Northampton Planning Board Unanimously Approves 91-Unit Affordable Housing Project Downtown

Planning Board · Meeting of July 10, 2026

Northampton Planning Board approves 91-unit affordable housing project on King Street. The board voted unanimously Thursday to grant site plan approval and a special permit for the demolition of a 21,000-square-foot former state office building and the construction of two mixed-use buildings totaling approximately 114,000 square feet, with 91 affordable units. The board worked through more than a dozen requested waivers of the city's form-based code, approving exceptions for light trespass, sidewalk width, facade projections, ground-floor glazing, and several other standards, with City Planner Carolyn arguing each met the code's allowance for waivers based on unique site characteristics or inapplicable standards.

One public commenter in chambers argued the petitioner "chose not to meet the requirements" and called on the board to require specific justification for each waiver before acting. Approval was conditioned on the applicant designing and constructing curb extensions at a mid-block King Street crosswalk before pulling a building permit, and providing as-built lighting certifications before occupancy. A pending MassWorks grant application, if successful, would fund improved bicycle connections between the site and the Main Street rail trail.

In the full story:

• The board quickly endorsed three Approval Not Required lot-line plans
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,826 words

Source: the Planning Board meeting of July 10, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.