TwoFamilyByRightSupportLetter
Planning Board October 22, 2020 210 Main Street Northampton, MA 01060 RE: Two-Family By Right Zoning Amendment Honorable Members, This letter is to express the Northampton Housing Partnership’s unanimous support for the proposed zoning amendment to allow two-family homes by right in the URC, URB, URA, SR, RR, or WSP Districts of the City. The Northampton Housing Partnership was updated on the proposed amendment by the staff
from the Office of Planning & Sustainability and members of the Housing Partnership who attended the public forum with the Planning Board on September 24, 2020. The Housing Partnership’s vote in favor of supporting the amendment change was enthusiastically unanimous. The Housing Partnership has long supported a diversity of housing options and affordable
housing in Northampton. The Housing Partnership is excited that this amendment will allow for more housing units that the City desperately needs, more diverse housing units (the need for family housing is great), and make the process for creating housing less costly. There is still a concern that the units produced may not be affordable, either through the type of units being created or through speculation by interlopers. The Housing Partnership implores the Planning
Board and City staff to investigate this further and propose mitigatory language in the zoning amendment. The Housing Partnership believes that the moderate increase in density that this amendment allows, will be consistent with the historical character of Northampton and further the goals of a
more sustainable City. Further, creating more housing units will create more opportunities for homeownership and move the City further from historically exclusionary zoning practices. The Housing Partnership appreciates the work that the Planning Board is doing to allow for more housing choice, for their continued support of affordable housing, and for allowing the Housing
Partnership the opportunity to comment. If you need additional information, please contact us at 413-587-1288. Respectfully,
Reverend Todd Weir, Chair
Northampton Housing Partnership