Bean_Allard_Farms_Final_Report_Conway_School
Bean and Allard Farms Converging Visions for a Village Landscape Elizabeth Cooper, Mary Praus, Kate Snyder Conway School of Landscape Design March 2010
Table of Contents Project Summary...................................4 A Sense of Place ....................................6 Turning Point | Land-Use Debate..............6-11 What Was
Here | Coveted Lands...............12-15 Community Voices | Guiding Principles...16-20 Goals............................................................21 Northampton Agriculture.....................
.....22-23 Northampton Recreation...........................24-27 Northampton Conservation.......................28-29 A Broader Look.....................................30 The Five-Town
Region.................................30 Farming’s Decline?......................................31 Surrounding Fields......................................32 Conservation Priorities................
...............33-34 Mapping the Region....................................35 MAP 1 Regional Agriculture MAP 2 Regional Recreation MAP 3 Regional Conservation Core Habitats MAP 4 Regional
Conservation Priority Habitats MAP 5 Regional Conservation Patterns A Closer Focus.......................................37 Site Analysis | Site Conditions...................37-40 MAP
6 Existing Conditions MAP 7 Field Notes MAP 8 Hydrology MAP 9 Topography and Soils MAP 10 Access and Circulation MAP 11 Views MAP 12 Vegetation MAP 13 Wildlife Habitat MAP 14 Summary
Analysis Converging Visions...........................41 Criteria...................................................41-42 Design 1 A, B and C Description...........43 Design 1A Section...............
...................44 MAP 15 Design 1A MAP 16 Design 1B Design 1B Section...................................45 Design 1C Section...................................46 MAP 17 Design 1C
Design 2 Description..............................47 Design 2 Section.....................................48 MAP 18 Design 2 Preferred Description.............................49 Preferred
Design Section........................50 MAP 19 Preferred Design Afterword......................................... 51 Appendices........................................52 Design Elements............
.........................52 Additional Resources..............................53 Image Credits..........................................54 Acknowledgements.................................55
Project Summary Bean and Allard Farms, two adjacent working farms together known as the Florence Meadows, make up 185 contiguous acres of prime agricultural farmland in Northampton,
Massachusetts. The Mill River meanders at its northeast periphery and a small, fertile parcel lies to the east of that swift river. The land, farmed for centuries and once worked by
abolitionists who offered a stop on the Underground Railroad, now yields potatoes and hay. Residential development in the village of Florence surrounds the open, flat land—a contrast
many Northamptonites treasure. The farms are slated to be sold to a national land trust in the coming months, and the City has set aside funding to acquire a portion of the land for
24 acres of playing fields. Some agricultural and conservation advocates have fought that move, saying the land should continue to be farmed. The Office of Planning and Development of
Northampton asked the Conway School of Landscape Design (CSLD) to create a plan that would provide mixed-use design options to guide a City Councilappointed task force that will recommend
to the council an outcome for the land. At this important moment, the city is taking stock of its land-use priorities. The CSLD design team worked to understand residents’ often-divergent
visions for the land. At two citywide forums, the team facilitated breakout groups to hear participants’ views on agriculture, recreation, and conservation and how those uses could best
play out at Bean and Allard Farms. Through contact with members of the task force, A view westward of Bean and Allard Farms Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape
eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 4 project summary winter 2010
Northampton’s Director of Planning and Development, other City workers, farmers, sports league leaders, recreation experts, naturalists, and ordinary citizens, a picture emerged of the
possibilities for the future of these fields. This document offers five alternatives, three that meet a specific City request for recreation fields to the north of Meadow Street on the
Allard Farm—scenarios that, while meeting certain goals, have significant drawbacks. A fourth schematic lays the playing fields out on the Bean Farm, arguably the best physical place
for recreation fields. A major stumbling block to this design is that the placement threatens funding from the state Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program. The preferred design,
while not perfect (fewer fields than requested are included on site), most completely meets the City’s goals while staying true to what residents say they want: a place to farm, a place
to play, and a place to let nature thrive. Bean and Allard Farms: Converging Visions for a Village Landscape has a very practical, immediate purpose: to guide the City of Northampton
as it decides the best use for these historic farms. The document also has a more enduring goal: to interpret the landscape and to couple its character with the vision of the people
who love it to find a balanced way to meet the City’s needs for a place to farm, a place to play, and a place to let nature thrive. By looking closely at the site, and by using a regional
lens, this project aims to help direct the City as it looks to acquire land in the future. The Mill River flows along the farmland’s northern edge 5 Bean and Allard Farms : converging
visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design project summary winter 2010
A Sense of Place The village of Florence in central Northampton, with its two-story brick buildings, feels like the nineteenth-century mill-powered industrial center it once was. Children
still buy candy bars at Bird’s Store on the corner of Maple and Main, and folks still meet at the landmark Miss Florence Diner to eat a plate of eggs at the counter of the former dining
car; they may stop on the way home at Florence Hardware for some animal feed. Old factory buildings lie toward the Mill River to the southwest of the village. Only gas stations, a modern
medical center, a day spa, and a coffee shop that sells fair-trade coffee and locally sourced food tell the story of a twenty-first-century place. Something else has stayed the same:
the Florence Meadows. The 185 acres of farmland to the north and south of Meadow Street, less than a mile from Florence Center, have been farmed—like much of Northampton used to be—for
centuries. Like an insect preserved in amber for millennia, this land could be seen as a relic of the way things used to be: a field, traditionally plowed, weeded, and harvested by farmers.
The metaphor is not quite apt, however, as this land is a productive, active place with functioning natural systems. turning point The Miss Florence Diner—or the Miss Flo—remains a vital
part of Florence center. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 6 a sense
of plac e winter 2010
On most of this particular tract, abolitionists, starting in 1843, grew mulberry trees to feed silkworms in an effort to fund their anti-slavery movement. Today, Chinese mulberry trees
line the Northampton Bikeway in parts of Florence. Silkworm moths grace the city seal of Northampton to honor the significance of this group’s contribution to freedom. Other abolitionists
grew sugar beets here to offer an alternative to slave-grown sugar. These historically rich 185 acres, now the Bean and Allard farms owned by two farm families, are for sale. Changes
to this landscape will impact residents of Florence and Northampton, as well as the plants and animals that live on the land and in the Mill River, which runs through the farms. It is
at this turning point that residents are taking stock of their values as they, and their elected representatives, decide the fate of these old farms. The farms’ softly undulating lands
has been farmed for centuries. 7 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design
a sense of plac e winter 2010
When the Bean Farm went up for sale in 2006, the price was too high for the City. A nationwide recession drove down the land’s value and in 2009, the City struck a deal. In subsequent
months, the owner of the Allard Farm signed a purchase and sale agreement with the Trust for Public Land, a national land trust. The City would buy portions of the two properties for
forty percent of the purchase price. The sale of Bean and Allard Farms triggered a debate among city residents about the right use for the land. Housing developers expressed interest
in the parcels. The City’s Recreation Department, which had been searching for a place to put new playing fields, saw in the flat, open land near the population center of Florence and
the Northampton Bikeway, a potential place to site ballfields. Agriculture and conservation advocates who learned of the possibility of soccer and baseball fields on these prime farmlands
soils said the land should be kept in farming. Acquiring land for new recreational fields, adding to to conservation holdings, and preserving dwindling swaths of farmland are all listed
as city land-use priorities in documents such as the 2005-2010 Northampton Open Space and Recreation Plan and the 2008 Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan, but at Bean and Allard
Farms, these goals collided. Land-Us e Deba te The imminent sale of the farms led to a community debate over the best use for the land. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for
a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 8 a sense of plac e winter 2010
The City Council created the Bean and Allard Farms Task Force, made up of representatives of the Recreation, Agricultural, and Conservation Commissions, and two landscape architects
on the Zoning Revisions Committee, to find a way to have all three uses—recreation, agriculture, and conservation—on the land. Recognizing the need for a new perspective the City’s Office
of Planning and Development asked the Conway School of Landscape Design (CSLD) to perform research and analysis, draw up sustainable schematics, and frame the information in a regional
context, and inform this public debate. The task force held three public forums to hear from residents. CSLD hosted breakout sessions in two of these to capture participants’ ideas and
thoughts. The deal to acquire the land unfolded: the City would contribute $990,000—forty percent of the purchase price of both parcels—for 24 acres for recreation fields, 10 acres for
community gardens and the approximately 35-acre riparian forest hugging the Mill River. However, at the time of this writing, the planning office has said that the City has allocated
funds for 24 acres for recreational fields to be located north of Meadow Street and funding of community gardens is in doubt. This information guided the CSLD team as it worked to find
the best use of the Bean and Allard farms for the residents of the city, past, present, and future; for the wildlife that lives there; and for the land itself. Creation of a Task Force
The land’s characteristics make Bean and Allard Farms attractive for agriculure, recreation, and conservation 9 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli
zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a sense of plac e winter 2010
So where are these farms that suddenly were in the center of controversy? Bean and Allard lie, coincidentally, near the geographic center of Northampton, a small city of 30,000 in Hampshire
County in the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts. Downtown Northampton is three and a half miles southeast from Bean and Allard. The farms straddle the Mill River, which empties
into the Connecticut River at the eastern end of Northampton. Interstate 91 loosely follows the Connecticut River, providing north-south access to the region. Surrounding Northampton
are Hatfield to the northeast, Williamsburg to the northwest, Westhampton to the southwest, Easthampton to the southeast and the Connecticut River to the east . This project examines
the towns of Hatfield, Williamsburg, Westhampton, and Easthampton as its broader region. The Office of Planning and Development requested that the report exclude the eastern town of
Hadley because the Connecticut River imposes a natural boundary. The Farms on the Map The Mill River both encloses and divides the farms. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for
a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 10 a sense of plac e winter 2010
CT River Mill River Mill River Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. 11 Bean and Allard Farms : converging
visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a sense of plac e winter 2010
Two forks of the Mill River meet 12 miles northwest of Northampton in neighboring Williamsburg. The river’s fast-moving waters— dropping more than 700 feet over 15 miles— flow through
the Bean and Allard Farms and meet the Connecticut River at the Oxbow in the southeast corner of the city. The river’s swiftness drew mills that rose on its banks in the 1800s, powering
early industry in Northampton. Many dams still mark this river’s history of hydropower. The very force that makes this river viable for power for industry is the force that causes the
rushing waters to overflow their banks at the Bean and Allard Farms. The Prophylactic Brush Company, created in the mid-1800s, specialized in making resin handles of hairbrushes and
toothbrushes. Pro-Brush, as it is known locally, lies immediately downstream of Allard Farm. In 1843 on the northern parcel of the Allard Farm and twentyfive eastern acres of Bean Farm,
a utopian community called the Northampton Association of Education and Industry was founded to promote social justice and oppose slavery. Abolitionists such as Fredrick Douglas, William
Lloyd Garrison, whose magazine The Dial is credited with helping to undo slavery, and Sojourner Truth were associated with this group. Sojourner Truth lived in Florence for several years,
and a 2004 statue honoring her stands less than a mile away from the Bean and Allard Farms, indicating her significance to Northampton residents even today. An 1874 flood on the Mill
River, known as one of the great man-made disasters of the late 1800s in western Massachusetts, wiped out much of the village of Leeds upstream of the Bean and Allard Farms when a poorly
constructed dam broke. The 40-foot-high wall of water destroyed buildings and claimed 139 lives. It was said that the Florence meadows’ absorption capabilities helped diminish damage
in downtown Northampton. what was here Early settlers harnessed the Mill River’s power. Pro-Brush was an economic force for 150 years. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for
a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 12 a sense of plac e winter 2010
A thriving center for commerce and culture (Smith College and the Academy of Music opera house still stand) through the nineteenth century, Northampton’s fortunes fell after World War
II and hit bottom in the 1970s. Through investment in downtown during the 1980s, starting with the transformation of the old McCallum’s Department Store into Thorne’s Marketplace, the
city reversed that trajectory, becoming a destination for upscale eateries and boutiques. Riding that economic lift, suburban and rural development edged westward in recent years; houses
sprang up on farmland in Florence and along routes that snaked toward the hilltowns west of Northampton. Florence, especially, was on the grow. In 2007 Pro-Brush was transformed into
the Arts and Industry Building, home to artist studios and coffee shops and restaurants have opened, putting development pressure on the very tracts of land so coveted by agriculture,
recreation and conservation advocates. Artists now create in the former Pro-Brush building. 13 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper ,
mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a sense of plac e winter 2010
The people of Northampton and its surrounding communities hold a stake in what happens at the Bean and Allard Farms. Any change of use of the land effects residents. Playing fields draw
traffic and require parking lots; players and their spectators make noise. Residents surrounding playing fields may not like this change. Playing fields require maintenance: mowing and
watering for organic fields, additional applications of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer for traditional fields. Those chemicals don’t stay in the ground; they are carried down
slopes to waterways by rain, causing harm to aquatic life. Many residents oppose polluting the river. However, playing fields at the Bean and Allard Farms, near densely populated Florence
center and close to the Northampton Bikeway, could reduce automobile travel for many residents who wouldn’t have to drive to other fields around Northampton, or could bike there. Playing
fields could raise property values for those who live nearby. Ball fields can have positive and negative impacts on neighbors and for the entire city. Similarly, tractors farming here
kick up dust, manure spread on soil can smell bad, and chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides pollute the river. But farming preserves open views, can grow local food, and
provides habitat for wildlife. Conserving the land can prevent humans from using it in all but limited ways, but increases surrounding property values and enhances wildlife habitat.
So, who has something at stake here? • neighbors of the farms who worry about noise and increased traffic • the farmers who lease the land • the farmers who own the land • youth and
adult players and the leagues that organize teams • the Recreation Department that schedules thousands of games per year • those who observe and appreciate wildlife; • localvores • those
who enjoy the view of farmland as they drive past The Northampton City government, specifically those who make up the Bean and Allard Farms Task Force, have asked for guidance in determining
through a transparent public process the best use of these family farms. The Trust for Public Land also is interested in the outcome. Finally, the Mill River corridor—the fragile ecosystems
and wildlife linked by this waterway, upstream and down—must be not only considered, but respected. coveted la nds The people of Northampton have a stake in the farms’ outcome. Bean
and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 14 a sense of plac e winter 2010
Trust for Public Land City Council Task Force For Sale: Bean & Allard Farms Office of Planning & Development CSLD Public Input Recreation Commission Conservation Commission Agricultural
Commission Zoning Revisions Committee Future of Bean & Allard Farms 15 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder
• Conwa y School of landscape design a sense of plac e winter 2010
A Way to Farm A number of participants voiced a desire for a well-diversified, organic, four-season community farm, perhaps with livestock, and an education center. The farm could be
a beautiful, ecologically sound place that could host community celebrations. It could be connected to local organizations such as the Survival Center (an emergency food pantry), Meals-on-Wheels,
and the Veteran’s Administration hospital in Leeds, and could provide jobs for young people. Small plots for farmers should be affordable. Participants suggested a community kitchen
for processing value-added products and a farm stand. Many said agricultural land should stay in farming but that if recreation fields were to go in on site, the two uses should “share
the pain” of being in a floodplain, meaning a farmer shouldn’t get the soggy areas just to keep the playing fields dry. The Conway School of Landscape Design held breakout sessions during
two public forums run by the Bean and Allard Farms Task Force to hear what those stakeholders had to say. On February 8, 2010, the forum focused on agricultural activities on the Bean
and Allard Farms; the March 1, 2010, forum centered on recreation possibilities there. At each forum, the approximately 30 participants split into two groups and voiced their visions
for all three uses for the land: agriculture, recreation, and conservation. Community Voices Farmland hugs the Connecticut River. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village
landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 16 a sense of plac e winter 2010
A Way to Play At the first forum, most participants opposed having ballfields on the site, preferring passive recreation activities such as hiking trails, bike paths, fitness loops,
play structures, and shaded picnic facilities. These participants were mostly in favor of providing community gardens here, but some objected to supplanting farmland for community gardens.
At the second forum, residents asked for recreation fields concentrated together and close to the street to allow easy access for emergency vehicles and for people with disabilities.
Among the desired features, residents mentioned an artificial turf field, fields that could be rotated to reduce wear at the goals, 20 feet of sideline space along soccer fields, a lighted
field with a downward cast to reduce light pollution, a connection to Look Memorial Park, walking trails along the river, a playground, picnic tables, and a pavilion with bathrooms.
It was suggested that structures, such as a pavilion and fence, look like a barn to evoke the agricultural heritage of the farms. Many participants wanted to preserve the farmland views
from Meadow Street, while some said seeing recreation fields would be a good thing. Having playing fields on both sides of Meadow Street was seen as potentially dangerous to those crossing
the street. Maintaining the fields without chemicals was also suggested, as was finding land elsewhere in the city that is not on prime farmland soil. Recreation enthusiasts saw the
fields as a place for families to gather. 17 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape
design a sense of plac e winter 2010
Attendees requested looking at the land as a whole. Several preferred to farm or have recreation with no pesticides to pollute the river and its buffer. They suggested enhancing the
conservation buffer, perhaps planting food-producing trees and shrubs to complement agriculture. A bird-friendly crop such as a grain, mown after grassland birds fledge, would enhance
habitat. Other participants wondered about making habitat connections—would animals prefer corridors by the river or would they use agricultural fields for habitat? Participants reported
seeing bear, fox, and waterfowl on the properties. They warned that increased human use (especially if people brought dogs) would compact soil and erode fragile banks. A Way to Let Nature
Thrive What animals make their home in the woods along the Mill River? Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder
• Conwa y School of landscape design 18 a sense of plac e winter 2010
Several participants requested parking be combined for community garden and recreation use and that it be near the road to minimize its impact. They acknowledged that this would not
look appealing from the road. One resident suggested hosting parking off site to serve both Bean and Allard Farms and the nearby Arts and Industry building. Lines of division emerged
as agricultural advocates pushed for community-centered farming, preserving views, and passive recreation. Recreation proponents, meanwhile, offered specific proposals on how soccer
and baseball fields would play out on the land. The groups came together on gathering spaces— participants requested a gathering space many times—and community gardens. These visions
have informed the CSLD team’s work and resonate throughout this project and the design alternatives presented later. Converging Ideas Residential properties flank the Bean and Allard
Farms. 19 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a sense of plac e winter
2010
Stakeholders and community members had their say about what should go on at the Bean and Allard Farms. At times their visions clashed. Can a look at Northampton’s guiding documents help
sort out the city’s priorities? The City’s guiding principles are its 2005-2010 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) and 2008 Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan (SNCP). The
OSRP provides guidance on how Northampton can best use its limited resources to meet open space, conservation, and recreation needs while the SNCP seeks to ensure the City can continue
to meet its current and future social, environmental, and economic needs. The OSRP acknowledges the city’s wealth of scenic, cultural, natural, and recreational resources, which contribute
tremendously to residents’ high quality of life. It calls out the conflict that the demand for open space and recreation areas is high, but that the demand for suburban housing has pushed
up land values and limited opportunities for permanent protection of lands for public use. Written in 2005 before the economic downturn, the OSRP may be referring to a financial climate
that has changed. In fact, it was the Bean and Allard’s Farms’ affordability that made the City consider buying them. The OSRP inventories ecologically, culturally, and recreationally
important land and provides guidance on how the City can acquire land for open space, conservation, and recreation needs. It also spells out where the City has worked with surrounding
towns— Williamsburg, Hatfield, Easthampton, and Westhampton—to conserve land, a model that may be useful in siting playing fields, as well. The open space plan also lists smart-growth
principles, such as cluster developments, mixed-use campus development, and the addition of affordable housing to foster a socially and economically vibrant community. As it lists priorities,
the plan mentions preserving dwindling farmland, building new recreation fields, and conserving open space as pillars of its land acquisition strategy. Here, the OSRP houses the same
conflicting vision as the stakeholders and members of the community. The SNCP, meanwhile, links sustainable policies and practices with an emphasis on economic and cultural vitality,
social equity, and environmental security. The SNCP says land use should recognize and foster the unique history, character, and function of each area. It embraces a diverse economy,
making the city more walkable and bikeable, and operating the city as a democratic enterprise. Clearly, as the City tackled the Bean and Allard Farm acquisition, it’s emphasis on a bottom-up,
transparent process illustrates a commitment to the democratic process. It remains to be seen how the City will uphold the remaining ideals and those of the OSRP under pressure of competing
landuse priorities at the Bean and Allard Farms. Guiding Principl es Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder
• Conwa y School of landscape design 20 a sense of plac e winter 2010
Northampton’s land-use priorities have come into clearer focus, even as they contradict one another. On the Bean and Allard Farms, the three uses—agriculture, recreation, and conservation—must
be represented. As a result, the project goals
are: • Gather information including geographic information systems maps, municipal and regional data, and input from expert sources to understand the site from the perspective of agriculture,
recreation, and conservation. • Assess the suitability of the site for the three uses. • Identify optimal areas for the three uses. • Detail criteria for each use. • Provide schematic
alternatives based on analysis and criteria and note the probable impacts of each alternative. • Examine the five-town region for existing and potential patterns of agricultural, recreational,
and conservation land to help Northampton strategically acquire and manage land in the future. goals The bustling city of Northampton is just a few miles from the verdant Bean and Allard
Farms. 21 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a sense of plac e winter
2010
Despite a decline in local agriculture over the years, farming and farmland are significant to the people of Northampton. Major farm operations at the eastern end of the city on the
banks of the Connecticut River—the fertile Northampton Meadows—supply potatoes to national food producers. Family farms and community supported agriculture operations CSAs are peppered
throughout the city. Bean and Allard Farms are the largest swaths of contiguous acreage outside the Northampton Meadows and have recently been growing conventional potatoes and hay.
Northampton is home to two weekly farmers’ markets during the summer; a well attended winter market started in 2008. Throughout the growing season, farmers sell all manner of vegetables,
including the region’s beloved asparagus, at roadside stands, often on the honor system. Strawberries and blueberries, maple products, and honey are big local products. Several U-Pick
operations open during the summer, including Town Farm, which lets customers forage for beans, peas, and flowers. Preserving prime farmland and the right to farm are stated priorities
in the City’s OSRP and SNCP (see Page 20). In 2005, Northampton established an Agricultural Commission and passed a Right to Farm ordinance. (See box below.) The law establishes farming
and its related industries as priority uses on city agricultural lands and defends farmers from neighbors who might complain about noise, smell, or other impacts, stating those impacts
are “more than offset by the benefits of farming to the neighborhood, community, and society in general.” Organizations such as Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) and
Grow Food Northampton (GFN) further reveal the desire to preserve a locally focused farming tradition. Through its Local Hero initiative, CISA provides marketing support for farmers
selling locally. The group also helps farmers connect with restaurants and serves as an online clearinghouse for people looking for local produce. Northampton Agriculture What is the
Right to Farm? In the the interest of preserving its agricultural heritage the City of Northampton made the move in December 2005 to adopt a Right to Farm Ordinance. This ordinance establishes
farming, agriculture, and agricultural facilities and operations as priority uses on agricultural lands within the City and aims to conserve, protect, and encourage the maintenance and
improvement of agricultural land for the production of food and other agricultural products, and also for its natural and ecological value. The right to farm bill was enacted as a protective
measure for city farmers against nuisance complaints that can arise when new suburban lots are developed near farms. Property owners or new buyers of property near farms are informed
that the site may be impacted by farming activities that may cause noise, dust, and odors associated with agricultural operations including cultivation of crops and raising of livestock.
The ordinance says that residents and occupants of property in agricultural areas should “accept inconveniences from normal, usual, and customary agricultural operations, facilities,
and practices.” Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 22 a sense of plac
e winter 2010
GFN is a grassroots citizen group dedicated to protecting local food security by advocating for agricultural land preservation, legislation and re-zoning to support micro-farms, expansion
of community supported agriculture and community gardens, and broadening venues for local farmers’ markets. GFN is one of several groups who, in 2010, hired a separate CSLD team to establish
a food security plan for Northampton. Members of the City’s Agriculture Commission represent agricultural interests on the Bean and Allard Farms Task Force established by the City Council.
Other agriculture advocates including CISA and GFN members have been a strong voice in the Bean and Allard Farms debate, prompting the formation of a farmer advisory committee to advocate
for keeping the Bean and Allard farm land in agriculture and to present a proposal to the task force outlining potential ways to do so sustainably. What is the Agricultural Preservation
Restriction Program? The Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program, overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, is a voluntary program that offers a
non-development alternative to farmland owners faced with a decision regarding the future use and deposition of their farms. The program offers farmers a payment up to the difference
between the “fair market value” and the “fair market agricultural value” of their farmland in exchange for a permanent deed restriction, which precludes any use of the property that
will have a negative impact on its agricultural viability. The APR Program is designed to help keep local taxes low, strengthen farms as economically viable businesses, and to maintain
an inventory of farmland for future generations. Many Northampton residents are passionate about farming. 23 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth
cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a sense of plac e winter 2010
Northampton Recreation Twenty-eight leagues, representing 3,828 players—or thirteen percent of the city’s population—play on city fields. Private nonprofit leagues have taken over the
duties that recreation departments, often understaffed, have historically assumed. Participants pay leagues between $30 and $150 per season, $5 of which goes to the City, raising between
$15,000 and $18,000 per year for the Recreation Department. The department, with seven staffers, scheduled 3,740 games in 2009. City and school facilities include two all-season multipurpose
fields—rectangles for soccer and lacrosse play—and six fields available for soccer and lacrosse only in the fall (because the fields are used as baseball outfields in spring and summer),
four baseball diamonds, eight softball diamonds and two youth softball diamonds. (See table, Page 27.) The Recreation Commission, a volunteer board that oversees the Recreation Department,
had been looking to expand its facilities for decades when the Bean and Allard Farms Farms went on the market. The Recreation Commission determined it needed four to six unlighted multipurpose
grass fields and two diamonds, one baseball, one softball, also unlighted and on grass. This number would allow the city to meet growing demand for fields, and to rest fields periodically.
Maintaining Fields Maintenance, including labor and materials, falls under the purview of the Department of Public Works’ Cemeteries Division. Maintaining current fields cost the City
$264,000 in 2009. The City uses traditional field management techniques, which involves the application of pesticide and herbicide in Nighttime ball game at Maines Field, two miles downstream
of the Bean and Allard Farms Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 24
a sense of plac e winter 2010
spring, and fertilizer three times a year; aeration twice a season; seeding and reseeding throughout the season; mowing two to three times a week in spring and fall, and every two weeks
in summer; and irrigation if rainfall doesn’t amount to one inch of water per week. It’s possible to manage fields with organic methods, saving money after the fifth year, but mowing
and some irrigation requirements remain. Synthetic turf fields reduce maintenance to about $700 per year, but initial costs, usually more than $1 million per field, can be prohibitive
for cities with limited revenue, such as Northampton. Keeping fields maintained in a floodplain offers its own set of challenges. Maine’s Field, two miles downstream from Bean and Allard
Farms on the Mill River, has been damaged in several floods in recent years, requiring thousands of dollars in repairs, according to Recreation Commission Chair Thomas Parent. During
one surge, the river carried debris onto the fields and destroyed a light post. The City installed special fences with hinges that allow the fences to be lifted so that flood debris
would not be trapped on the playing surface. Creating an Organically Maintained Recreation Field The Bean and Allard Farms abut the Mill River and sit on a groundwater recharge area.
Chemicals applied to the turf will be carried to aquifers and the river by rainfall and snowmelt. Organically maintained ball fields use soil amendments that are safe for ecosystems.
Eschewing chemical inputs can also save money after the fifth year of installation. To establish organic ball fields: Step 1: Test the soil and hire a consultant who knows how to set
up organically maintained fields (See Resources for a list of consultants in Massachusetts). Step 2: Remove and reserve topsoil. Step 3: Based on soil texture, porosity, drainage, and
chemistry, amend the soil. Step 4: Level subsoil layer (adding gravel if necessary) and grade to 2%, or crowned with a 1% grade to each side, so fields drain properly. Step 5: Return
4” to 6” of amended topsoil and, after letting the soil settle, seed with Kentucky bluegrass (or a mix of bluegrass and less than 10% perennial ryegrass). Ideal time for seeding is late
summer or early fall. Step 6: Irrigate as turf gets established; keep players off field for one year plus one season. Step 7: Maintain field with organic amendments, aerating twice a
year, reseeding at least once a year, mowing to keep grass to 2” to 2.5”, and irrigating when needed. Source: Osborne Organics 25 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village
landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a sense of plac e winter 2010
The soccer and baseball field at Veteran’s Field has been closed for two years for maintenance. It is being reseeded this year, according to the Recreation Department, and will be open
in the spring of 2011. This will reduce pressure on demand for fields. Look Memorial Park, across the river to the north of Bean and Allard Farms, recently requested Community Preservation
Act funds to develop a multipurpose field. With its five current baseball diamonds, Look Memorial Park—owned by the City but run by a private board from donations, not tax dollars—and
the City may be able to work out an agreement to accommodate league play there. However, the park also sits on prime farmland. This is all to say that there are no easy answers to a
complicated question of where to site playing fields. Do Bean and Allard Farms offer the right conditions for the sports complex requested by the City? Other New Playing Field Options
A January 2010 feasibility study by the Office of Planning and Development identified potential areas for new fields. Along with Bean and Allard Farms, which it called “very limited”
for playing field development because they are on prime farmland soils, the study named farmland near Sheldon Field by the Northampton Fair-grounds as a place where two multipurpose
fields might go. This privately owned land is not currently for sale, and it is also prime farmland, but its proximity to downtown, I-91, existing playing fields and ample parking (a
Park and Ride lot is on the premises) make it a promising location. Northampton’s bind is that prime farmland is flat land, making it desirable for recreation fields (See MAP 2; Page
29). The study also cited the City-owned, capped landfill on Glendale Road as a possible future site for playing fields. Assessing Recreation Field Needs The Recreation Department is
clearly pressed to find fields to schedule games. A department feasibility study identified the need of four to six multipurpose fields and two diamonds. While the National Playing Field
Association recommends one soccer field for every ten thousand residents and one baseball diamond for every five thousand residents, these figures don’t take into consideration specific
local needs and characteristics. A researcher at the National Recreation and Parks Association developed a matrix for determining community needs based on variables specific to local
conditions. A spreadsheet, requires the user to enter the number of fields (lighted and unlighted), days of the week and hours the field is in use (fewer during the shorter days of spring
and fall), and number of teams for each sport and field type. While the CSLD team was not able to access the required information to fill in the spreadsheet by the writing of this document,
it will send a copy of the tool to the Recreation Department at the delivery of this report. The matrix may help the Recreation Department pinpoint how many fields city players need.
Farmland adjacent to Sheldon Field, pictured above, was identified for potential future playing fields Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper
, mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 26 a sense of plac e winter 2010
Inventory of Northampton Playing Fields 27 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape
design a sense of plac e winter 2010
The City of Northampton is blessed with a wealth of beautiful and unique natural resources, many of which have been conserved. The City’s conservation efforts include encouraging private
landowners to place land in trusts, purchasing land for conservation outright, and partnering with organizations such as Massachusetts Wildlife and Fisheries to share the cost of purchasing
and managing land. Exploring all the conservation areas of the city could be a quite an undertaking! Imagine a hike at the biologically diverse Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, binoculars
at the ready, walking among yellow birch and hop hornbeam. Or a hotdog and a paddleboat ride at Look Memorial Park. Or a picnic amidst the lowbush blueberries atop a ridge at Roberts
Hill Conservation Area. What wonderful diversity all within the city limits! As described in Rediscovering Northampton, The Natural History of City-Owned Conservation Areas, the city
contains at least sixteen distinct major habitat types including glacial outwash plains, drumlins, ravines, rocky uplands, floodplain forests, and vernal pools. Future land conservation
in the city should consider these habitat types, with a priority placed on those which are not currently reflected in the City’s holdings. It should also focus on Conservation Commission
goals, as stated in the OSRP, including the following: 1. Protect or link open space parcels to provide large natural habitat areas. 2. Protect critical habitat including wetlands, rare
or endangered species habitat, and wildlife and riparian corridors. 3. Protect natural habitat types such as riparian, farmland, and forest habitats and vernal pools. 4. Protect drinking
water supply watershed and aquifer lands. The city’s diverse natural resources are perhaps Northampton’s greatest asset. Northampton Conserva tion The tell-tale sign of a beaver’s activity
marks the bank of the Mill River. A large snag can be home to a world of birds, small mammals, invertebrates, bacteria, and fungi. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for for
a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 28 a sense of plac e winter 2010
Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area Look Park Sawmill Hills Conservation Area Roberts Hill Conservation Area Maines Field Recreation Area Name Acreage Type of Use Key Land Features Fitzgerald
Lake Conservation Area 591 Fishing, canoeing, hiking, birding Forest, open meadow, wetlands, and a 40-acre artificial lake (Fitzgerald Lake) Look Park 157 Picnicking, tennis, baseball,
shuffleboard, train rides, concession stands Abuts Mill River Maines Field Recreation Area 14.5 Lighted baseball, volleyball, pavilion, playground Wooded area, abuts Mill River Roberts
Hill Conservation Area 104 Foot trails, birding, snowmobiles, Wooded hills, cliffs, upland forest, ponds and stream Sawmill Hills Conservation Area 382 Hiking, birding Wooded, vernal
pools, volcanic rock formations, swamps, intermittent and permanent streams Conserva tion Land within one mile of Bean and Alla rd Farms Not for construction. These drawings are part
of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. 29 Bean and Allard Farms Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus ,
kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a sense of plac e winter 2010
The Five-Town Region The City of Northampton with the surrounding towns of Hatfield, Williamsburg, Westhampton and Easthampton make up the five-town region for the purposes of this project.
These adjacent towns, connected by major state roads, lead to Northampton, the regional node. The Office of Planning and Development requested that Hadley not be included because the
Connecticut River separates the two municipalities. Whether the City chooses to link conservation habitat, preserve farmland with contiguous acreage, or share playing fields with neighboring
towns, developing a regional approach to solving problems may improve Northampton’s chances for meeting its land-use goals. CT River A Broader Look 66 10 Not for construction. These
drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y
praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 30 a broader look winter 2010
fa rming’s decl ine? Agriculture in the region has declined over the long term in the amount of land farmed, that land’s economic output, the number of farms, and the average farm’s
size. According to the American Farmland Trust (AFT), these reductions reflect a statewide and nationwide trend of conversion of farmland for roads, housing, and commercial sites and
the inflation of the market value of farmland for development. Couple that trend with the intense competition from Midwestern and Western agribuisiness and the New England family farm
has a slim chance for survival. Farmland in the five-town region is concentrated on the fertile soils along the Connecticut River; large parcels in other areas of the region have been
the fragmented over the years by residential and commercial development (See Map 1). The 2007 Census of Agriculture profile for Hampshire County shows a decrease in the loss of farmland
and an increase in the number of smaller farms from five years prior. This regional shift, says the AFT, can be attributed to an increase in demand for locally grown produce. Meeting
this demand will take more farms, more farmers, and more farmland growing local food. Many of the new small farms in the region are CSA farms established and supported by a community
of individuals who share the risks and benefits of food production. This direct sales model has allowed farmers to get working capital in advance, get better prices for their crops,
gain some financial security, and to be relieved of much of the burden of marketing. Since 2002 farmers and interested community organizations have been increasingly capitalizing on
the capacity to serve local needs. In particular, the region’s agricultural sector has become a center of organic farming, supplying specialty produce and value-added products to farmers’
markets, local stores and restaurants. Efforts to market local produce and boost the sales of local farms are showing promise and may, over time, break the cycle of farming decline.
The Bean and Allard Farms may have a role to play in reversing that trend. The small farming movement is thriving in Northampton. 31 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a
village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a broader look winter 2010
Recreation fields in surrounding towns lie within eight miles, or a twenty-minute drive, to downtown Northampton and Florence center. The recreational facilities of the three smaller
towns, Hatfield, Williamsburg, and Westhampton, are at schools, while Easthampton’s, including a fifteen-acre soccer complex, are concentrated at Nonotuck Park. Williamsburg’s Recreation
Commission chair has said he welcomes Northampton league play on the town’s fields. Hatfield, Westhampton, and Easthampton acknowledge the tendency of municipal recreation departments
to “stay within their own niche” and not work together to coordinate games outside of their own jurisdictions. Map 2 shows recreation fields scattered throughout the five-town region,
Hatfield, with fewer than 2,00 residents and a large number of school fields, is an easy drive up Route 91 or Route 5. The fields of Williamsburg, a town of 2,500 residents, lie along
Route 9. Route 66 connects Westhampton to Northampton. Home to the regional high school, Westhampton Westhampton also has fewer than 2,000 residents. Nonutuck Park, the home of Easthampton’s
recreation center, is in the center of town, off Route 10. The population of Easthampton is roughly 15,000. Surrounding fields Soccer’s popularity in the region has grown in the last
fifteen years. Northampton schedules thousands of league games each year. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn
yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 32 a broader look winter 2010
The Office of Planning and Development expressed a particular interest in conservation planning in the region. So, how does the City currently prioritize which lands to conserve? The
Northampton Conservation Commission endeavors to protect plant and wildlife habitat and to preserve the natural resources and, thus, the quality of life for citizens of Northampton.
One key document that helps guide its mission is the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, which includes goals such as protection of public and private water supply, flood control,
prevention of pollution, and protection of wildlife habitat. The second guiding document is the City’s Wetlands Ordinance, whose purpose is, in part, to protect wetlands and to maintain
the quality of surface water and water recharge areas as it provides for the protection and conservation of natural features, resources and amenities. Lastly, the OSRP’s conservation
goals include protecting important ecological resources, including surface and groundwater resources, plant communities and wildlife habitat as well as protecting architectural and cultural
history and preserving ecological and wildlife linkages. Some important ecological resources and wildlife habitats include, but are not limited to, Natural Heritage Endangered Species
Priority Habitats and Core Habitats (see Page 30) as well as vernal pools. Conserva tion priorities Priority Habitat is defined by the Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program as
the known geographical extent of habitat for all state-listed rare species. Habitat alteration within Priority Habitats is subject to review by the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species
Program. Priority Habitat maps determine whether a proposed project must be reviewed by the NHESP for Massachusetts Endangered Species Act compliance. Core Habitat is defined as a site
critical for the long-term survival of the Commonwealth’s biodiversity—sites critical for terrestrial and wetland biodiversity. Vernal pools, also known as ephemeral pools, typically
fill with water due to rising groundwater and melting snow and pool through the spring and into summer, often drying completely during the summer months. When wet, they teem with life
and can contain such species as frogs, toads, and salamanders, some of which are threatened or endangered, which use the pools for reproduction. Vernal pools can also offer critical
stopping-off points for dragonflies and other wildlife. Red-winged blackbirds prefer edge habitat. 33 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper
, mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a broader look winter 2010
How does the City’s approach to conservation fit into the five-town region? As land is prioritized for conservation, a municipal boundary does not mean the end of a natural resource
such as a river or a wildlife corridor. The City expressed an interest in understanding the current conservation patterns in the five-town region to help guide future land acquisitions
and to make decisions based on its conservation goals. This regional view will complement the Conservation Commission’s Five-Year Land Acquisition Plan, found in the OSRP. Map 5 shows
distinct patterns of currently conserved land and, perhaps more importantly, exciting opportunities for linking these conserved lands to create larger contiguous areas of plant and wildlife
habitat. How can the five towns best cooperate to conserve the most valuable land, when looked at through a regional lens? Northampton already partners with the Trust for Public Land
and with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to obtain important conservation lands. Partnering with adjacent towns to leverage resources to acquire lands seems a next
logical step. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission may also be an excellent resource for assistance in planning next steps for a fivetown land conservation plan. Wetlands are valuable
natural resources, serving such functions as providing wildlife habitat, helping control floods, and purifying drinking water. Wetlands include such natural features as rivers, streams,
intermittent streams, ponds, and vernal pools . In Massachusetts, wetlands are protected by the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (WPA), which regulates the excavating, filling,
or altering of wetlands, which can impair wetlands’ valuable functions. The WPA identifies several main reasons why people value wetlands, including protecting water supplies, preventing
storm damage, and protecting wildlife habitat and fisheries. People who want to do work within 100’ of wetlands must apply to the conservation commission in their municipality for permission
to do so. Conservation commissions decide whether to approve any applications that will affect wetlands, and may set certain conditions that the applicant must follow, in order to protect
wetlands, or minimize the impact on wetland functions. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School
of landscape design 34 a broader look winter 2010
Looking at the larger five-town region can help put into perspective the meaning of Bean and Allard Farms. The maps on the following pages will lay out patterns of agricultural land
in the five-town region (Map 1), and show where prime farmland soils—a finite natural resource—are located (Map 2). Looking regionally at recreation fields may show where there are opportunities
for neighboring communities to share playing fields (Map 3). And as municipalities continue to acquire open space for conserving habitat for future generations, taking a regional approach
is vital for protecting corridors for wildlife (Maps 4 and 5) that may not conform to municipal boundaries. Habitat for rare species and species of concern (Map 6) may extend across
town lines, requiring a regional approach to conservation. These maps begin to tell the story of how the Bean and Allard Farms fit into a larger pattern of agricultural, recreational,
and conservation lands. mapp ing the region 35 Bean and Allard
Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a broader look winter 2010
The Mill River wends its way through the region. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of
landscape design 36 a broader look winter 2010
Though the five-town region in the Pioneer Valley has been a center of agriculture dating back to colonial times, agricultural land over the last twenty years has been disappearing.
The decline in both the amount of land farmed and the corresponding drop in the average farm size parallels an accelerated rate statewide conversion of farmland for roads, housing, and
commercial sites. Inventory • Farmland is concentrated along the Connecticut River. • Large parcels outside Connecticut River Valley are generally fragmented by residential and commercial
development. • The Bean and Allard Farms parcel is more than 50% larger than the region’s average 74-acre farm and is one of the largest contiguous farmland parcels in region west of
I-91. Implications • Keeping the Bean and Allard Farms as farmland would preserve one of the largest contiguous pieces of farmland in the five-town region, except the parcels along Connecticut
River. • As demand for locally-produced food rises, demand for nearby parcels of farmland will rise. MAP 1 REGIONAL AGRICULTURE Not for construction. These drawing are part of a student
project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con
way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Five-Town Playing Field Inventory Northampton has established strong recreation environment with offerings as unconventional in New England as bocce courts and sand volleyball courts
along with the standard swimming pool and bikeways. These amenities engage Northampton residents and draw visitors from neighboring towns. As the City looks to meet demand for more fields,
a look at its immediate surroundings may show where opportunities exist outside its boundaries. Assessment • Neighboring towns have 29 fields; Williamsburg may possibly be willing to
share its 2 fields. • Rehabilitated soccer/baseball field at Veteran’s Field, purchased land to expand Sheldon Field and future soccer fields at Look Memorial Park may augment league
play fields. • A 2010 City feasibility study for playing fields cites Bean and Allard Farms with a rating of “very limited” for developing recreational fields due to its prime farmland
soils. Implications • The City has requested 4 to 6 multipurpose and 2 baseball fields, but they may not all need to be at Bean and Allard Farms. • Lands with prime farmland soils should
be avoided when choosing recreational field sites, according to the City’s criteria Look Park Sheldon Field Veterans Field MAP 2 REGIONAL RECREATION Rec Field /Prime Farmland Overlap
Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. ion Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village
lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Northampton has worked to conserve land for the benefit of its citizens and to protect plant and wildlife habitats. As the city prioritizes its next land acquisition, an understanding
of the location of Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program’s Core Habitats could help guide their decisions. NHESP BioMap Core Habitats are areas most in need of protection to preserve
the native biodiversity of the Commonwealth. Using the BioMap to identify and target Core Habitats could help the City protect land most vital to biodiversity. Assessment • Core habitat
lands lie within one half mile to the west of Bean and Allard Farms and about a mile to the east, some of which is Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area. • Roads and houses fragment core
habitat and conserved areas. • Species of concern within the five-town area include dragonflies, beetles and salamanders. Implications • Conservation of Bean and Allard Farms could improve
wildlife’s survival by broadening their habitat, especially along riparian corridor. • Conserving and connecting core habitats in the five-town region could create contiguous protected
areas and protect ecological resources. Jefferson Salamander Elderberry Long-Horned Beetle Brook Snaketail MAP 3 REGIONAL CONSERVATION CORE HABITAT Not for construction. These drawings
are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau
s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Habitats for wildlife and plant life do not conform to property boundaries nor city limits. As the city considers strategies for acquiring more land for conservation, looking at Priority
Habitat patterns and patterns of vernal pools separate from property lines can reveal patterns throughout the region. Assessment • The riparian forest and adjacent river on the Bean
and Allard Farms contain Priority Habitat of a Rare Species. Similar habitats lie within one-half mile of Bean and Allard Farms as well as throughout the five-town region. • Bean and
Allard Farms are located less than a half mile from certified and potential vernal pools, which are also dispersed throughout the five-town region. • Northampton has been active in identifying
vernal pools throughout the city Implications • Any plan for alteration to land containing Priority Habitat must be reviewed by NHESP. • The Bean and Allard Farms should be evaluated
for vernal pools, based on the close proximity of similar land containing certified vernal pools and upon observation of potential vernal pools in riparian woods. Early spring vernal
pool Eggs masses in vernal pool Ocellated Darner MAP 4 REGIONAL CONSERVATION PRIORITY HABITAT Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on
a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design
winter 2010
The opportunity exists to make conservation connections to create or maintain wildlife corridors in the fivetown region and beyond. Northampton is committed to conserving land for just
this purpose. Some examples of conservation in the City include Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area and Sawmill Hills Conservation Area, both within about a mile of Bean and Allard Farms.
Assessment: The Mill River, abutting the property, forms a natural wildlife corridor. Conserved land, some within a mile from Bean and Allard Farms could be linked to form a potential
corridor. Core and priority habitats, key areas to conserve, point the way to yet another potential corridor. Implications: • Bean and Allard Farms’ location between and near conserved,
core and priorty habitats makes it a prime candidate for conservation. • Conserving the property would add to the already-conserved land along the Mill River, thus strengthening that
fragile river ecosystem. Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area Sawmill Hills Conservation Area 1 1 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 Bald Eagle American Bittern Upland Sandpiper Bald Eagle MAP 5 REGIONAL CONSERVATION
PATTERNS Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. 23 Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a
village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
37 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a cl oser focus winter 2010
A Closer Focus site anal ysis The Bean Farm pig barn is one of three structures on the farm. The regional analyses showed the importance of the Bean and Allard Farms in the wider region.
This large area of contiguous farmland is clearly an agricultural asset for Northampton and it is an area of great significance ecologically. It also holds promise for developing playing
fields. As we take a closer look at the site level (Map 7), we see a tract of land greatly affected by the river that runs through it (Map 8), a river that floods the farms, enriching
the soils and carry ing water down slopes (Map 9). As we investigate how humans have taken advantage of those soils, we’ll analyze how people reach the farms (by car, on foot, or by
bike), how they navigate it (May 9), and what they see when they move past it (Map 10). Finally, we’ll show how vegetation (Map 11) provides forage, cover, and breeding ground for wildlife
(Map 12). A summary analysis (Map 13) follows.
The Bean and Allard Farms, adjacent parcels of working farms, sit in a primarily residential neighborhood in the village of Florence across the Mill River from Look Memorial Park (see
Map 6). The parcels are bordered by the Mill River on the north and east sides. A section of the Allard Farm lies east of the river. The north end of Bean Farm and most of the Allard
land, amounting to 108 acres, are situated in the FEMA-designated Mill River 100-year floodplain. A City-designated 10-year floodplain overlays much of the eastern portion of the Allard
property—about 70 acres. A 35-acre riparian forest hugs the Mill River. The property is open and flat except for a wooded slope on the western edge. Bean Farm has vehicle access from
Spring Street on the south. Meadow Street cuts through the southeast end of the Allard Farm and a short, narrow lane through woods and across an intermittent stream connects the eastern
parcel to Meadow Street. Farmers and neighbors report seeing turkey, deer, coyote, fox, black bear, hawk, moose, Canada geese, and a variety of songbirds on the land. White pine is the
dominant tree species along the low ridge overlooking the west side of the property. Riparian woods along the Mill River include hickory, oak, locust, sycamore, and red maple. A mix
of hardwoods; maple, oak, hickory, and white ash, grow along fence lines and field edges and are interspersed with sumac, buckthorn, Asian bittersweet, Japanese knotweed, and bush honeysuckle.
Asian bittersweet drapes the trees and Japanese knotweed grows thick along the edge of the Mill River. Water continues to shape the Bean and Allard Farms. Bean and Allard Farms : converging
visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 38 a cl oser focus winter 2010 site Conditions
Flat and open: two characteristics that make this land desirable for farming, recreation, and development. 39 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth
cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design a cl oser focus winter 2010 Bean Farm The 45-acre Bean property has been farmed by the Bean family for multiple
generations and over the years has produced many crops including apples, peaches, hay, and potatoes. The property is now owned by six members of the Bean family, and for the past several
years has been leased to a potato farmer. Members of the Bean family made the decision to put the property on the market three years ago. Larry Bean has been haying and overseeing the
lease of the land for the last few years. There are three old barns of unknown conditions on the property, one near the Spring Street access, another, “the old pig barn,” in the open
field and a third small hay barn near a farm pond on the west side of the parcel. Allard Farm The 145-acre Allard Farm has been cultivated for centuries. As part of the Northampton Association
of Education and Industry, the land north of Meadow Street was farmed with traditional crops as well as mulberry trees to host silkworms and sugar beets to offer an alternative to sugar
grown on slave plantations. Subsequent farmers grew tobacco for many years and most recently raised potatoes and cut grass for hay. On the eastern parcel, growers raised strawberries
and sold them at a popular neighborhood farm stand until the 1990s. There are no structures on the property. This flat, open expanse of land situated in the geographic center of Northampton
is an asset to the community for its proximity to a large and growing part of town, its nearness to the river, its history, the views to it from the road, its accessibility by car, its
habitat for wildlife and its good growing soil.
Surrounding the Site The densely settled center of the village of Florence lies less than a mile to the east of the Bean and Allard Farms and houses are scattered at the periphery of
the site. Fairway Village condominiums surround a golf course to the northwest of Bean Farm. Residents of this development and of the few houses northwest of the ridgeline may view the
farm through dense forest in winter but leaves obstruct the vista in the warmer months. Look Park sits across the Mill River from both parcels to the north. The Arts and Industry Building
with its distinctive smokestack rises to the south of the Allard parcel south of Meadow Street. A bridge allows Meadow Street to cross the Mill River just east of the entrance to the
eastern Allard parcel. The contrast between the old Pro-Brush factories and Bean and Allard Farm fields is one many residents enjoy. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a
village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design design 40 a cl oser focus winter 2010
Assessment: The 185-acre Bean and Allard Farms are bounded on the north and east by the Mill River and its riparian forest. An approximately 25-acre parcel of the property lies to the
east of the river. The parcel is located immediately west of Florence center, amid residential properties with converted mill buildings just to the south and is within one mile of critical
and core wildlife habitats, shown on Maps 3 and 4. Spring Street stretches along the southwest edge and Meadow Street to the south, intersecting the Allard Farm. The property is slightly
undulating and somewhat stony prime agricultural farmland, except for a steep wooded ridge on the west. Natural drainage swales and intermittent streams drain to the Mill River (see
Map 7). Farmers have observed predictable flooding in the spring and after heavy rains with fairly quick drainage. Implications: Land features and location make this property attractive
for agriculture, recreation, and conservation and vulnerable to residential development. Bean Farm Allard Farm Main Parcel Allard Farm East Parcel Allard Farm South Parcel Mill River
MAP 6 EXISTING CONDITIONS Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi
sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Intermittent Stream A year’s harvest of stones Residential Abutters Potential Wetland Residential Abutters Residential Abutters Highly Stony Soil Swale Farm Dump Intermittent Stream
Mill River Assessment: Information from a morning spent walking the properties with a certified wetlands scientist complements the MassGIS data-generated analysis of the following pages.
Even on a snowy winter morning, details of the land’s character emerged, including: • A potential wetland, a low, wet area about 75 feet east of the farm pond, contains plants that may
be indicative of a wetland. Further observation is recommended in the spring. • Areas of highly stony soils exist primarily on the northern end of the land. Some areas are so stony,
the current farmer has chosen not to grow in those areas. • A swale, running mostly west to east across the center of the property is at least a couple of feet lower than adjacent land
and appears to drain into the river. • On the east parcel, an intermittent stream runs along the perimeter of the field. • On the edge of the east parcel, residential abutters’s overlook
the farmland. Directly north and south of the Spring and Meadow intersection several homes abut the farmland. • A former farm dump of unknown history is located in the northwest corner
of property. Implications • The potential wetland could serve as habitat for wildlife. Avoid human activity in this area. • Stony soils are undesirable for farming and recreational fields.
• Developing recreational fields on the swale could require fill and grading to ensure proper drainage • Trails, roads and general human use should be avoided within 100-foot buffer
on intermittent stream. • Abutters could be disturbed by ballgame activity • Farm dump area should be tested for contaminants prior to any use of that area MAP 7 FIELD NOTES Not for
construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape
eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Assessment • The river is subject to a 200-foot Wetlands Protection Act riverfront buffer, existing agricultural land excluded and the farm pond is subject to a 100-foot buffer. • 70
acres of land are within the 10-year floodplain with some flash floods reported. • 108 acres are within the 100-year floodplain. • The entire property lies above a medium yield aquifer.
• 10-year floodplains offer unique and critical habitats for wildlife. • Floodplains serve important stormwater detention and flood absorption functions. Implications • While any change
of land use would require adherence to the 200-foot buffer, it is highly recommended that the buffer remain undisturbed by human use except on designated trails • Any proposed alterations
within the buffer are subject to Conservation Commission Review. Flooding could limit access to fields, cause erosion, and impact soil quality. • Runoff from farm or recreational use
could pollute Mill River. • The land should not be altered in any way that hinders stormwater detention MAP 8 HYDROLOGY Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project
and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Floodplain Function Floodplains and the waters that rush near them combine to form a complex, dynamic physical and biological system
that benefits humans and the environment. The farm fields and riparian forest at the banks of the Mill River act as a sponge to absorb excess water when the river runs high. Healthy
floodplains also absorb rain and snow runoff and filter non-point pollutiion, thus maintaining water quality. They recharge aquifers, providing drinking water for people. They moderate
temperatures. Floodplains can also provide excellent habitat for fish and wildlife by serving as breeding and feeding grounds. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village
lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Assessment • 95% of land has slopes of 3% or less. The western ridgeline has a 30% slope. • Soils on all lands except the ridgeline are classified as prime farmland. • Fine sandy loam
and silt loam are floodplain soils formed on alluvial material, are moderately well-drained, are often farmed and can pose wetness and flooding issues for recreational fields, particularly
for baseball fields, based on NRCS Soil Survey. • An environmental assessment of the 45 western-most acres revealed elevated arsenic levels as noted. .Implications • Slope of land is
favorable for farming and for recreational fields. • Prime agricultural soils are a finite resource to be conserved for farming. • The wetness and flooding issues of the two primary
soils make siting recreational fields a challenge. • Further environmental testing is needed for remaining acreage. Arsenic remediation required if public activities are proposed for
this area. (See box.) Bean & Allard Farms Mill River Silt Loam Loamy Sand Fine Sandy Loam 10-Ft Contour Line Elevated Arsenic Level MAP 9 TOPOGRAPHY & SOILS Not for construction. These
drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Arsenic Aware Inorganic compounds made with the heavy metal arsenic were used as pesticides
until the 1940s when health risks caused it to be banned in the US. Arsenic exposure is dangerous to human hearlth. Soil with elevated arsenic levels, such as the former orchard on the
Bean Farm, should not be dug, unless soil tests indicate the levels are below the top few inches of soil. In that case the area could be planted with a dense groundcover (ferns—especially
the Chinese brake fern— accumulate arsenic). Children should not be exposed to arsenic-contaminated soil. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli
zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Assessment • Meadow Street offers 1,500’ of frontage on the south parcel and 950’ on the north parcel. There are four smaller potential access points off Spring Street. • The northernmost
access point on Spring Street requires a quarter mile drive to farm fields. • An existing gravel road leads into the east parcel over an intermittent stream. • The Northampton Bikeway
lies less than 1 mile away but connecting streets lack bike lanes. • Sidewalk access is available on Spring Street but not on Meadow Street. • Farm roads circle the properties. Implications
• Options for curb cuts and roads into the property are plentiful based on slope less than 10% from street onto property. • Access into the northwest portion of the property would require
the longest road and be the most costly to construct. • Encouraging access via bike or foot would require the addition of bike lanes and a sidewalk on Meadow Street. • Heavy use of road
into east parcel may compromise intermittent stream. • Existing farm roads could be used by future farmers. MAP 10 ACCESS & CIRCULATION Not for construction. These drawings are part
of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean and Allard Farms Mill River Existing Vehicle Access Potential Vehicle Access Sidewalk Farm Road Northampton
Bikeway Intermittent Stream Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design
winter 2010
Assessment • View 1 into west parcel past wooded ridgeline includes a barn in the foreground and riparian forest in the rear. The fields themselves are not visible from Spring Street.
• Views 2 and 3 from Meadow Street into farmland are ones Florence residents have identified as attractive and worthy of preserving • View 4 from Meadow Street across south parcel includes
farm fields and residential properties. • Farmland vistas present a contrast of flat, open land rimmed by a vertical treeline along riparian woods and cut by a brambley hedgerow. Implications
• Playing fields placed north of Meadow Street could disrupt valued views of farmland though some residents could value views of recreational fields. • Preserving farming would be ideal
to preserve views. • Changes to the use of Bean Farm would have less impact on views than changes to the Allard Farm. 1 2 3 4 Bean & Allard Farms Mill River 1 2 3 4 Hedgerow Treeline
MAP 11 VIEWS Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for
a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Assessment • Woody exotic plants such as buckthorn, Asian bittersweet, Japanese knotweed, Japanese barberry, and multiflora rose are particularly prominent in the hedgerow and along
the river in disturbed areas. • The riparian woods include black locust, red maple, and sycamore. The northwestern riparian woods have been identified by the Natural Heritage Endangered
Species Program as priority habitat for a rare dragonfly. • Red oak, shagbark hickory, white pine, and white ash grow along fence lines, field edges, and the western ridgeline. • The
farm pond with adjacent wetlands contain various wetland perennials, including goldenrod and sedges. • Farm fields have most recently been planted primarily with potatoes and hay. •
The east parcel served as a productive strawberry field for many years, potentially indicating fertile soils. Implications • Limited disturbance should occur in the riparian woods due
to nearby NHESP designation. • A diversity of plant species offer habitat for a diverse wildlife population. • Hedgerows and edges are key foraging and escape areas for habitat. While
also providing forage and escape, exotic plants in the hedgerow choke out other native vegetation and create monocultures, limiting variety of food available for wildlife. • See Page
53 for information on best management practices for farm fields and wildlife habitat. Ridgeline Riparian Woods Hedgerow Black locust Red maple Sycamore Multiflora rose Japanese knotweed
Buckthorn Shagbark hickory Red oak White pine MAP 12 VEGETATION Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale.
Farm Pond Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Assessment: Public forum attendees, farmers, and neighbors report seeing several wildlife species, including red-tailed hawk, Eastern coyote, Eastern wild turkey, red fox, white-tailed
deer, and black bear. The site is identified as a NHESP Core Habitat (See Map 3 for several dragonflies, the Jefferson salamander, and the elderberry long-horned beetle.) Red-tailed
hawks preferred habitat is mixed forest and field, with high bluffs used as perch sites. The carnivorous red-tailed hawk hunts mostly by swooping down from a perch to seize prey, including
rodents, fish, and birds. Eastern coyotes are opportunistic feeders and scavengers. Their primary foods include fruit, berries, small rodents, rabbits, birds, snakes, frogs, and insects.
Because coyotes utilize so many different food sources, they have adapted to a variety of habitats, including urban areas. Eastern wild turkeys typical habitat include oak-hickory forests,
or mixed hardwoods with red oak and black cherry and open farmland. Black bears enjoy habitats including wetlands with vegetation, berry crops, and hardwood areas with nuts. Oak, beech,
or hickory stands are favored in fall. Female home ranges average 9 to 10 square miles while adult males may have ranges exceeding 120 square miles. Assessment: Bean and Allard’s habitat
edges and steep bordering woodlands could provide crucial habitat for wildlife, particularly the black bear. Implications: The conversion of farm fields —to a wildlife habitat— to recreational
fields, which could include hardscapes, lights, and buildings; could negatively impact wildlife with both the loss of vegetation, and the increase of human activity. Red fox Red-tailed
hawk Black bear Eastern wild turkey Eastern coyote MAP 13 WILDLIFE HABITAT Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not
to scale. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Site Assets • Prime farmland soils cover 95% of the parcel. • Site is comprised of primarily flat, contiguous farmland. • Property is easily accessed by vehicle and is a half-mile walk
from Florence center. • Diverse edges feed and shelter wildlife. • Cherished scenic views contrast with urban neighborhoods. • Floodplains provide stormwater detention and flood absorption
functions. • River is protected by a mature wooded buffer. Constraints • 70 acres in 10-year floodplain constrain recreational fields, parking and roads due to potential erosion. • Potential
for runoff from farm and recreational fields into river and for infiltration into aquifer. • Limited sidewalk access increases chances people will drive to recreational areas. • Areas
of stony soil increase site preparation required to build recreational fields. Bean & Allard Farms Property Line Mill River 200’ Riverfront Buffer 100’ Wetland Buffer 10-Year Floodplain
100-Year Floodplain Street with a Sidewalk Cherished Views Existing/Potential Vehicle Access Elevated Arsenic Level MAP 14 SUMMARY ANALYSIS Not for construction. These drawings are part
of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate
snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
criteria Developing criteria helps designers evaluate a site objectively against ideal conditions for each use, agriculture, recreation, and conservation. They provide a way to assess
what uses best fit the site and how compatible they are with one another. The criteria for the uses suggested for the Bean and Allard Farms evolved from information gathered through
research, from public input, and from professional sources. These criteria, reflecting the project goals and coupled with public input and analysis, both regional and site-related, led
to the design schematics to follow. Agriculture Good farmland is open for maximum sun exposure, flat or with minimal slope, and adequately irrigated by rainfall or near a water source
for mechanical irrigation. It is made up of fertile soil that is well drained with few or no large rocks, not saturated with water for extended periods, and not contaminated with toxins
that will affect the quality of crops or forage. For farming to be economically and environmentally sustainable, production farming requires enough contiguous acreage for economic viability
along with appropriate sites for farm infrastructure (farmer living quarters, livestock shelter, equipment storage, processing facility and greenhouses). The location of a farm near
a population center supports distribution and marketing of produce. A direct market/community supported agriculture farm requires access and visibility from a main street for a potential
farm stand and parking area, for customers. Converging Visions The regional and site analyses, along with project goals, public input, and criteria (see below), inspired the design program,
which aims to identify optimal areas for the three uses of agriculture, recreation, and conservation, and to provide sustainable mixed-use design alternatives for the Bean and Allard
Farms. While the Bean and Allard Farms Task Force’s focus has been on solutions at the farms, this process looks to the region, both to meet the growing need for local food and the expanding
demand for playing fields, and to link threatened wildlife corridors. 41 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn
yder • Conwa y School of landscape design converging visions winter 2010
Recreation Playing fields require land with level or minimal slope, with soil that is not stony, that drains well, and is not subject to flooding (land outside of the 10-year floodplain).
It is less costly to develop recreation fields on open land. Locating recreation fields close to the main center of population helps to reduce travel distance and time for users. The
size should accommodate multiple fields for simultaneous games and tournaments, to lower maintenance, and to aggregate infrastructure costs. Close access to a main street to and from
the recreation area is essential in reducing construction and maintenance costs, for parking, and for emergency vehicle access once the recreation area is in place. Sidewalks and a designated
bikeway are needed to serve users who walk or cycle to the site. A 50-foot buffer between residential properties and recreation fields minimizes disturbance to neighbors. Conservation
Native conservation land is land that is not cultivated or developed and that is essential for the protection of wildlife habitat and wildlife travel corridors, especially those of endangered
and threatened species. Conserved land is good habitat when it is adjacent to and containing wetlands, and protects water quality, water habitat, and provides flood control or floodwater
absorption. Parcels that link other protected lands should be conserved. Human-related criteria for conservation land include land that is culturally or historically significant, land
with scenic views, green space near village centers and green space in underserved areas. Converging Criteria Many agricultural and recreational criteria overlap; both require level,
open land. It is this convergence that reflects why Bean and Allard Farms are in the center of controversy: flat, open land is desirable for both those uses and for housing, putting
the Florence Meadows under development pressure. What is the best use for this land, and for meeting Northampton’s needs for preserving farmland, developing new recreation fields, and
conserving open space? Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 42 converging
visions winter 2010
Design Advantages: This general location for recreation fields creates a consolidated and easily accessed and maintained space and allows for the maximum number of playing fields with
room to rotate some fields to reduce wear. The recreation fields are outside the 10-year flood absorption plain and the protected river corridor. Vegetated buffers screen nearby neighbors
and retain and filter runoff around the playing fields and parking areas. Community gardens are sited on rich soils on the parcel to the east separated from the rest of the land by the
Mill River. The gardens, designed to help meet a present and everincreasing demand for food gardens in the community, are laid out to include an education and demonstration pavilion,
composting toilets and tool storage, centrally located gathering and play areas, and raised beds for people with disabilities. A historic marker consistent with markers erected by Historic
Northampton describes how the Northampton Association for Education and Industry used the site. A loop trail leads from the central garden area to provide river access for fishing. A
permeablesurfaced access and parking loop and additional parking pull-outs near the pavilion and garden plots give enough car and bicycle parking space for educational events and for
visitors taking advantage of the riverside walking loop. Design Constraints: The primary drawback of three these designs is the impact on valuable prime agricultural land. Historically
significant farmland is used for recreation, farmland views valued by the community are interrupted, and the contiguous agricultural fields are fragmented. Access and farm frontage on
Meadow Street are limited, though there is a possibility of shared parking and access for farm and recreation needs. Recreation fields in this area are in close proximity to residential
abutters. Community gardens are sited in an area that is entirely in the 10-year flood plain with an intermittent stream running along the east side and crossing the access drive. A
stream crossing with a culvert would be needed at the entry and an access easement may be required. Design Alternatives 1A, 1B, 1C These three designs meet a specific City request for
locating recreation fields north of Meadow Street on the Allard Farm. Each alternative shows a variation in configuration of organically maintained recreation fields (see Page 25) and
permeable-surfaced parking areas and each includes a playground, a public pavilion, a facility for composting toilets, and a storage area. 43 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions
for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design converging visions winter 2010
North Meadow Street Recreation Area • 4 multipurpose fields (306’ x 225’) • 1 -75’ baseball field (350’ outfield) • 1 -60’ baseball field (225’ outfield) • Play/gathering areas • 30’
x 30’ comfort facility & storage area – composting toilets, solar lighting • Car and bike parking for 120 cars • Bioswales surrounding parking • Vegetated 50’ buffer for residential
abutters • Access to area by sidewalks and designated bikeway Community Gardens -Allard East Parcel • 10 acres of garden space – 20’ x 20’ plots; some raised for ADA access • 18’ wide
loop drive with parking lane for plot access • Public education pavilion with parking pullouts and bike racks • 30’ x 30’ comfort facility, storage area, composting toilets and day lighting
• 2 play/gathering areas within sight of gardens • River access loop walking trail • Historic marker for Northampton Association for Education and Industry Farmland • 80 acres farmland
including south of Meadow Street • Limited access to farmland from Meadow St. Conservation • Field Field edges managed for food and wildlife habitat • 200’ river corridor/wetland buffer
managed for native species • 100’ pond/wetland buffer • 10-year floodplain on west side of the river undevelopedMAP 15 DESIGN ALTERNATIVE 1A Not for construction. These drawings are
part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Walking Trail Vegetated Buffer Play/Gathering Space Residence Pavilion Farm Pond 10-Year Floodplain 200’
Wetland Buffer Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Design al ternative 1A section and detail A A’ diagramatic section a -a’ Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to
scale. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 44 converging visions winter
2010
North Meadow Street Recreation Area • 4 multipurpose fields (306’ x 225’) • 1 -75’ baseball field (350’ outfield) • 1 -60’ baseball field (225’ outfield) • Play/gathering areas • 30’
x 30’ comfort facility & storage area, composting toilets, solar lighting • Car and bike parking for 120 cars • Bio swales surrounding parking • Vegetated 100-ft buffer for residential
abutters • Access to area by sidewalks and designated bikeway Community Gardens -Allard East Parcel • 10 acres of garden space – 20’ x 20’ plots; some raised for ADA access • 18’ wide
loop drive with parking lane for plot access • Public education pavilion with parking pullouts and bike racks • 30’ x 30’ comfort facility, storage area, composting toilets and day lighting
• 2 play/gathering areas within sight of gardens • River access loop walking trail • Historic marker for Northampton Association for Education and Industry Farmland • 80 acres of farmland
• Limited access to farmland from Meadow St. Conservation • Field edges managed for wildlife wildlife habitat • 200’ river corridor/wetland buffer managed for native species • 100’ pond/wetland
buffer • 10-year floodplain on west side of river undevelopedMAP 16 DESIGN ALTERNATIVE 1B Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal
survey. Not to scale. Walking Trail Vegetated Buffer Play/Gathering Space Residence Pavilion Farm Pond 10-Year Floodplain 200’ Wetland Buffer Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi
sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Design al ternative 1B section and detail B B’ DI AGR AMATI C section B -B’ Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not
to scale. 45 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design converging visions
winter 2010
North Meadow St. Recreation Area • 6 multipurpose fields (306’ x 225’) • 1 -75’ baseball field (350’ outfield) • 1 -60’ baseball field (225’ outfield) • Play/gathering areas • 30’ x
30’ comfort facility & storage area, composting toilets, solar lighting • Car and bike parking for 120 cars • Bioswales surrounding parking • Vegetated 100’-buffer for residential abutters
• Access to area by sidewalks and designated bikeway Community Gardens -Allard East Parcel • 10 acres of garden space – 20’ x 20’ plots; some raised for ADA access • 18’ wide loop drive
with parking lane for plot access • Public education pavilion with parking pullouts and bike racks • 30’x30’ comfort facility, storage area, composting toilets and day lighting • 2 play/gathering
areas within sight of gardens • River access loop walking trail • Historic marker for Northampton Association for Education and Industry Farmland • 80 acres of farmland • Limited access
to farmland from Meadow St. Conservation • Field edges managed for wildlife habitat habitat • 200’ river corridor/wetland buffer managed for native species • 100’ pond/wetland buffer
• 10-year floodplain on west side of the river undevelopedMAP 17 DESIGN ALTERNATIVE 1C Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal
survey. Not to scale. Walking Trail Vegetated Buffer Play/Gathering Space Residence Pavilion Farm Pond 10-Year Floodplain 200’ Wetland Buffer Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi
sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
Design al ternative 1C section and detail C C’ DI AGR AMATI C section C -C’ Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not
to scale. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 46 converging visions
winter 2010
Design Advantages: Two baseball diamonds sit below three multipurpose fields that can be rotated to reduce wear. The parking area, located east of the potential wetland (see Map 7),
can accommodate up to 100 cars. Amenities include a playground, sizeable community event/gathering spaces, and a facility with composting toilets and storage area. The developed area
is outside the 100-foot protective buffer surrounding the pond, the 200-foot protected river corridor, and the 10-year floodplain. The recreation area and parking are hidden from neighbors
on Spring Street and allow for the conservation of about 90 acres of prime farmland including the historically significant site of land farmed by the Northampton Association for Education
and Industry. Permeable-surfaced car and bicycle parking areas are surrounded by bio-swales to retain and filter runoff. Design Constraints: A substantial drawback to this plan is that
it would limit funding from the state Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program because it sits outside the 100-year floodplain and thus, is the most valuable land for housing development.
Other limitations: incurred costs of remediation of soils in area with elevated arsenic levels; the higher cost of a 1,700-foot long, two-way access road accessible to emergency vehicles
from Spring Street and the configuring of an entrance with clear sightlines; limited access for potential farmers to farmland from Spring Street. Design Alternative 2 In this design,
organically maintained recreation fields are located in a high, dry, but somewhat stony portion of the Bean Farm fields with access via a driveway from Spring Street. The design includes
a community garden area as described in design alternatives 1A-C to fill the growing need for local food gardens. 47 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape
eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design converging visions winter 2010
Bean Farm Recreation Area • 3 multipurpose fields (306’ x 225’) • 1 -75’ baseball field (350’ outfield) • 1 -60’ baseball field (225’ outfield) • Play /gathering areas • 30’ x 30’ comfort
facility & storage area, composting toilets, solar lighting • Car and bike parking – 100 cars • Bioswales surrounding parking • 2-way access road from Spring St. • Vegetated 50’ buffer
for residential abutters • Access to area by sidewalks and designated bikeway Community Gardens -Allard East Parcel • 10 acres of garden space – 20’ x 20’ plots; some raised for ADA
access • 18’ wide loop drive with parking lane for plot access • Public education pavilion with parking pullouts and bike racks • 30’ x 30’ comfort facility, storage area, composting
toilets and day lighting • 2 play/gathering areas within sight of gardens • River access loop walking trail • Historic marker for Northampton Association for Education and Industry Farmland
• 90 acres farmland including south of Meadow Street parcel with views open to north • Open access to farmland from Meadow Street Conservation • Field edges managed for wildlife habitat
• 200’ river corridor/wetland buffer managed for native species • 100’ pond/wetland buffer • 10-year floodplain on west side of the river undevelopedMAP 18 DESIGN ALTERNATIVE 2 Not for
construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Walking Trail Vegetated Buffer Play/Gathering Space Residence Pavilion Farm
Pond 10-Year Floodplain 200’ Wetland Buffer Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of
lan dscape design winter 2010
48 Design al ternative 2 section and detail D D’ DI AGR AMATI C section D -D’ Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey.
Not to scale. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 48 converging visions
winter 2010
Preferred design al ternative: regional app roac h This design, based on site and regional analyses, places recreation fields on the Bean and Allard Farms; it also identifies areas throughout
the city and the five-town region where opportunities exist for either developing new fields or using existing ones. This regional approach fulfills the needs of the Recreation Department
while conserving the maximum amount of contiguous prime farmland with frontage on Meadow and Spring Streets—factors especially important in the event that the land is divided into multiple
smaller farm parcels. Two multipurpose fields, a practice field, a baseball diamond, and a play area are located south of Meadow Street. As in the other designs, a community garden area
is located on the parcel on the east side of the Mill River. Based on Northampton’s Feasibility Study for Playing Fields (2010) the following locations have been identified as part of
the preferred alternative: • Sheldon Field: two multipurpose fields on adjacent private land • Look Memorial Park: five baseball fields and a potential new soccer/baseball field • Veteran’s
Field: a soccer/baseball field being refurbished • Glendale Road: City-owned land at a capped landfill • Williamsburg: two baseball/soccer fields Design Advantages: A maximum amount
of contiguous prime farmland acreage is conserved along with the historic Northampton Association for Education and Industry site. Views of the Allard parcel north of Meadow Street are
preserved. The recreation area is consolidated and separated from farmland north of Meadow Street. As in previous designs, community gardens are sited on rich soils on the east parcel.
The gardens are sited within walking distance to Florence village and meet a present and everincreasing demand for food gardens in the community. The wetland buffer has been extended
to 200 feet and a 100-foot buffer established around the Bean Farm pond to provide protection from runoff and to enhance wildlife habitat. Land in the 10-year floodplain contains only
an open pavilion and composting toilets and storage area. Design Constraints: The primary drawback of this design is the limited recreation field space on site. The south parcel accommodates
fewer fields than the stated need; those fields are in close proximity to neighbors and partially extend into the 10-year floodplain. 49 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for
a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design converging visions winter 2010
Recreation Area South of Meadow Street • 2 multipurpose fields (360’ x 225’) • 1 -60’ baseball field (225’ outfield) • 1 multipurpose practice field • 30’ x 30’ comfort facility, storage
area – composting toilets; solar lighting • Picnic pavilion and playground • Car and bike parking -40 cars off Spring Street, 20 cars off Meadow Street • Bioswales surrounding parking
• Vegetated 50’ buffer for residential abutters • Access to area by sidewalks and bikeway Community Gardens -Allard East Parcel • 10 acres of garden space, 20’ x 20’ plots; some raised
for ADA access • 18’-wide loop drive with parking lane for plot access • Public education pavilion with parking pullouts and bike racks • 30’ x 30’ comfort facility, storage area, composting
toilets and day lighting • 2 play/gathering areas within sight of gardens • River access loop walking trail • Historic marker for Northampton Association for Education and Industry Farmland
• 100 contiguous acres of farmland • Access from Meadow and Spring Streets Conservation • Field edges managed as wildlife habitat • 200’ river corridor/wetland buffer managed for native
species • 100’ pond/wetland buffer • 10-year flood on west side of river undevelopedMAP 19 PREFERRED DESIGN ALTERNATIVE Bean and Allard Farms Look Park Sheldon Field Anne T. Dunphy School
Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Glendale Road Capped Landfill Veterans Field Williamsburg Westhampton
Hatfield Northampton Easthampton Walking Trail Vegetated Buffer Play/Gathering Space Residence Pavilion Five additional properties (see Page 49) can potentially supplement Northampton’s
recreation field inventory, allowing the Bean and Allard Farms to provide maximum contiguous farm acreage while still offering playing fields on site. Bean an d Allar d Far ms: converging
vi sion s for a village lan dscape eli zabet h cooper , mar y prau s, kate snyder • Con way Sc hool of lan dscape design winter 2010
preferred Design al ternative section and detail E E’ DI AGR AMATI C section E -E’ DI AGR AMATI C section F -F’ F F’ Not for construction. These drawings are part of a student project
and are not based on a legal survey. Not to scale. Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School
of landscape design 50 converging visions winter 2010
This report offers Northampton options for developing Bean and Allard Farms that embrace a varying degree of impacts on this wide-open and historically rich land. The members of the
Bean and Allard Task Force are ordinary citizens thrust into the position of making weighty decisions that will effect succeeding generations. It is our hope that this work will provide
a structure to support those critical choices so that the city’s converging visions will transform a village landscape that will benefit all. The Bean and Allard Farms present Northampton
with the opportunity to identify and clarify what it values, and to see its vision put into practice on the land. From this process, a special place that enhances community will emerge.
Northampton values agriculture, recreation, and conservation. Those elements may conflict, but they can converge in a balanced way both on the site and throughout the region. Northampton,
like many cities, is making decisions now whose impacts will resonate for years (decades? centuries?) to come. As the City readies itself for an uncertain future, its acting to preserve
the land and provide outdoor experiencs will surely stand it in good stead. Afterword The Bean and Allard Farm: a village landscape to benefit all Northampton 51 Bean and Allard Farms
: converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design af terword winter 2010
design elements A bioswale is a landscape element designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water, consisting of a drainage course with gently sloped sides (less than
six percent) and filled with vegetation, compost and/or riprap. A common application for a bioswale is around parking lots, where substantial automotive pollution is collected by the
paving and then flushed by rain. The bioswale wraps around the parking lot and treats the runoff before releasing it to a stream or storm sewer. A vegetative buffer is an undeveloped
area planted with woody plants and perennials. Buffers can be comprised of existing plants on the site and/or new plantings. Buffers also help to absorb and filter runoff by increasing
infiltration into soil and improve wildlife habitat by providing food, shelter, and shade. Permeable paving is a range of materials and techniques for paving roads, parking lots and
walkways that allow the movement of water and air around the paving material. Whether pervious concrete, porous asphalt, paving stones, or bricks, pervious materials allow precipitation
to percolate through areas that would traditionally be impervious and instead infiltrates the stormwater through to the soil below. Comfort facilities include composting toilets. The
same structure could include storage space. The facilities could be constructed with a barn profile to evoke Northampton’s agricultural heritage. Composting toilets contain and control
the composting of excrement, toilet paper, carbon additive, and, optionally, food wastes. Unlike a septic system, a composting toilet system relies on unsaturated conditions (material
cannot be fully immersed in water), where aerobic bacteria and fungi break down wastes, just as they do in a yard waste composter. The resulting end product is a stable soil-like material
called humus. Handicap accessible gardens are constructed with raised, 18-inch-to 30-inch-high beds that can be tended from a seated position. Garden beds are built with timbers, bricks,
or crossties and and filled with good topsoil or compost that can easily drain. The widths of garden beds are limited to no more than two feet across or four feet if accessible from
two sides. Beds can be any length. Pea gravel or permeable-surfaced paths need to be at least four feet wide. A pavilion is an open, roofed structure built to provide cover for picnic
tables and program or event space. Pavilions are constructed with a barn profile. Play and gathering spaces include organic playground structures for younger children and benches in
shady spaces and are centrally located so that they can be seen from surrounding playing fields or garden areas. Appendices Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape
eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 52 app endices winter 2010
Additional resources Northampton Average Daily Traffic Volumes, Northampton, Massachusetts. www.northamptonma.gov/opd/uploads/listWidget/2552/ADT_Map.pdf Notre Dame School of Architecture,
Graduate Urban Design Studio. “Envisioning Sustainable Northampton.” September to December 2008. northamptondesignforum.org/downloads/EnvisioningSustainableNorthampton.pdf Open Space
and Recreation Plan http://www.northamptonma. gov/opd/uploads/listWidget/2550/2005-2010%20Open%20 Space%20and%20Recreation%20Plan.pdf Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan www.
northamptonma.gov/opd/uploads/listWidget/5909/SustainableNorthamptonPlan.pdf Agriculture American Farmland Trust. www.farmland.org. Bevis, Ashley, Hendrickson, John, Lass, Daniel, Ruhf,
Kathy, Stevenson, G.W. “Community Supported Agriculture Entering the 21st Century: Results from the 2001 National Survey.” October 2003. Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture.
www.buylocalfood.org. Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust. “Farmland Trees and Shrubs.” January 2009. 2009. www.deltafarmland.ca Intervale Center. “Intervale Center & Intervale Community
Farm, Burlington VT: Research and Interview Notes.” February 1, 2010. Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. www. mass.gov/agr Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation. www.mfbf.net.
Massachusetts Right to Farm. www.mass.gov/agr/docs/farmbylaw.pdf. New England Small Farm Institute. www.smallfarm.org/main/our_farm/Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. “Agriculture in
the Pioneer Valley Region.” Data Digest: A Statistical Profile of the Pioneer Valley Region. November 2006. United States Department of Agriculture. www.usda.gov
Recreation Cole, Richard. “Environmental Impacts of Outdoor Recreation in Wildlands.” Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute. leopold.wilderness.net/research/fprojects/docs12/ISSRMChapter.
pdf Fields in Trust. www.fieldsintrust.org. Hardebeck, Glenn, Reicher, Zac, and Throssel Clark Throssell. Purdue Turfgrass Science Program. “Building and Maintaining Soccer Fields in
Indiana” May 8, 1999. www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/pubs/ay31.htm#Area. Massachusetts Outdoors 2006: Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental
Affairs. National Recreation and Parks Association. www.nrpa.org. Northampton Recreation Department, Office of Planning and Development. “Feasibility Study for Playing Fields.” January
2010. Osborne Organics. www.osborneorganics.com Conservation Hall, Troy, Erin Seekamp and David Cole. 2010. Do recreation motivations and wilderness involvement relate to support for
wilderness management? A segmentation analysis. Leisure Sciences 32: 109-124. Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act. www.env.state.ma. us/mepa Massachusetts Natural Heritage Endangered
Species Program. Guiding Land Conservation for Biodiversity in Massachusetts: Core Habitats of Northampton, Hatfield, Williamsburg, Westhampton, Easthampton. www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhesp.htm.
Sanders, Laurie. “Rediscovering Northampton: The Natural History of City-Owned Conservation Areas.” September 1999. www.northamptonma.gov/conscomm/uploads/listWidget/6766/Rediscover%20Northampton.pdf
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. “Wildlife Habitat Improvement: Wetlands and Wildlife.” Sept. 1995. Natural Resources Conservation Service. http://soils.usda.gov/History
Northampton Silk on Silk. www.smith.edu/hsc/silk/clickmap/quilt.html. Hampshire Education Collaborative with assistance from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 1840s Florence
Video Tour. tah.collaborative.org/NAEI/source/Interactivities/Florence_Walking_Tour/index.html Design Elements Bioswales. http://www.delafleur.com/168_Elm/PDF_files/09_ bioswale.pdf
Pervious Paving. http://www.PerviousPavement.org/Composting Toilet. http://oikos.com/library/compostingtoilet/body 53 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape
eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design app endices winter 2010
image Credits Page 4: Aerial photo courtesy of Richard Shephard, Aerial Photography Page 14: Photo of Northampton residents by Jerry Roberts courtesy of the Daily Hampshire Gazette Page
16: Photo of Connecticut River courtesy of creative commons Page 17: Photo of soccer players courtesy of creative commons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rkleine/Page 20: Image of Northampton
City Seal courtesy of the City of Northampton Page 23: Photo of row crops courtesy of creative commons. www.flickr.com/photos/97487636@N00/Page 24: Photo of Maines Field courtesy of
the City of Northampton Page 26: Photo of Sheldon Field courtesy of the City of Northampton Page 31: Photo of hoop house courtesy of creativecommons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/urtica/Page
32: Photo of soccer players courtesy of creative commons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rkleine/Photo of softball pitcher courtesy of creative commons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcdpr/Page
41: Photo of farmers market overandaroundus.wordpress.com/Photo of children courtesy of the City of Northampton Photo of wetland forest courtesy of intheberrypatch.wordpress.com/category/hikes/Map
1: Photo of tractor courtesy of creativecommons. www.flickr.com/photos/97487636@N00/Map 2: Photo of soccer players courtesy of Derek Jensen Map 3: Photo of brook snaketail courtesy of
Tom Murray Photo of Jefferson salamander courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Photo of elderberry long-horned beetle courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Map 4: Photo of vernal pool courtesy of Wikimedia
Commons Photo of egg masses courtesy of creative commons Photo of ocellated darner courtesy of Denis A. Doucet Map 5: Photo of American bittern courtesy of creative commons. http://www.flickr.com/pho
tos/birdfreak/3543251710/Photo of upland sandpiper courtesy of creative commons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/439835470/Photo of bald eagle courtesy of creative commons.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/</a> /Map 12: Photo of white pine courtesy of creative commons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/7891209@N04/2432877543/Photo of red oak courtesy
of creative commons. http://flickr.com/photos/andreasbalzer/Photo of shagbark hickory courtesy of creative commons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/76659733@N00/2471189565 Photo of buckthorn
courtesy of creative commons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/esagor/Photo of multiflora rose courtesy of creative commons. http://flickr.com/photos/dendroica/Photo of Japanese knotweed
courtesy of creative commons Photo of sycamore courtesy of USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 27 March 2010). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA
70874-4490 USA. Photo of red maple courtesy of nerr0371, NOAA’s Estuarine Research Reserve Collection Photo of black locust courtesy of creativecommons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/40838043@N02/3758
917464 Map 13: Photo of red fox courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Photo of red tailed hawk courtesy of creativecommons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alanvernon/4204671209 Ocellated
darner –http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bugguide.net/images/raw/Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus , kate
sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design 54 app endices winter 2010
Acknowledgements We would like to thank Wayne Feiden at Northampton’s Office of Planning and Development; James Thompson, the office’s GIS coordinator; and Ann-Marie Moggio at the City’s
Recreation Department. We are grateful to the Bean and Allard Farms Task Force and to the people of the City of Northampton for their invaluable input. We also wish to acknowledge the
help we received from wetlands scientist Bill Lattrell, National Recreation and Parks Association ballfield expert Bill Beckner, farmer Larry Bean, the Trust for Public Land’s Clem Clay,
biologist Elizabeth Farnsworth, planner Peter Klejna, historian Steve Strimer, and organic field consultant Chip Osborne. This project would not have been possible without the direction
from and wisdom of the faculty and staff at Conway School of Landscape Design. 55 Bean and Allard Farms : converging visions for a village landscape eli zabeth cooper , mar y praus ,
kate sn yder • Conwa y School of landscape design app endices winter 2010
The Conway School of Landscape Design is the only institution of its kind in North America. Its focus is sustainable landscape planning and design. Each year, through its accredited,
ten-month graduate program just eighteen to nineteen students from diverse backgrounds are immersed in a range of applied landscape studies, ranging in scale from residences to regions.
Graduates go on to play significant professional roles in various aspects of landscape planning and design. www.csld.edu The Bean and Allard Farms, two adjacent working farms together
known as the Florence meadows, make up 185 contiguous acres of prime agricultural farmland in Northampton, Massachusetts. This report offers local and regional context, analysis, and
sustainable alternative designs to balance the three often-competing uses of agriculture, recreation fields, and conservation that the City of Northampton wants on the site.