[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6223869,"mediaKeyId","3560806-97bc3fc86fcfc5fc52c7e5e3cdda8ef4","parentId",3560806,"title","Northampton plans fleet DC fast chargers, seeks funds to replace aging public chargers and studies on‑street locations","audioSeconds",298,"startMs",642000,"endMs",940000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3560806-97bc3fc86fcfc5fc52c7e5e3cdda8ef4&start=642&end=940","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3560806-97bc3fc86fcfc5fc52c7e5e3cdda8ef4/thumbnail_642000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6223869/Massachusetts/Northampton-plans-fleet-DC-fast-chargers-seeks-funds-to-replace-aging-public-chargers-and-studies-onstreet-locations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223869-65aa5dc653a073bd40993fd5f4319d7b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775091326&Signature=b1ZHRHGf08gL9ctOYv244zA8p9LBWOjp2PchOg2whIMHPqdsVoYJ7tJrWY2wsNp5p~5VdpwON4WcNfsrk-VQW4-DpnsY2FTk6229dHC0euYy9tIyenOSLHKl36VpqPrWBcMBRb9FEhz1O7uZN9ys3jQtzInukBLG-A6jryGHBp4HQfZartBAQ0ib79jmASzH8MrQvsZT-iSRuW5kjHwY5vK8AFpYc~BRm2ddRGtcRoXPDMUGqBAoWNgkjUKzm2PyxYk8PKtHWa2bagK8ADwymash4uiDLKqVf3Wa8s~prGkAwroiFDelbZEwgpv6RCOTeMmiGfABChSVDvpclDaNgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Northampton City, MA","date","2025-05-28T23:02:55.02Z","article","Marissa Elkins, committee member, gave a staff update that the city will install four DC fast chargers at the roundhouse lot; for the near term those fast chargers will serve city fleet vehicles only.

\"We do have 4 fast chargers coming to the roundhouse lot right out outside the, but the Department of Health, that is going to result in some complex, musical chairs with people's assigned parking spaces and I'm attempting to organize that with parking,\" Elkins said. She said vehicles arriving this week will include a new Nissan Leaf for the motor pool, with further EVs arriving over the next two weeks and the planned sale of three older vehicles to offset costs.

Elkins said the city is applying for additional MassEVIP funds — described in the meeting as funds stemming from the Volkswagen settlement — to replace aging ChargePoint Level 2 chargers that have had connectivity and reliability problems. \"We are working with a company to, basically apply on our behalf for additional mass EVIP funds, which basically come from the settlement with Volkswagen from years ago, to get for us free of charge to the city, replacements for the older any older level 2 chargers,\" she said.

The city has a separate Leidos‑funded feasibility study and survey to identify sensible on‑street EV charging locations, with a priority on placing chargers near public and low‑income housing. \"There is a survey. So we, we've got a grant for a feasibility study that is being done by Leidos, to assess the best possible locations for on street EV charging,\" Elkins said, and asked commissioners to help distribute the survey for public input.

Elkins also reported a soft rollout of two e‑cargo bikes for the city motor pool and two commuter e‑bikes arriving soon for staff who travel in pairs. \"The health inspectors love them. They've been driving out to do all their inspections on the bikes,\" she said. Staff discussed possible use of Valley Bike for some employees; the meeting recorded membership costs as $25 per month for regular membership and $4 per month for an equity pass. \"Regular membership is $25 a month, but for access equity pass members are $4 a month,\" a speaker said.

No formal votes or contract awards were taken at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to circulate the Leidos survey and to follow up with details on MassEVIP grant applications, public charger replacements, and motor‑pool vehicle sales and replacements.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Northampton Energy and Sustainability Commission | May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Marissa Elkins, committee member, gave a staff update that the city will install four DC fast chargers at the roundhouse lot; for the near term those fast chargers will serve city fleet vehicles only.","taxTitle","Northampton City, Hampshire County, Massachusetts","taxId",68541,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6223873,"Students, volunteers prepare pollinator garden on high school grounds",89,236000,325000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3560806-97bc3fc86fcfc5fc52c7e5e3cdda8ef4&start=236&end=325","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3560806-97bc3fc86fcfc5fc52c7e5e3cdda8ef4/thumbnail_236000.jpg","/articles/6223873/Massachusetts/Students-volunteers-prepare-pollinator-garden-on-high-school-grounds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223873-e369ec090f9e236e9b1d1fdc9e246634/orig.mp4?Expires=1775091326&Signature=We1Dm7G-v~XUPJx~APu4leyaX7ocwyXCwM79jidVpnrejmDfRitB3NBjStLhHfJLBYxloP~rgL82zXxk96yEsKzpMZNl~t-qsVUrvxJwqw8IrdC8W9KUcBM2qUuH21VwurdKMK0QMvLduVXUwHMPFf-GBP7pawxbBBbnX0LtqxTZUtLmLZomT0jMF5ptI6FHWYTvWiavG9aTb8XfJdgeSrfXB5QymV5SP7k7aK77u9EOxMhpeXxqr9Z6I42e0sC3UeT6~5scPVp9Klq8SpwpkE6ux9Mc~WGg0umOYgOwpcp~VVsdsnFCdwg03ybuKyEZ6LBjvrZb5~jCIL6~MEy4jA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Angie Gregory, committee member, said the environmental club at the high school and the pollinator subcommittee identified a new site for a pollinator garden on the southeast side of the school, bordering Hope Northampton Church, and scheduled planting work this Saturday at 11 a.m.

The move followed an earlier review of a steeper hillside by Rose Shurna of Gardening for the Future, who told the students and subcommittee that terracing and multi‑year installation would be required for the original site. \"They actually did all the groundwork to prepare the soil. So the soil's all been turned over. The plot line is, is set up,\" Gregory said of the students' first preparation day.

The subcommittee said a rain barrel has been delivered to Spring Grove Cemetery for Rich to transport to the site; the Department of Public Works will fill it and maintain water for the new planting. Volunteers will plant and mulch the plot on Saturday, and organizers invited community members to bring shovels.

Louie Hasbrooke asked whether the subcommittee could provide quick guidance for homeowners who want to support pollinators, specifically white clover for lawns. \"Can we have people contact you? Could you think of a way to maybe, talk about a really quick and easy way to throw some to just throw clover seed out there?\" he asked. Gregory said the group will consider producing a best‑practices resource and suggested involving Smith College students or a school class to create outreach materials.

Carolyn Mich, committee member, urged that any homeowner guidance be posted on the commission's NEST page so residents can find it without having to contact members individually.

The subcommittee also discussed possible future projects such as roundabout plantings and continued partnerships with the school and local organizations; no formal votes or policy actions were taken during the meeting. The planting workday this Saturday is the immediate next step.

Organizers asked interested volunteers to join the Saturday workday and to watch the commission's page for follow‑up materials and potential how‑to resources developed from student projects.","Members of the commission and high‑school environmental club finalized a new pollinator garden site on the southeast side of the high school and scheduled planting and mulching workdays, with DPW support for a delivered rain barrel.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6223862,"Planners push dense, centrally located housing to cut carbon; commission discusses parking minimums and outreach",1074,1291000,2365000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3560806-97bc3fc86fcfc5fc52c7e5e3cdda8ef4&start=1291&end=2365","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3560806-97bc3fc86fcfc5fc52c7e5e3cdda8ef4/thumbnail_1291000.jpg","/articles/6223862/Massachusetts/Planners-push-dense-centrally-located-housing-to-cut-carbon-commission-discusses-parking-minimums-and-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223862-3922b04a6825143543d15b351a80567d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775091326&Signature=adJi2qOiVJuw1k2oSO7mUitTGux37UwERSMTbfvUw7Pc3IT7yLoB2jCUum1J0hegoZHD0QXww~0SF~Si-rx~qpWqo67Y2M-yCdnkgDPyXy7~zDGLDWgoG6VkOpD4ued92xHbaKrcE-EyWJYGs~S7l~VYy9CGJBwLTmnUHxb3l6Qo6pmSRZ9gibH1tVw04Jkcfc6gaVTRx7vJl54FBsZkVNlzuMUp35Wx6TLtc0ZGO5eZycxAyQOI-lnbufN5sQ9DjDk-6nUGrWhuc0aNckGSCKAlNKNC7Yhbb8m3LRKd6HXksgzl37711IKm3P2XNn8dIoVbw5JRa-luUZgGfBH7qw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carolyn Mich, committee member, presented planning board work on implementing the Sustainable Northampton plan, focusing on directing new housing to areas with existing infrastructure to reduce transportation‑related carbon emissions.

\"Transportation and buildings together combined are 80% of our carbon impact,\" Mich said, citing data prepared by KLA Associates as part of the climate resilience and regeneration plan. She described a tool developed by Kim Lundgren Associates that lets planners compare the embodied carbon and transportation impacts of building in downtown locations versus greenfield or suburban sites.

Mich said the tool can compare, for example, building a two‑family unit on Crescent Street versus Sylvester Road and that the long‑term carbon and transportation impacts are higher for development farther from the core. She also reviewed the city’s evolving approach to smaller housing types: accessory dwelling unit rules have been relaxed over time, and the city now allows two‑family buildings by right in many districts.

The presentation moved to parking, where Mich cited national analysis and a recent Commonwealth report, \"Unlocking Housing Production,\" noting that parking construction typically adds $10,000 to $50,000 per housing unit. \"We've reduced or eliminated parking requirements in several downtown districts,\" she said, and presented a city map showing vehicle ownership per unit is lower in the downtown core than in suburban neighborhoods.

Commissioners discussed ways NESC could participate. Options included writing letters to the planning board supporting specific projects that further the commission's goals, forming a small subcommittee to analyze parking minimums and alternatives, and encouraging commissioners to attend planning board and council hearings to offer public comment. \"If NESC would say, like, here's this project, here are the specific reasons about this, you know, so we have to do a bit of study and then have an opinion that's coming that's at least been voted on by this board,\" one commissioner said.

Mich mentioned a downtown lot sold to Valley Community Development for about 30 units intended for people coming out of houselessness as an example of infill housing that puts residents near services. No formal policy actions or votes were taken; commissioners agreed to continue the discussion, possibly through a subcommittee and by coordinating with councilors already working on parking minimums.","A planning presentation reviewed the Sustainable Northampton plan, housing shortfalls and a developer‑tool that compares carbon and transport impacts by location; commissioners discussed reducing parking minimums and forming NESC input on planning cases and policy recommendations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Northampton plans fleet DC fast chargers, seeks funds to replace aging public chargers and studies on‑street locations

Students, volunteers prepare pollinator garden on high school grounds

Planners push dense, centrally located housing to cut carbon; commission discusses parking minimums and outreach