Northampton staff propose narrowing Complete Streets approval role to speed paving projects

Carolyn introduced city staff’s draft changes to Northampton’s Complete Streets ordinance at the Bicycle & Pedestrian Subcommittee meeting on Dec. 11, saying the edits aim to preserve the policy’s goals while giving the Department of Public Works more flexibility.

Donna, a city transportation staffer, told the committee the ordinance — created in 2015 as part of state-linked project funding — currently requires concrete sidewalks on reconstructed streets in many districts, “including just in a mill and overlay,” and that those requirements force frequent design-exception requests to the volunteer Transportation & Parking Commission (TPC). She said the combination of mandatory treatments and tight budgets makes some projects financially impossible.

The draft proposes three principal changes: remove TPC’s explicit approval authority for design exceptions and limit its role to comment; narrow the districts that require concrete sidewalks to the urban core and urban residential districts; and add flexibility to allow cement or bituminous sidewalks on at least one side of the street in other districts within 1 mile of Florence Center, the central business district, or K–12 schools. Staff also suggested adding a crosswalk requirement where sidewalks are present on both sides and changing language about selecting signals instead of roundabouts so TPC is presented with the decision rather than given veto power.

Members welcomed the intention but raised concerns about safeguards. James Lowenthal said the proposal looked “reasonable under the severe budgetary constraints” but urged staff to “spell out at least what the values are for making that decision,” warning that clear criteria will be needed so future staff cannot make unilateral choices that depart from the city’s aims.

Sean Condon and other members pressed staff on timing risks. Donna replied that the city needs to meet a tight bidding cycle in February–March to get favorable contractor pricing and that sending exception requests to TPC in January can stop projects before they go to bid. “If TPC…were to say, we don't approve this, everything stops at that point,” Donna said, adding that missing the bidding season could delay a year and drive up costs.

Staff framed the change as a response to a recent TPC conversation about roundabouts and design exceptions that left volunteers in “an impossible position” of either approving financially burdensome requests or halting projects. Carolyn said removing approval authority recognizes TPC does not set budgets and that comment — rather than veto — preserves public input while avoiding operational paralysis.

Committee members asked staff to return with clarified language and objective criteria for exceptions. Several members also urged more public transparency about when exceptions would be used. The subcommittee did not vote on the draft; members agreed to refine the language and continue the discussion at a future meeting.

The next step is for staff to revise the draft to include clearer exception criteria and circulate it to the subcommittee before sending it to the Transportation & Parking Commission for comment.