Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 4/5/2022
EASTHAMPTON – The Easthampton Planning Board and City Ordinance Subcommittee met on March 29 to continue their public hearing regarding a proposed amendment to the Smart Growth Overlay District. By the meeting’s end, the decision was made to approve the recommendation with modifications and refer it to the City Council.
The special zoning district, permitted by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40R, is designed to encourage the development of and access to deed-restricted affordable housing. Working essentially as an incentive program, 40R allows a developer to create more housing than zoning would normally permit provided at least 20 percent of the units are affordable.
The city’s current 40R district includes the Pleasant Street Mills, Main Street, Union Street and Cottage Street. Much of the discussion surrounding this district is focused on the expansion of this district to include the Center-Pepin Elementary School property and a significant portion of the highway business district on Northampton Street. The proposed changes will include amendments to the existing language and add flexibility.
During the initial public hearing on Dec. 14, District 3 City Councilor Thomas Peake, a member of the Ordinance Committee working on this proposal, described the goal of the town in adding this expansion as a way to set up an incentivized creation of affordable housing.
In continued discussion of the same topic during a Jan. 25 meeting, City Planner Jeff Bagg said that the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) would have to review and approve Easthampton’s amended proposal in the Smart Growth Overlay District before they continue discussing the nuances during public hearing.
Bagg opened the continued hearing with a preview and summary of where they are currently at in the process. He started by explaining he was awaiting the letter of approval from the DHCD but in the meantime their program director had at least went through and made edits within the smart growth overlay plan.
According to Bagg, the DHCD’s obligation after their 60-day review period is to issue or not issue a letter of eligibility for the city’s application. The DHCD informed Bagg they hope to have it submitted to the city by March 30, but as of that day, Bagg was still awaiting the letter.
“Once or if the city adopts this, then we would get a final approval from DHCD,” Bagg said.
Because the board ultimately voted to send this recommendation to the City Council, the projected date for their hearing on the Smart Growth amendment is currently May 4. Once Bagg is able to receive the letter from the DHCD showing their eligibility for this amendment, it will only take the city’s approval for the zoning amendment to go into place.
For more information, visit https://www.easthamptonma.gov/566/Zoning-Amendments.