Francis Johnson, Stephen Gilson, Keith Wilson, Kenneth Jodrie, Jenifer Dieringer and Paul Voss all voted to approve the site plan as amended for the Hilton Garden Inn at the Round House. The lone no vote was cast by George Kohout.
Planning Board chair Francis Johnson and Northampton senior planner & permits manager Carolyn Misch
A major factor of consideration for the hotel development has been the parking garage. According to statements made during public hearings, the Pioneer Valley Hotel Group is sinking about $2 million into the garage. This is money they supposedly will not be able to recoup as they will have to abide by parking rates as set by the municipal garage on Old South Street. In the eyes of some, that is the cost of the project, not the $1 the Group paid the city for the acre of municipal land. The Group stated numerous times that if the city lowered parking requirements they could adjust the hotel more to the public liking. Unfortunately, any change in requirements would have altered the provisions of the RFP process so the Group was only able to eliminate sixteen spaces and five hotel rooms in an attempt to increase the flow of air and light to the New South Street apartment building. Little was done to address the alley way between the proposed hotel and the Round House office building, a few windows with some artificial lighting and a contorted staircase was the answer. Additionally, five trees will be planted in the new alley between the garage and the apartments.There will be no net gain in parking available for the general public, there will be a net loss of2 spaces apparently under the latest scenario.
(above-below) audience members look and listen
see photo gallery to left for public speakers
Many in the audience last night were disappointed in the outcome. Once the public comments ceased the board seemed to retreat into a bubble, where they discussed the issue without paying much heed to dozens of comments, articles, letters to the editor and other feedback. The politically appointed board failed to acknowledge their error in granting the special permit and constantly deferred to city planner Carolyn Misch for advice on how best to proceed. Ms. Misch, maintaining strong eye contact with the docile board members, guided them through the evening.
There would be no vote to extend the hearing or continue the deliberations. In the end, it became clear that once again the public is wrong and short-sighted and board members are correct and visionary.In this case, the mayor’s office, planning staff and planning board operated as one. No checks, no balances and little in the way of independent thinking. In referring to this phenomenon I think Tris Metcalfe uses the term, "groupthink."
above-Gilson, Kohout, Voss, Feiden, Dieringer
below-Misch, Wilson, Jodrie, Russell
An attendee in the audience mused afterward that there actually seems to be a mockery of the public by board members, that many of the issues raised were not adequately addressed or even mentioned. But short of a viable mayoral candidate appearing on the horizon, this is just business as usual and illustrates a pattern of events that is likely to continue as par for the course until someone steps up with bigger and better ideas. Are you that someone?
One thing the public seemed to desire in this process is a broader vision of where Northampton is headed. Many people wish to see a more unique approach to land development in Northampton, not smart growth tokenism, even if that tokenism receives awards from people outside of the community. One woman last night mentioned green roof tops as a novel way to build a hotel and increase tourism to the city. Build something truly unique and the public will get behind it is the thinking. After reading about the parking concepts offered in the press release below, I can only wonder why a city with a progressive reputation like Northampton is relying instead on basic urban renewal schemes to drive its future.
Price Tags Soar on Urban Parking Spaces – ‘Urban Parking Concepts’ Offers an Innovative Solution to Solving Parking Headaches
Wellesley, MA August 14, 2007 — The problem of affordable urban parking has only intensified over the past 10 years. A single parking space in Manhattan can retail for more than $225,000, the price of a sizeable home in some areas of the country. This cost escalation for parking spaces has become pandemic in most urban cities where parking is considered more as an investment property. For those who can’t afford to own that luxury, finding a parking space remains exasperating. For developers, city planners and designers parking continues to be their Achilles’ heel in terms of real estate allotment, design and revenue.
Urban Parking Concepts, located in Wellesley, Mass., has introduced a revolutionary solution for urban parking for US Markets: With its patented Automated Parking Storage Facilities (APSF) requiring up to 50% less space to handle the same number of vehicles as conventional ramped parking facilities. For example: the development of a new freestanding 500-space facility requires only 100×100 feet of real estate; while a 1,500-space facility can fit on 180×180 feet.
Urban’s automated parking facilities can be configured around a core cylinder or linear tower. A series of independent moveable vehicle lifts and platform conveyor systems move continually, simultaneously and independently of each other. But the real breakthrough technological ingenuity of these facilities is in how they move.
The patented movement technology, called "Three Motion Technology," is a vehicle lift system combined with state-of-the-art software which allows simultaneous vehicle movements in three dimensions: vertical, side to side and diagonally. This simultaneous action significantly decreases equipment costs and parking cycle times, while it increases customer convenience and parking space efficiency.
From a design standpoint, the ASPF can be constructed with a closed fa ade, (allowing developers considerable flexibility in design, shape and appearance) or it can be constructed integrally within the development’s footprint. The computer controlled parking system can integrate a number of services such as parking space reservations, traffic control, security and surveillance systems, and locked storage compartments. Because the ASPF is fully automated and no one enters the facility once the car is parked, the damage and security issues normally associated with parking garages are greatly decreased.
Urban Parking Concepts and their European technology partners, Rothary Parking Storage & Siemens AG, recently unveiled a newly completed APSF in Frauenfeld, Switzerland this summer. The system has been well received by city planners, developers, and parking patrons alike.
To learn more about the unique business advantages of Urban Parking Concepts systems, call Managing Director Bill Wieners at (617)224-2651.
Urban Parking Concepts is a turn-key provider of state-of-the-art automatic parking. Based in Wellesley, Mass., the company’s patented system delivers impressively more parking in less time and at a lower cost than conventionally available systems. Learn more at http://www.urbanparkingconcepts.com
