Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, at podium, moderates the Business Improvement District meeting yesterday at the Hotel Northampton. (Photo by Jerrey Roberts)
By CHAD CAIN
Daily Hampshire Gazette
Staff Writer
NORTHAMPTON — Signaling a desire to close the book on the controversial Northampton Business Improvement District, many of downtown’s movers and shakers at a standing-room-only forum yesterday brainstormed ideas for how to replace the organization that divided the business community for five years.
As he opened the “conversation about downtown” that drew more than 100 people to a banquet room at Hotel Northampton, Mayor David J. Narkewicz urged people to let go of past differences about the BID and consider ways that all stakeholders can work together to keep downtown strong.
“I really want to turn the page and have us move forward in a conversation that’s positive, that’s going to hopefully set us on a new path together as shared stakeholders in the future of downtown Northampton,” Narkewicz said.
Over the next 90 minutes, downtown property and business owners did just that. Some encouraged the mayor to figure out a way for the city to pay for downtown’s upkeep, while others acknowledged that many of the functions the BID performed for the last five years might need to be funded through voluntary donations.
Most agreed with the basic goals of creating a safe, clean and vibrant downtown, even if they disagreed about whether the BID was the proper mechanism to fulfill those goals.
“The BID was, to me, simply a vehicle to get to those goals,” said Robert Fazzi, who owns Fazzi Associates, a home care consulting firm at Village Hill Northampton. “The goal was never to have a BID. The goal was to have a safe, clean, vibrant downtown. The BID, for whatever reason, had some problems. What stays, though, is that same mission that you all have.”
Range of views
Narkewicz sought to capitalize on the willingness of people — both those in favor of and those opposed to the BID — to pitch in by asking for a show of hands of people willing to serve on a special steering committee to brainstorm ideas and come up with specific proposals to present to the larger group. Nearly all of the hands in the room went up.
Among those offering to participate were Alan Scheinman and Eric Suher, BID opponents who brought a successful civil lawsuit in Hampshire Superior Court in which a judge declared Nov. 12 that the BID was illegally created and ordered it to immediately cease operations. In the wake of that ruling, Narkewicz began organizing Tuesday’s meeting, which is the first of many that will be held in the coming weeks.
Scheinman said he and Suher most wanted to participate in a financing committee and help reach consensus on common areas where the money raised should be spent. “Whatever common ground there is, we would like to help look at the financing for it,” Scheinman said.
Scheinman also encouraged Narkewicz to appoint people of all viewpoints to the committee, something the mayor said he was committed to doing.
“We will be reaching out to everybody to make sure that we do have all voices represented,” Narkewicz said, encouraging people to sign a volunteer sheet being circulated throughout the room. “I’ll make that commitment to you.”
Judith Fine, the longtime owner of the Gazebo on Center Street, said the mayor should create a handful of committees to address specific issues such as beautification, safety and events. A staunch BID supporter, she, too, called for representation from a variety of viewpoints on those committees.
“Wherever we go, we need to work together,” she said.
Psychologist Frank Marotta, who owns the Main Street building where his practice is located, reminded those in the audience that downtown interests include more than just retail shops. He said few of his clients visit downtown to shop and eat.
“Anything going forward needs to take very seriously that there are subcommunities within downtown,” he said.
Maintenance
Among the first topics to come up at the meeting was maintenance, particularly snow removal and sweeping services on downtown sidewalks. Since its creation in 2009, the BID had spent about $150,000 a year on these and related services. Prior to the BID taking over those services, the city had relied on the now-defunct Honor Court to clean downtown streets for about three decades. After the Honor Court folded and before the BID was created, the Chamber and business owners raised money to hire companies to maintain downtown.
That work will continue through Jan. 1 after the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce raised $12,500 to hire the same contractor used by the BID to keep the downtown clean and clear its sidewalks of snow and ice. But after the new year, downtown property owners will once again have the responsibility of keeping the sidewalks in front of their property clean and clear of snow. They also must sweep the sidewalks in front of their building at the opening of each business day.
Narkewicz noted that these requirements have been on the city’s books for years, while the city is responsible for maintenance and snow removal on all public streets and public parking areas.
Some want to see the mayor funnel public money into replacing the services provided by the BID. Florence business owner Constantine Sierros said the only funding mechanism that will sustain itself long-term is if the city figures out a way to pay for it through property taxes. He said a vibrant downtown is good for the entire city, not just a few blocks in its heart.
“The money has to come from your end somehow,” he said to Narkewicz.
Judith Herrell, of Herrell’s Ice Cream on Old South Street, asked Narkewicz to budget for a more extensive cleaning of sidewalks beyond what property owners can do with their own brooms. Aside from cleaning, she also raised concerns about hypodermic needles in the cracks of sidewalks that used to be a problem in the past.
“I’m concerned about safety as well as cleanliness … as an individual business owner, there’s only so much we can do,” she said.
Narkewicz said the city would address public safety issues through its Health Department, but would most likely not use city personnel to address day-to-day cleaning.
Events, funding
Smith College representative Sam Masinter said discussion should go beyond maintenance and include the large role the BID played in programming events and marketing the region. He said the college, which had donated $20,000 a year to the BID, is committed to being part of the future discussion.
“We will be involved, I hope, in any conversations,” Masinter said.
Others offered suggestions for ways to raise money. Among those were an idea to create a department similar to the Arts Council or Recreation Department and fund it with a citywide surcharge, to use parking meter income, and to divert some Community Preservation Act money. The mayor said he would explore some of these suggestions, but noted that CPA money cannot be used to maintain downtown.
Several business owners said the only way any downtown plan would be effective is if everyone buys in, especially when it comes to donating money. Bud Stockwell, who owns Cornucopia Foods in Thornes Marketplace, said many initiatives were tried to make downtown vibrant prior to the creation of the BID. And while they worked for a time, eventually the same small group of business owners who were asked to pitch in for programs simply ran out of money, while others didn’t donate.
“The store owners are not people who are rolling in dollars,” Stockwell said. “We are not going to be able to go back and have the Chamber take over. Whatever we do has got to be something that has long-term funding, that is getting money from all of the parties.”
He later added, “If we do not have everyone coming together, including those who fought the BID, it is shortsighted.”
Chad Cain can be reached at [email protected].
