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Historic commission reviews redesigned 3‑building mixed‑use proposal at 3 Elm Street
Summary
The Northampton Historical Commission continued its review of a certificate of appropriateness for a proposed three‑building mixed‑use development at 3 Elm Street; architect Charles Roberts presented design revisions focused on brickwork, window patterns and street‑level landscaping while the planning board will address traffic and stormwater.
The Northampton Historical Commission continued its review on March 31, 2025, of a local historic district certificate of appropriateness application for a proposed three‑building mixed‑use development at 3 Elm Street, with architect Charles Roberts presenting revisions to the project’s façades and site landscaping.
The project is before the commission as a continuation of reviews that began in December and resumed in January and February. Commission members were told the Planning Board will review technical items such as uses, trip generation, stormwater and zoning conformance; the Historical Commission’s remit is limited to architectural character and the building’s fit within the local historic district.
“We’ve gotten rid of the larger windows that look into the apartment units and we’re doing sort of more of a rhythmic array of punched windows,” architect Charles Roberts said, describing a change to residential window openings on the Elm Street elevation. Roberts also said the team is “adding some…a cross buck in these windows, so these are casement windows, but the cross buck is meant to emulate a double hung window,” a detail intended to bring the new building’s window scale closer to downtown precedents.
Roberts presented other design changes meant to moderate the building’s massing and street presence: a pronounced cornice line added at the top of the Elm Street façade, reworked brick detailing on the front building, elimination of large apartment glazing that previously faced Elm Street, and retention of larger storefront‑scale glass for a restaurant on the second floor. The design also now includes trellis planters and an array of street trees along the parking‑lot elevation; Roberts said the team is adding “street trees…which again is going to help just soften and humanize and and make this a more pedestrian friendly street.”
On site‑level changes, Roberts showed revised garage openings reduced in width and reorganized to create a more regular rhythm with punched window bays. He described stormwater measures integrated into planters and rain gardens at the street edge and noted the building is set back roughly 50 feet from Elm Street, creating layered terraces for outdoor dining and a planted buffer between the sidewalk and the terrace.
Commissioners raised earlier concerns about the project’s fit with St. Mary’s Church and the rectory on the same lot; Roberts illustrated a site plan showing the new building splitting the distance between the church (near the street) and the rectory (set further back) and said landscaping and stepped terraces will soften the corner’s visual impact.
The commission did not vote on a certificate of appropriateness at the meeting. Staff said the Planning Board is expected to address outstanding technical items at its April meeting; the Historical Commission will review any revised design and Planning Board comments at a future session.
