Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Picture Main Street topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge pause on Picture Main Street utility work, flag stormwater capacity concerns
Summary
Public commenters asked the council to delay appropriations for Picture Main Street underground work, saying stormwater pipes proposed in the plan may be undersized for future rainfall intensities under climate change.
Northampton — Multiple residents urged the council on Jan. 16 to pause funding for some Picture Main Street (PMS) underground utility work until the city rechecks stormwater capacity and phasing.
Why it matters: Residents living near downtown told the council the project will replace underground pipes sized to handle smaller rain events than some studies now recommend given climate‑change projections. They asked the council to withhold related appropriations until the project’s stormwater design is reexamined.
What residents said: Fred Zimnock told the council the downtown reconstruction is “a once in a lifetime project for taxpayers,” and cautioned that the proposed new pipes appear sized for a six‑inch event rather than larger future events: “With climate change rolling along on a piece, I noticed that we are digging up downtown to install pipes that are better, but only sized at 6 inches rainfall versus a recommended 9.7 inches rainfall.” Lily Gabe and others made similar points and asked for more public hearings and a review at the project’s 75% design phase.
City staff response: Director Laura LaScalia said the distinction between water, sewer and stormwater funding matters: the $3.1 million noted in the CIP for downtown work was described as water and sewer upgrades; stormwater improvements are part of a state‑funded component of the overall project (MassDOT/TIP funds) and follow state stormwater standards. “This $3,100,000 appropriation is for water and sewer. It is not for stormwater,” LaScalia said, and noted MassDOT’s design standards inform pipe sizing for the state portion of the work.
Next steps: Residents asked the council to table or delay appropriations tied to the underground utilities so the public can review design assumptions and the project team can confirm the stormwater sizing. Councilors said they will follow up with staff and the project team to clarify which appropriations fund which components and whether additional review is warranted.
Ending: The council indicated some Picture Main Street items will receive additional scrutiny and that staff will respond with more precise technical and funding breakdowns in the coming weeks.
