NORTHAMPTON — As two affordable housing projects move forward along Pleasant Street, the city is taking steps to provide lots for affordable homes.
During a City Council meeting Thursday, councilors voted unanimously to authorize the purchase of 165 acres along Glendale Road and Burts Pit Road for conservation, with carve-outs for housing development.
Planning and Sustainability Director Wayne Feiden told councilors the plan is to underwrite the purchase with profits made by re-selling the lots, though some of the lots would be donated for affordable housing. The affordable lots would likely be taken over by Habitat for Humanity, or an organization like it, to build homes that people could buy at an affordable rate.
Feiden said he’s eyeing two of the lots on Glendale Road — the site of the earlier proposed Kensington Estates project, across the street from the old landfill — for affordable housing, while the lots on Burts Pit would likely be a mix of affordable and market rate.
“Market-rate housing is also a desperate need,” said Feiden. “These two projects are creating 12 lots that will be helpful for Northampton.”
The proposed Kensington Estates subdivision would have created 24 market-rate homes on 55 acres.
Three people spoke during public comment to the hot, humid conditions inside Pearl Street Nightclub on Saturday, asking councilors take their complaints about the “unsafe” conditions under advisement.
“The management at Pearl Street Nightclub put people’s health at risk,” said Cecilia Prado, of Randolph Place.
Three people also spoke to what they consider a need for a cemetery commission that could manage upkeep of the city’s historic gravestones.
“These cemeteries are an embarrassment to Northampton,” said Ruth McGrath, head of the Ward 6 Neighborhood Association. “They’re falling apart.”
Fred Zimnoch, of Pomeroy Terrace, said councilors may have made a mistake by voting to dissolve the Board of Public Works, whose function included cemetery maintenance.
“Did we throw the baby away with the bathwater?” he asked councilors.
Mayor David Narkewicz said city officials are looking into the work that’s needed for cemetery upkeep, and he’s open to the idea of forming an ad hoc committee to come up with recommendations.
Still, he said, he’s unsure that a stand-alone commssion is necessary.
“For me, it’s more of a historic preservation exercise,” he said later.
The council also approved several appointments, including those of Linda Desmond as senior services director and three new people to the Human Rights Commission: Brian Barnes of Main Street, Tara Ganguly of Chestnut Street and Christine Young of Westhampton Road.
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.