORT-Planning-1974OF THE NORTHAMPTO PLANNING ·· BOARD AND THE ,NORT PTO PLANNING ,DEPARTMENT ~ • .,...__ )F THE, "ORTHAMPTO )LANNING 30ARD ~D THE "ORT PTO :>LANNING )EPARTMENT ~ • .__ PLANNING DEPARTMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The overall goal of the Planning Board and the Planning Department is TO DEVELOP A CONTINUING PROCESS BY WHICH BOTH THE SWRT RANGE AND LONG RANGE GOALS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE TRANSLATED INTO SPECIFIC PRO- GRAMS OF ACTION. Objectives of the Planning Department for the present Fiscal year include the fol- lowing: • Completion of the revision of the Proposed Zoning Ordinance, and a review of Subdivision Regulations. • Development of an ordinance aimed at minimizing erosion and siltation. • Restudy of certain functional ele- ments of the adopted Master Plan. • To develop and encourage citizen in- volvement in the planning process. In order for a continuing planning process to be le- gitimate, it must reflect the desires and needs-of the citizens that it serves. • Continual expansion of service to other agencies of the City Government and to the residents of the community. • Refine and redevelop procedures and processes for various types of applications which the Planning Department must review. 1 I BUDGET Expenditures by the Northampton Planning Board and the Planning Department for the calendar year 1974 were as follows: • Personal Service (Salaries) • Ordinary Maintenance (Expenses) • Capital Outlay (Equipment and Special Projects) • Out of State Travel TOTAL $19,711.60 3,806.04 4,989.90 200.00 $28,707.54 The budget for the Fiscal year ending June 30, 1975, is $26,868.40. An additional Urban Renewal Planner was hired during the year using funds from the Northampton Rede- velopment Authority's Survey and Planning Budget. During the present fiscal year the regular staff of the Northampton Planning Department is being augmented with personnel hired under the C.E.T.A. Program (Comprehen- sive Employment and Training Act). As of March 5, 1975. personnel with the following qualification• had been hired under the C.E.T.A. Proqram: clerk typist; draftsman: historical researcher: landscape deaigner: conservation planner: and planner. These additional personnel are assistinq the Conservation Commission: Historical Com- mission: Recreation Commission: Planning Board: Redevelopment Authority: and Planning Department. Although the C.E.T.A. Program is presently acheduled to last approximately one year. there are possibilities that this Feder- ally funded program could be continued. This program will be very beneficial to the City during ita existence and will enable the above named commissions and agencies to expand their activities without increased cost to the City. THE CITY MASTER PL.AN Traditionally, the City Master Plan has been an inventory of a city's facilities and natural resources. Based upon these inven- tories, goals were defined to guide the City in its development over long periods of time. A basic fault with all master plans is that they are not flexible enough to meet the constantly changing requirements of community growth. Many communities have now seen the limitations of these original master plans and a new trend is developing~ Instead of defining goals to be reached, the "new" mas- ter plan is attempting to control growth by establishing "policies" to guide development rather than define specific goals to be reached. Northampton's first master plan, com- pleted by Technical Planning Associates in 1964, was brief and not comprehensive enough to serve as a guide for growth in Northampton. In 1972 the Engineering Firm of Metcalf and Eddy, Inc. completed a second Master Plan for the City. Although comprehensive in nature, this second Master Plan for Community Develop- ment and Improvement has several basic faults and was goal oriented. The Northampton Plan- ning Department is now in the process of re- viewing this Plan and will prepare a new master plan based on policies to guide the future development of Northampton. ' i I i ' l i I WHAT IS PLANNING? Planning is the process of determining where we are, where we want to be, and how we get there. Everyone "plans", and almost all of our actions reflect some course of action or objective we are trying to pursue. Just as individuals and businesses must plan for the future, so must communities. The individual requirem~nts placed upon the com- munity by its citizens and local businesses in a modern changing worid are many and varied. Federal and state involvement in community affairs has increased over the past few years especially in the areas of revenue sharing and community development. The increased requirements of providing for the orderly development of Northampton and the coordination of the efforts neces- sary in meeting the constantly changing needs of the citizens of Northampton, and State and Federal Government has resulted in the need for a City Planning Department. NORTHAMPTON PLANNING DEPARTMENT The recognized need_ for a new zoning ordinance and the increasing administrative demands placed upon the Planning Board could no longer be adequately met without professional assistance. The Northampton Planning Department was officially estab- lished in July 1973 when the City hired a full-time City Planning Director. Prior to this time planning functions for the City of Northampton were carried out by the Northampton Planning Board, the Citizens' Advisory Committee, and the City's Planning Consultant, Metcalf & Eddy, Inc., Engineers, among others. TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL During the year ending December 31, 1974 the Planning Board of Northampton and its staff agency, the Northampton Planning Department, made considerable progress to- ward the objective of establishing a viable planning process in the City aimed at de- fining the needs and interests of the City's residents and converting these into programs and projects for the betterment of the com- munity. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Of specific significance were the fol- lowing accomplishments of the Northampton Planning Department: • A draft proposed zoning ordinance was published after some two years of in- tensive study and refinement. • The Planning Department staff as- sisted the Northampton Redevelopment Author- ity conduct its survey and planning study for the Pleasant/River Community Redevelop- ment Project, which will eventually funnel between one and two million dollars of state and federal investment into the City's down- town area. • The Planning staff undertook to as- sist the Historical Commission in the Bicen- tennial Committee,researching of procedures for the establishment of Historic Districts and the establishment of a separate Bicen- tennial Committee. Additionally, the Plan- ning staff assisted the Bicent~nnial Committee in the preparation of two applica- tions for state bicentennial grants. l f • The Planning staff also provided assistance to the Capital Improvement Program Committee in the development of the City's third six year program and at year's end was completing work on the fourth such report, to be delivered to the Mayor and the City Coun- cil in early 1975. • At year's end, funds were being sought to assist the Conservation Commission in creating a stafr position in the Planning Department to help advance the purpose of the Commission and enforce the provisions of the Wetlands Protection Act. A BRIEF HISTORY OF PLANNING IN NORTHAMPTON Planning today is rapidly becoming an integral part of municipal government. Northampton's first Planning Board was ap- pointed in 1914. In 1923 Northampton made its first attempt to zone the City but zon- ing was not popular at that time with iocal citizens. It wasn't until 1927 that the City Council accepted an ad interim zoning ordinance written by the Planning Board for use until a new comprehensive ordinance could be created. This temporary measure was actually in effect from 1927 until 1949, and was not adequate to regulate the growth of the City. In 1949, after a public hear- ing held by the Planning Board, the City Council adopted a new comprehensive zoning ordinance, and a Board of Appeals was ap- pointed by the Mayor and City Council. On March 27, 1975 the Planning Board presented a new draft proposed zoning ordinance to the City Council which has been updated to meet the present planning requirements of North- ampton. PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE PRQM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT The followinq publications are available from the Northampton Planninq Department, Memorial Hall, 240 Main Street, Northampton, Massachusetts, 01060: • Proposed Zoning Ordinance and Map • Northampton Compr•hensive Plan Summary • Northampton Subdivision Requlations • Capital Improvements 76-81 • Bicentennial Proqram SUMMARY $5.00 4.00 s.oo 1.00 3.50 In .summary, the Planning Board and i ta staff aqency, the City Planninq Department, have finally achieved the position of having a diversified and well qualified staff. Thia ataf f will enable the Planning Department to develop new programs whic~ will be beneficial to the citizens and long range interests of the City of Northampton. / I/') . ,,;J . . /-kt (1 At:L~e~ Charles w. Baranowski Chairman, Northampton Planning Board York Phillips /Assoc. , AIP /City Planning Director