MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER 2, 2009
ZONING REVISION COMMITTEE

Attending: Joel, Wayne, Jim, Stephen, Tom, Danielle, Adin, Peter, Stephen

1. Public Comment – None

2. Presentation on Infill Development by Joel

Showed examples using photos taken by Aaron Helfand in Saratoga NY, Storrs CT, West Hartford CT, Mashpee MA, and Holyoke MA.

Comments from public and zoning committee members:
• Good to consider street trees, planters, greenery
• Why is the Hospital Hill Development having trouble, compared to examples shown?
• Most of projects in presentation were developer driven, not city driven
• Many examples Joel showed are fairly retail driven
• Discussion continued

3. Subcommittee Reports

a. Urban Agriculture – Jim and Danielle

Urban Agriculture Public Meeting on Chickens and Other Livestock: Scheduled for 9/14, 7 p.m. Hearing Room 18.

Issues to be addressed in increasing residential livestock allowances: Noise, stink, water pollution.

We have had discussions with USDA about water pollution issues. Solutions include: density limits based on type of livestock/waste generated, vegetated buffers, nutrient management. Other considerations: permitting, enforcement.

Larger urban agriculture issues that could be addressed in future: Community gardens (siting/zoning), commercial farms (how to support), supplementary income (allowing sale of residentially produced agricultural products), fertilizer and pesticide application (water pollution)

Future meeting to be held with farmers in the Meadows area.

b. Cluster Rewrite - Joel and Stephen

Cluster ordinance in need of significant revisions.

Will be meeting with landowners, developers, residents, and civic associations to collect input.

Cluster developments are the predominant model for subdivision development in Northampton.

Considerations: make sure protected land has real resource value; reconsider (perhaps reduce) overall development density allowed to increase land preservation (i.e. Shutesbury’s regulations now allow only one unit per 5 acres); consider subtracting out wetlands, etc. from base acreage (used to calculate number of units that can be developed); increase flexibility for developers as well as protections for environment

Strategy: focus on larger parcels outside the city, since that is where most cluster development is being done; maximize land preservation; tighten clusters; make ordinance more design driven and less driven by arbitrary dimensional requirements (i.e. lot size, frontage), make ordinance easier to understand

c. Energy – Adin and Dennis

Northampton is meeting Green Communities Act requirements and will be adopting the stretch code. Other committees/staff are working on this.

Older houses are a big issue, since they mostly will not be affected by the new stretch code. Possible zoning strategy: incentivize energy efficient retrofits with density bonuses. Energy subcommittee needs to meet with Housing subcommittee to discuss this. Question: What about new construction, can we incentivize greater energy efficiency with density bonuses here too? Yes, can look at that too.

Looking into possibility of tax based finance system for energy efficiency improvements. City loans money to homeowner (funding could be a grant, bond, etc.), and homeowner pays back loan through additional property tax assessment. Loan tied to the house not the individual. Works like a “betterment assessment” (often used for infrastructure improvements)

d. Housing - Peter, Dillon, Tom

Subcommittee has been fact finding. Combed through sustainability plan to understand issues and how they relate to zoning.

Issues: affordable/inclusionary zoning, parking, density, mixed use

Will be meeting with Housing Partnership

Wayne: Housing needs assessment to be completed for the city in December; city is exploring with PVPC different zoning models for inclusionary housing; report will be presented to the Planning Board and ZRC members on October 22.

Could housing subcomittee play a role in integrating various development constraints (i.e. affordable housing, conservation, etc.) and work of the subcommittees?

4. Election of Chair and Vice Chair

To serve until end of two year committee term.

Chair:
Adin nominates Dylan.
Tom nominates Joel (accepts)
Joel is elected chair

Vice Chair:
Jim nominates Dennis
Adin nominates Danielle (accepts)
Danielle is elected vice chair

5. Future Meetings

Discussion of schedule options. 1. Keep Wednesday and find alternate downtown location, i.e. Bridge Street School; 2 Change meetings to another day

Decision to stick with Wednesday and find another location. Joel to discuss with Carolyn.

Next Meeting: September 16th

Joel/Dillon Review of Zoning Ordinance postponed to October

Next steps for Design/Performance to be addressed next meeting. Joel to bring material to help structure discussion of design conversation

Next meeting will also include subcommittee reports