Water Not Waste presented a Zoning Protest Petition to the City Council in response to the proposed Ordinance Changes regarding Special Permits for Heavy Public Use.

The Zoning Protest Petition stated:

We the Owners of land immediately adjacent and extending three hundred feet from the land  (Lot 42-79

&42-89) proposed to be included in the attached proposed zoning change (concerning Sections 350-10.7 & 5.2) hereby protest the action of the Northampton City Council regarding such zoning change, for the numerous reasons including but not limited to the following:

 

1.   The change is arbitrary and capricious in that the general welfare would be harmed by increased truck and other traffic,noise, congestion, poor air quality, and pollution of the environment;

 

2.     The change is arbitrary and capricious in that the general welfare would be harmed by locating the landfill expansion over the Barnes Aquifer, a source for public water supply;

 

3.     The change is arbitrary and capricious in that the general welfare would be harmed by expanding the landfill as such expansion is an objectionable use, with objectionable odor, noise, and increased traffic in a residential area; and

 

4.     The change is arbitrary and capricious in that the general welfare would be harmed by decreasing the property values.

A second protest petition was also presented that had the same language, but only referred to Lot 42-79, which is the proposed expansion site. Lot 42-89 is the current landfill site.

We filed the Zoning Protest Petition as was our right under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40A Section 5.

We believe that it was this Protest Petition which influenced the City Council to table indefinitely any further change to the City ordinance referring to Special Permits and Heavy Use Projects.

Here is video of comments from Mimi Odgers and Jo-Anne Bessette regarding the ordinance changes from the September 24th City Council meeting.

Video is courtesy of North Street Neighborhood Association.










Ordinance change proposed by Ward 4 City Councilor David Narkewicz. Councilor Narkewicz is now running for At-large City Councilor.


Ordinance change proposed by City Planner Wayne Feiden and the Planning Board.