Northampton sends Town Edge housing ordinance back for further review

The Northampton County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to send a proposed Town Edge zoning ordinance back to the Planning Commission for another 60 days of review.

Ordinance 2026-001 will return to the commission for another public hearing. If it is sent back to supervisors, the board would hold an additional public hearing before taking final action.

Possible amendments outlined by County Attorney Ellen Bowyer include reducing the maximum density for apartment developments from 20 units per acre to 10, adding affordable-housing definitions, strengthening groundwater protections and creating a temporary pause on new development applications once certain thresholds are reached.

Supervisor Jon Dempster said the changes could address public concerns while still confronting Northampton’s shortage of affordable housing.

“I do know a lot of people who are younger people, who are trying to find starter homes, who are single parents, who are struggling to find a place to live,” Dempster said.

Under the proposed changes, affordable housing would generally be reserved for households earning no more than 100% of Northampton County’s area median income, with housing costs limited to 30% of gross income.

The amendments also would strengthen requirements for property owners’ associations and add groundwater documentation requirements for larger subdivisions using private wells or community water systems.

Buildings taller than 35 feet, up to a maximum of 42 feet, would face additional review involving fire and rescue capabilities, privacy, buffers, traffic, utilities, stormwater and lighting.

Apartment developments would be limited to 10 units per acre and required to provide at least 200 square feet of usable common open space per unit.

A proposed “sundown clause” would pause new residential applications for 12 months once one of several thresholds is reached, including three years after adoption, 500 proposed Town Edge units countywide, or 250 approved units in a single Town Edge Residential area.

Supervisor Ernest Smith said the pause would give the county “an opportunity to hit the brakes and say maybe this wasn’t the right way to do it, or maybe this is solving the problem.”

Several speakers spoke against the proposal during the citizens information period, asking the Supervisors to scrap the plan.

The ordinance has been under consideration for over a year and has appeared on roughly 14 Planning Commission agendas. Supervisors said they want the additional review completed within the 60-day period so the process can continue moving forward.