NORTHAMPTON — Northampton looks like it will acquire a fourth parklet, following a unanimous vote by the City Council’s finance committee and another unanimous vote by the full council on Thursday.
The city’s Open Space, Recreation & Multi-Use Trail Plan supports the transformation of small urbanized areas into parklets or small parks, as part of a so-called pavement to parks policy. The three completed parklet projects in the city are the mobile downtown parklet, Amber Lane, and Hockanum Road/Pleasant street.
The potential newest parklet would be a gift from the owner of the Roundhouse, who has offered to develop and maintain a parklet on public land behind his building. The parkelt would be fully open to the public.
“It’s primarily going to serve people in their building,” said Northampton Director of Planning and Sustainability Wayne Feiden, who said it would be similar to the Amber Lane parklet.
The area previously had a deck on it, which the Roundhouse took down. As a condition of accepting a donation, a gate with the word “private” on it will be removed from the area.
The full council will vote on the donation in a second reading at the council’s next meeting on Sept. 21.