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Planning staff seeks public input on First Church Plaza redesign as part of Main Street work
Summary
Planning staff announced a concept plan and public viewing for a proposed redesign of the public plaza at First Church Plaza, part of the larger Main Street project; plaza improvements would be funded separately from MassDOT work.
City planning staff told the Northampton Planning Board on March 27 that a concept plan has been developed to reconfigure First Church Plaza — the public park in front of First Church — as part of the larger Main Street streetscape project and invited the public to review the concept on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Staff said the plaza is a public park that the church helps maintain under a recorded agreement at the registry; the project team has coordinated with church leadership, including the pastor, to ensure the plaza design accommodates church activities. The planning department noted the plaza redesign is a “non-participating” element in the Main Street contract, meaning MassDOT will not fund the plaza improvements; any work there would need separate funding such as park grants or Community Preservation Act (CPC) funds, though the work could be constructed at the same time as the Main Street contractor’s schedule.
Staff also said the existing steel kiosk will be removed; the city has discussed relocating the kiosk and bench to a trailhead or other trail-adjacent location so the kiosk can continue to serve trail and community uses. The planning staff invited residents to a brief Sunday viewing session for the concept plan before designers finalize details.
