Today’s Republican reports on time limits for political yard signs in WMass communities. In Northampton, “signs not pertaining to an election must be taken down 90 days after they are put up.” We encourage our supporters to comply with this ordinance. We appreciate all of you who put up our yard signs, helping us to […]
Continue reading The Republican: 90-Day Limit on Northampton Yard Signs
The minutes from the Northampton City Council meeting of November 2 have recently been released. They describe the final vote over three adult-use ordinances. We provide these minutes here for your convenience. Northampton City Council – Minutes of Meeting – November 2, 2006 (PDF) Approved: An ordinance to regulate the adult content of signage In […]
The minutes from the Northampton Planning Board’s meetings of September 28 and October 12 have recently been released. They describe the discussion over various adult-use ordinances and how planning board members voted. We provide these minutes here for your convenience. The addresses of residents on both sides of the debate have been obscured to protect […]
Today’s Gazette reports the Retailers Association of Massachusetts has recognized Northampton as having the “best downtown shopping district” in 2006: Rich Segel, who founded the Retailers Association of Massachusetts Awards of Excellence, said Northampton won the title because it is “everything a downtown should be.” Segel cited the uniqueness of the city’s stores, their longevity, […]
Some opponents of the adult-use zoning ordinances passed by the Northampton City Council on November 2 have been arguing that they constitute illegal “spot zoning” because the ordinance was partly motivated by opposition to a specific business, namely Capital Video’s plans for a large porn shop at 135 King Street. They say that the 1,000-square-foot […]
Continue reading Why Northampton’s New Adult-Use Ordinances Are Not Spot Zoning
NoPornNorthampton emailed the following message to Robert J. Greeley on Saturday. Having received no response, we now share it with the public. We invite those of similar opinion to contact Mr. Greeley.Dear Mr. Greeley,In August, you wrote to a Northampton resident stating that you personally would have rejected Capital Video as a tenant for 135 […]
[Updated: 3/4/07, 6/1/08] The official site for Nye County, Nevada contains a large trove of research on adult-use zoning and the secondary effects of adult businesses. This compilation of studies (PDF) spans a wide range of times and places in America, and we have augmented it here with links from Community Defense Counsel. Some highlights: […]
Continue reading Secondary Effects Across America: 1977-1999
From “Is it Safe to Walk? Neighborhood Safety and Security Considerations and Their Effects on Walking”, Journal of Planning Literature, February 2006 (p. 225): The importance of walking and physical activity as determinants of good health has been well established in the medical and public health literature, but a significant number of Americans live sedentary […]
Islip, NY published a detailed strategy and rationale for regulating adult businesses through zoning (PDF) in 1980. Here are some of their findings which have a bearing on Northampton’s new ordinances, especially the desire to keep downtown Northampton pedestrian-friendly: Planning relies heavily on public participation, both by federal government mandate and by professional standards. The principle […]
In the adult-use zoning ordinances approved by Northampton’s City Council on November 2, some of the justifications are to preserve Northampton’s pedestrian-friendly character: The City has historically valued the preservation and expansion of dense, safe, pedestrian-scale neighborhoods and development that enable residents to walk to school, services, recreation, and other activities. More specifically, such pedestrian-scale […]
Continue reading Where the Sidewalk Ends: The Bookends Porn Shop in Enfield