Q. For the Southampton site, can you clarify the area my proposal should cover? Do we have to keep our intervention within the property lines of the Larrabee site? Can ideas spill over onto the fire station and vacant lot properties, or to the church property?
A. Devise a plan that will revitalize the historic town center, strengthening citizens’ sense of community by connecting the features described and by finding creative uses for town land around the Larrabee Building, which is planned to be the new Town Hall. Proposals are encouraged to include ideas for reusing the existing Town Hall. We hope competition ideas will spill out onto adjacent properties and include the entire village center!
Q. For the Southampton site, are there plans for the Old Town Hall? Also, can you tell me about the auditorium space?
A. Scanned copies of a mid-1970s proposal to alter the interior of the Town Hall are now posted to the website. Most of what was proposed was never carried out. However, these plans give a general idea of the dimensions of the building.
On the third floor of the old Town Hall, there is a stage and floor area for seating. That space is now used for storage. It is an impressive space with heavy timber supports for the roof. To schedule an additional site visit to see the old Town Hall or the rest of the area that the town hopes will become the village center, please contact Mr. Hank Barton at habarton@charter.net.
Q: There is a senior center in the Larrabe Building. Is that going to stay?
A: The senior center will stay, but in a much improved form. Seniors hope to have a professional kitchen, which the town is seeking funding for, in the revamped senior center. There are many organizations in town in which seniors are heavily involved (i.e. Women's Club, Historical Society, Congregational Church, etc.). Seniors live in single family homes, are there are some market rate condos and some affordable condos for senior and disabled housing.
Q. Is there an AutoCAD plan available for this site?
A. There are CAD plans for the Hadley and Southampton sites. For Palmer, only .JPG image files of the site plans are available.
Q. Does each team member need to register?
A. No. Registration fees are for each site. You can have as many people listed on the team as you like.
Q. Is there a discount for multiple sites after the early registration deadline?
A. No.
Q. Do you accept checks or money orders for registration?
A. Yes, as long as they are in US dollars.
Q. Are floor plans of existing buildings required?
A. Floor plans are not required but if they inform your design idea they should be included.
Q. Can anyone visit the sites?
A. Yes, you can visit them at anytime. There are also films of the site visits on the competition website under each site.
Q. Can any use be proposed for any site?
A. Yes, designers are free to propose any use they deem appropriate.
Q. Can designs extend beyond the property boundary?
A. Yes.
Q. Can you design use the water on site as part of the project?
A. Yes
Q. Can some buildings be demolished?
A. Yes, but check for specific guidance for each site.
Q. Is there any part of the site that cannot be developed?
A. The existing roadways need to remain in their current location.
Q. Can additional roads or pathways be added to the site and beyond?
A. Yes, as part of the design, new pathways may be proposed.
Q. Are there any wetlands or areas that cannot be developed?
A. On the Hadley site, avoid development of areas designated as wetlands. If you need to cross over a small area to access part of the site, you may cross the wetlands area but you should identify a replication area on the site contiguous with the existing wetlands. Otherwise, any part of all sites may be used.
Q. Where can you build on the Hadley site?
A. Any area that is not a designated wetland - green area on wetland plan. See plan with options.
Q. What is the maximum buildable area for the Hadley site?
A. The zoning by-law allows 30% maximum building coverage in non-wetland designated area under the current zoning. Anything over that would require smart growth alternatives such as transfer of development rights or a rezoning of the parcel. Please consult the town bylaws for alternatives. These are available on the competition website. You are free to propose a project with increased coverage as long as it can be justified in the context of the goals of this competition. If your design has more than 30% coverage, please justify this in your project description.
Q. How do you access the Hadley site?
A. The site can be accessed from Westgate Center Drive on the north or South Maple Street through the easement adjacent to the rail trail.
Q. Can you create a connection to the rail trail on the Hadley site?
A. Yes.
Q. On the Hadley site, can designs encroach on the adjacent shopping mall parcel?
A. If the design can justify the location, yes.
Q. In Southampton, are there any proposed changes to Route 10 in the works? Have there been any recent changes to it?
A. There have been no recent changes to Route 10 other than repaving. There are no plans to change the intersection when East St. is redone. However, in the long run, the town would like to change this intersection and would appreciate creative ideas about how to do so. East Street divides as it approaches Route 10, splitting to either side of a small triangular park with the town's war memorial in it. The challenge is to preserve that memorial while at the same time simplifying and making the intersection safer. Refer to the aerial photo and map to see this area.
Q. There is a senior center in the Larrabe Building. Is that going to stay?
A. The senior center will stay, but in a much improved form. Seniors hope to have a professional kitchen, which the town is seeking funding for, in the revamped senior center. There are many organizations in town in which seniors are heavily involved (i.e. Women's Club, Historical Society, Congregational Church, etc.). Seniors live in single family homes, are there are some market rate condos and some affordable condos for senior and disabled housing. There is a need for both senior and housing for all income levels everywhere in the Pioneer Valley, including Southampton.
Q. In Southampton, are there any proposed changes to Route 10 in the works? Have there been any recent changes to it?
A. There have been no recent changes to Route 10 other than repaving. There are no plans to change the intersection when East St. is redone. However, in the long run, the town would like to change this intersection and would appreciate creative ideas about how to do so. East Street divides as it approaches Route 10, splitting to either side of a small triangular park with the town's war memorial in it. The challenge is to preserve that memorial while at the same time simplifying and making the intersection safer. Refer to the aerial photo and map to see this area.
Q. Where was the old Grange that was torn down?
A. Lot 47, Assessor's Map 23, on the east side of Rt. 10, two lots and buildings from East Street, which is to the North. There is no connection between the Grange and the old Town Hall lot, unfortunately.
Q. Where was the old general store?
A. There may have been one near the Larrabee School. The building is still on the northeast corner of Rt. 10 and East Street. It sits very close to Rt. 10, and probably is actually in the right of way. It is no longer a general store, nor has it been for years.
Q. Has the Post Office been on Pomeroy Meadows very long? Is it an important location and building for the post?
A. Until about 10 years ago, the Post Office shared the building with an ice cream parlor. It has since been enlarged. It is centrally located in relation to other business in town, and it is within walking distance of quite a few residents.
Q. Where are the schools in town - private and public?
A. The only school in town is Norris Elementary School, located just up Pomeroy Meadow Road from the Post Office. Older students attend Hampshire Regional High School in Westhampton, as well as other nearby high schools.
Q. Where is the proposed main door and secondary doors in the Larrabee renovation plans?
A. The doors to Larrabee will remain where they are. The current front door will not be handicapped accessible; however, it will still exist and is being called a “ceremonial” entrance. The side and back entrances will both be accessible. One door (at the back of the building) at street level will lead directly into the Senior Center. The main public entrance will enter into the side hallway from the parking lot and will be ramped.
Q. Can we have some information on how septic might be handled in a village center that has no town sewer? Where are the septic fields for the existing municipal buildings in the village center? Is there room for expansion?
A. Infrastructure is an issue that will need to be addressed by the town in the future. Regarding septic for the Larrabee Building, a new system is being constructed and will accommodate the Senior Center “commercial” kitchen. The town dropped the idea of having any additional commercial activities in the renovated Larrabee Building because the septic system could not handle anything more than Town Hall business. Additional expansion of the Larrabee septic system beyond the current plans is not possible. There is a large mound in front of the library (built in 1996) because the area could not handle another septic system without it.
In order for future expansion in the village center to occur, it is likely that the town would need to seriously consider construction of a sewer system along College Highway. The town continues to discuss this, and it may be addressed in the context of the Master Plan. Any plan requiring additional waste treatment should assume construction of a sewer or large community treatment system in the future.
General Comments
The competition seeks to generate design and development strategies that propose a more sustainable way of building on these three types of sites. If your design justifies proposing the development of adjacent properties, you are welcome to propose that.
Floor plans and details are not required for all the buildings, but your solution needs to show what use each building will have and where you access each building on the site.
All competition entries should be presented in a way that local residents of the Pioneer Valley can understand your proposal as well as the jury of professional practitioners.
