Three cheers for the Northampton City Council! Its recent vote will make it easier to build lower-cost housing in our city.
Before the May 21 vote, a developer could build a 2,500-square-foot single-family home without special review. Yet building a two-family structure of the same size, effectively two 1,250-square-foot homes, triggered a site-plan review, adding costs, delays, and uncertainty.
The new rules put two-family homes on the same footing as single-family homes. This change alone is unlikely to stop housing costs from rising, but it can help slow the increase and represents an important step in the right direction.
Jeff Sternal
Northampton