The Gazette’s bold front-page headline on May 20 was “Picture Main Street cost climbs again” and I inwardly groaned. This is not what anyone wants to hear about this incredibly divisive community issue. I read on. I continued reading on page A5. And in the second to last paragraph, paraphrasing Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, I read the most important words I’ve seen published to date about the project: “Should the city try to repair and renovate its sidewalk infrastructure without the help of the Picture Main Street project, and the state and federal aid that goes along with it, it will come at a more than $23.7 million dollar price to the city.”
Northampton has a century-old decrepit infrastructure that has to be addressed. We have a downtown that is inhospitable to anyone with mobility issues. We have poorly marked lanes that make driving through it more a less a free for all. All of this has to be improved and it will require a major and lengthy fix. This will be no fun for anyone, but it has to be done. So we can do it the mayor’s way (and have a beautifully envisioned downtown), or we can do it the expensive way (and still have the free-for-all). I know which I’d prefer.
Joanie Daniels
Northampton