31C-043 Mill River Greenway off Ward Avenue-Floodplain Review-2011
October 14, 2016
Wayne Feiden
Director of Planning and Sustainability
City Hall, 210 Main Street
Northampton MA 01060
RE: Proposed Bench, Ward Avenue Mill River Trail, Parcel 31C-036
Dear Wayne:
Thank you for contacting the Commission regarding a proposed bench in the floodplain along
the Mill River Trail.
Elevation data for the exact location of the bench is not available, so staff has assumed that the
entirety of the bench will be located within the floodplain. Based upon the Dumor construction
specifications, even if the bench were a solid block, it would only alter 22 cubic feet of
compensatory flood storage. The Northampton Conservation Commission voted that projects
impacting less than one cubic yard of bordering land subject to flooding do not "cause an
increase in or... contribute incrementally to an increase in the horizontal extent and level
of flood waters during peak flows," so no additional floodplain review is necessary.
As you know, the bench area is located within riverfront area. A Request for Determination
hearing regarding riverfront area work will be scheduled for the October 27 Conservation
Commission meeting.
Sarah LaValley