Northampton Planning Board OK’s 39-unit condo project off Glendale Road

NORTHAMPTON — The Planning Board on Thursday unanimously granted a special permit and site plan approval for Hannum Meadows, a 39-unit cluster condominium development on Glendale Road.

There are requirements attached to the development, most notably a traffic study that has been mandated by the board given widespread community concern over traffic on the road.

Some homeowners who live along Glendale Road near the site have expressed concern that people drive much faster than the posted speed limit of 25 mph on that stretch of road, which includes an S-curve with a steep grade. The road is also very narrow and tough to navigate in the winter.

Kari Nykorchuk, a direct abutter, was one of a small bunch of neighbors to speak up during public comment. She voiced a variety of concerns, including the risk of construction impacting her property, and a lack of transparency since this final meeting came after it had been postponed twice.

“This project will have direct and significant impacts on my daily life. I have saved my entire life for this house and to put in a pool that I put in last year,” she said.

Todd Cellura representing the site’s developer, Sovereign Builders, said that up to $117,000 will be invested to mitigate traffic hazards after the study has made recommendations. The city would need to pick up the rest of the bill, however, if costs to make safety upgrades to the road were to exceed that amount.

Any measures taken, for example, if a stop sign were to go up, would need to be vetted by proper channels and approved by the City Council.

In 2016, an average of 6,900 vehicles used the road each day, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The condo project would add 588 total daily trips on the road, according to a traffic report conducted by Bowman in September 2025.

Before a vote was taken, Planning Board Chair Janna White told those in the room who were opposed to the development out of traffic concerns to trust the process.

“I would urge people to kind of keep an open mind and trust that the people who are doing that study are the experts, and will identify something that is actually appropriate for this location, and changes that will occur if the process is approved,” she said.

Cellura estimates that Hannum Meadows will take about three years to build.

Housing will be condensed to an inner ring of single-story houses built along a circular road, leaving about two-thirds of the 80-acre site as open space to be donated to the city. The former gravel pit where the development is proposed is not far from Hannum Brook and will be surrounded by forests and trails.

The owner-occupied condominiums will be overseen by a homeowners association and would not rely on the DPW. Streets, sidewalks and wastewater basins will all be maintained by the private community.

Among other requirements, Sovereign Builders will also need to submit certified plans to ensure light levels on the premises align with Northampton zoning laws.

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