Northampton Soccer Club ZPA Response Letter 2012-03-14 (2)City of Northampton
Massachusetts
DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING INSPECTIONS 212 Main Street ● Municipal Building Northampton, MA 01060
Mark Tanner
Morse and Sacks
31 Trumbull Road Northampton, MA 01060
March 14, 2012
Dear Attorney Tanner,
I have reviewed Northampton Soccer Club’s application to use the fields at the Oxbow Marina
on Island Road for soccer activities.
It is my determination that a Planning Board Special Permit is required by the Zoning Ordinance
of the City of Northampton, Chapter 350, § 5.3:
§ 350-5.3. Accessory uses.
Any use which is accessory to a principal use allowed by right shall be allowed only in connection with such allowed principal use. Any use which is accessory to a principal use allowed by special permit, and which is not specifically included in the original special permit,
shall be allowed only after issuance of a new special permit. Cessation of a principal use shall require cessation of any accessory use which is not otherwise allowed as a principal use. The Building Commissioner shall be responsible for determining what uses are principal and what
uses are accessory. The principal use of the property as a marina is recreational. The soccer use is accessory to
that principal use. While there is undoubtedly an educational component to the proposed soccer activities, I consider the primary or dominant feature of the use of the property for soccer fields to be
recreational thereby requiring a special permit.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Respectfully, Louis Hasbrouck
Building Commissioner City of Northampton (413) 587-1240
lhasbrouck@city.northampton.ma.us cc Alan Seewald
Carolyn Misch