Strong Towns Questionnaire

Strong Towns reached out to me to ask about my platform, requesting information to consolidate and share with their members and the public. Below, I have listed my answers to their questions.

Housing Questions

What are your housing priorities for Northampton?

Northampton needs more housing at all levels, including Affordable (subsidized by state or federal funds), workforce (priced so that those who work here can afford to live here), and market rate (priced based on what the market can bear), and including rental and ownership. Right now, the largest growth of housing is at the luxury level, which has not provided improved housing stock at any other level. My priority is finding ways to encourage growth at all other levels, balancing regulations and incentives to meet needs. I am also prioritizing maintenance and improvement of existing housing, especially rentals, as the majority of housing stock needs critical improvements, including removing and remediating lead paint, replacing knob-and-tube wiring, repairing foundations, and making housing wheelchair- and walker-accessable.

What should our city do to increase housing supply?

This is difficult, as non-public housing is built based on generating profit, which is the vest majority of housing in Northampton.  I’d love the city to provide direct grants for affordable and workforce housing by enacting a transfer fee on high-end real estate sales. The fund would provide more housing directly, while the fee would incentivize lowering the price of house sales. I’d also love investigation of how and why affordable tax credits for building are not being used. I would want to be careful about lifting existing regulations for things like green spaces, setbacks, and parking, as the knock-off effects of lifting those regulations can cause spaces to be unlivable in other ways.

What could be done at the local level to improve housing affordability? 

Increasing housing stock is both the most straightforward and most difficult way, since more housing means less competition between people seeking housing, driving down prices. However, it relies on market forces and private enterprise that have goals at odds with the community (private companies prioritize profit over ethical improvement). Right now, this isn’t happening.  I’d love the city to provide direct grants for affordable and workforce housing by enacting a transfer fee on high-end real estate sales. The fund would provide more housing directly, while the fee would incentivize lowering the price of house sales. I’d like to look at what renter and new homeowner grants exist at the federal, state, municipal, and private levels, and provide better access to existing funds.  I’d like to revisit the 2019 Barriers to Housing study for a list of what Northampton can do further. Finally, I’d like to look more at other towns who had housing shortages in the recent past, and what was done that worked (or didn’t) to solve that.

What is your position on infill housing downtown and in existing neighborhoods? What are your thoughts on recent infill projects? Any that you would modify substantially or don’t support?

Generally speaking, we need infill housing in and around downtown if we want to increase housing stock that has access to current public transit. That said, every project will have drawbacks and consequences, and it is important to address those consequences. For example, the development on Phillips Place has about half as many parking spaces as units, on a road that is very poorly maintained with very little street parking. As-is, that development will have a strong negative impact on parking and transit. This needs to be addressed, such as by adjusting the number of units, adjusting the amount of parking, or improving the road (ideally, all three!). Further, that development is entirely for market rate housing, rather than affordable or workforce. Given the difficulty in filling the recently built condos nearby, I don’t know how well this specific unit meets Northampton’s current housing needs. If all or a portion of these new units were affordable or workforce, that would also help me support this project.

Do you think the zoning reforms instituted in recent years to promote infill housing are a step in the right direction? Is there anything you would like to change or improve?

I don’t know if there has been enough time since the reforms (like allowing accessory dwellings by-right) to be able to tell. I think they were well-intentioned, and I think that real estate developers currently take advantage of them to build luxury units. I need to look more deeply at housing numbers to give an accurate answer to this. I think it is worth seeing if these reforms are serving their state purpose, and how well they are doing so.

Is Inclusionary Zoning a potential strategy for Northampton to expand affordable housing?

From the research I’ve done so far, I think it is worth exploring. In principle, this provides incentives for more affordable housing. Much like accessory dwellings by-right, developers will use this to generate profit, which may lead to a decrease in housing (such as happened in LA and NYC). I would want to be very careful with the wording on this zoning, and, if enacted, investigate the outcomes to ensure it was serving its stated purpose.

Should a greater share of Community Preservation Act funds be set aside for affordable housing? (These funds can also be used for historic preservation or open space.) 

Not at this time, as currently, the CPA is not getting many applicants for affordable housing. If requests for funding increase, I’d revisit this decision. However, I’d also prefer to look at other sources of revenue. Rather than adjusting CPA money, I’d love for the city to re-activate the Housing Trust Fund for funding affordable and workforce housing. The trust fund would allow additional revenue streams, like a transfer fee tax or Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) for non-profits, to go towards housing (current state law says fees like that cannot go to CPA). It would also allow greater flexibility of funding (CPA has twice-yearly funding approvals, while a trust fund could provide money at any time and take advantage of opportunities). It would also mean that the CPA does not have to limit its other preservation or green space work. Reactivating the housing trust is an idea with the support of Northampton’s Housing Partnership, and has been advocated for over several years.

There are limited options for wheelchair-accessible housing, lead-safe housing for children, and homes that are affordable to heat and cool. What role do you see for local government on issues related to our existing buildings, and which issues would you prioritize?

This is a tough balancing act. Any law requiring these things costs a developer money, and private developers are generally profit-motivated. Some laws regarding accessibility, lead-free paint, and heating/cooling are already in place at the local and state level, though they generally only cover new buildings or improving buildings. For example, ADA compliance is specifically not enforced for existing housing with no improvement plans, which disincentivizes repairs. I don’t want to undercut protective laws in the hope that it will generate more housing. I want to find other ways forward. For example, enforcing renter protections to allow renters to report building issues, and legally require landlords to fix them, would improve both housing stock and the lives of people living here. Creating and promoting existing lead paint remediation and heat pump installation incentives would do the same. These are specific examples based on the stated question, but speak to my stance of finding options beyond “make a law” or “get rid of a law”.  There is not always a way to find a middle ground, but I want to bring and see creativity in solving these kinds of binary quandaries.

Transport (Mobility) Questions

What are your transportation priorities for Northampton?

My biggest goal is increasing and improving public transit. This will directly improve the lives of anyone who cannot drive or bike where they need to go, as well as providing non-car options for everyone, making it easier to choose to not have a car. It should have knock-off effects of reducing car use, improving parking availability, and expanding places for affordable and workforce housing. 

What specific steps will you work on during your time in office to get us closer to a car-light future?

Lobby the state to increase funding for PVTA, allowing for more routes and more frequent busses. Support studies and grants to increase routes and route frequency for the PVTA. Create a municipal taxi service (using Salem as an example) and Northampton bus loop (visiting high-travel areas of the city at regular intervals). Fully fund and staff the DPW so that sidewalks can be walkable and wheelable (accessible by chairs, walkers, and strollers). Not all of these are doable in two years, but they are concrete areas to start work on, and goals where progress can be measured.

What is your commitment to creating a more bike-friendly city? What approach would you take to achieve greater bicycle ridership?  What priorities do you see, aside from Main Street and the rail trails, for bike infrastructure? 

I support including protected bike lanes on roads, additional bike parking, and other ways of improving bike accessibility. I would also support easier ways for low-income residents to afford bikes, bike rentals, and bike maintenance. 

What is your commitment to creating a more walkable city? What specific actions would you take to improve walkability and pedestrian safety?

Existing sidewalks need extensive repair and maintenance. I’d like to revisit the study from 2019 about the state of our sidewalks, see what has been repaired so far, and prioritize areas that have not been. I would advocate for sidewalks on both sides of roads, not just one. I would also like to revisit  the ADA Self-Evaluation & Transition Plan and Section 504 Plan from 2020, to see where improvements should be made. I support changes to downtown to repave and widen sidewalks, and would advocate for more of that in more areas.

How would you improve our sidewalk maintenance policies so that sidewalks are clear and safe for pedestrians, on foot or using mobility devices, throughout the year?

I want to see multiple easy ways of reporting problems, such as being able to use an app, email, phone, or in-person appointment to mark a buckled sidewalk or a pothole. One way of reporting is not sufficient, as not everyone has access or ability with a smartphone, or time and ability to visit in person, so it’s critical that there are multiple means of entry. I’d love there to be a resident-facing list of reported problems, as well as their priority and expected repair date. This could be posted on the city’s website, as well as referenced by any city employee answering an email or call about a problem, to provide fast answers. This all requires full funding and staffing at the DPW, to both allow for this infrastructure and for fixing problems.  I support enforcement of the snow-clearing ordinance, while also supporting ways of helping in-need residents (those unable to comply) to clear their paths without punishment (such as with municipal snow-clearing).

How would you improve our public transit network and promote greater use of transit?

As stated above, I would lobby the state to increase funding for PVTA, allowing more routes and more frequent busses. I would also support studies and grants to do the same. I would like to see how the fare-free months changed transit riding, to see if that’s a meaningful change for increasing use. I’d continue to use the bus myself. Other promotion is likely needed, but the situation right now is a catch 22: ridership won’t increase unless service improves, and funding for service improvement won’t come until ridership increases.

What are your thoughts on the Elm Street project in front of the high school?  Would you support other approaches here? Are you aware of the different design separately submitted by Strong Towns Northampton to the Director of the DPW? 

I am not familiar with this project, and would need to do more research to have an informed opinion. 

What is your position on Picture Main Street? How can construction impacts on downtown businesses be minimized? 

The sewers need to be repaired. If the city can get the state to pay for most of that by also improving the state of downtown sidewalks and roads, that’s a great bonus. I’m not satisfied by the amount of outreach that has been done with residents; when I attended the listening sessions over the past several years, I had options to pick from three designs, but did not feel I had good opportunities to give true feedback. While there was a survey done in 2021, the only result I have seen was a listing of what design of four was “preferred”, without any further information on the results of that survey. I am not sure what, if any, changes can be made at this point, given the realities of timing and the real concern about federal funds being withdrawn from the state, creating a trickle-down loss of funding for projects like this.
Assuming the Picture Main Street plan is not scuttled by state funding being withdrawn, I would love to see a grant fund that businesses could apply to if they needed one-time money to stay afloat due to lost revenue from construction. The plan currently intends to stagger areas under construction, which should help reduce impacts on businesses. 

What role do you envision the transportation/parking, bike/ped, and disability commissions to ideally have in the ideation, regulation, and  implementation of Northampton's road projects? How can the city better utilize input from the public, interest groups, and its own commissions and committees as it makes transportation decisions?

The first step should be looking at work that has already been done, and implementing changes already suggested. The city is replete with studies for transportation, parking, accessibility, and walkability, which contain many areas not yet addressed. Second, city commissions and committees should have more deciding power in matters under their purview. Right now, these groups can recommend changes, but not enforce them. Thirdly, input given to the city should be tracked, and should be publicly visible. I would love to see the results of the 2021 survey about the Picture Main Street design, to see the numbers of how many supported what, as well as metrics on how many are concerned about what areas. Surveys are not perfect, but being able to point to data to show support will help residents both be heard and feel heard. Similarly, being able to point to changes made based on concerns will help with this. This means that the city has to be willing and able to make changes to plans.

How can the city improve communication with the public as projects develop and are carried out?

The city should have multiple ways of both gathering input and disseminating information. For example, notify all residents in a two-block radius of upcoming zoning changes via webpage updates, emails/texts, posted flyers, and mailed notices. When input is gathered, such as through surveys or listening groups, that input should be available to the public, so they can see what other residents have said and have a more objective measure about what other residents have said. This will also help residents feel heard, as they can see their own input. Making changes like publishing agendas at least a week before meetings (rather than the state-mandated two days) would also help with visibility.