Pye 88 Crescent StCarolyn Misch <cmisch@northamptonma.gov>
88 Crescent St
1 message
Renna Pye <rennapye@gmail.com>Tue, May 10, 2022 at 5:28 PM
To: cmisch@northamptonma.gov
Dear Ms. Misch and Members of the Planning Board
Thank you for the opportunity to voice concerns about the proposed project at 88 Crescent Street.
I am a neighbor just two houses away at 60 Crescent St. (The house numbers are not consecutive).
According to documents on the city website and following conversations with the new owner (which were kindly facilitated by Karen Foster) I understand that the plan is to convert the existing house to a two family house, demolish the existing one car garage, build a second, larger
two car garage down the hill as well as a large parking area, and then also to build a second small house on the property near the street, 10 feet from the sidewalk.
Runoff and water problems (well known to those of us living on Round Hill) are a significant concern, especially with more excavation, more impermeable surfaces, and the proposed removal of the majority of the vegetation on the property. Currently, less than 1/4 of the site is
composed of impermeable surfaces, mainly the roof of the house and that of the one car garage, and there are many trees and shrubs.
With the proposed design, it appears that around 2/3 of the lot would be covered with impermeable surfaces.
This could be ameliorated by requiring that the large proposed parking lot in the middle of the property with space for 5 cars could be built with permeable materials.
Of course, if the new owners were to build only one new combined structure on the property (that is, a combined new garage and dwelling space) rather than two new structures, that would also not only allow more green space to remain intact but also would be more in keeping
with the neighborhood.
The proposed additional living structure 10 feet from the sidewalk in front of the existing (historic) house would be the only situation of this kind in a row of historic houses with intact front yards.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Renna Pye MD
60 Crescent St
Northampton MA