Zoning Issue Delays Northampton ‘Nook’ Faculty Housing Project, Alternative Sites Being Sought

A proposed workforce housing development intended for teachers and school employees has encountered an unexpected zoning obstacle, prompting Northampton County to begin searching for a new location.

County Administrator Matt Spuck updated the Board of Supervisors Tuesday night on the proposed Northampton Nook project, which would provide housing for faculty and staff.

The original concept called for constructing the development on approximately 10 acres of county-owned property behind the Northampton County School Board office and the former middle school.

However, Spuck said the property is zoned Agricultural, which does not permit the type of residential development envisioned for the project.

Adding to the complication, the adjacent school administration property and former middle school are also zoned Agricultural.

Spuck said one option would be to rezone the property to a commercial district that allows multi-family housing, but he believes doing so would conflict with his commitment to treat the county’s proposal the same way a private developer would be treated.

“My commitment at the beginning of this was I was going to use the same process that any developer would use,” Spuck said.

He explained that rezoning only the county’s property could raise concerns about spot zoning, while asking the School Board and county government to rezone surrounding public property solely to accommodate the project “didn’t feel right.”

“It doesn’t feel like something that a normal person could do,” he said.

Instead, county staff are now evaluating other parcels that already have appropriate zoning or are better suited for development.

Spuck said several potential locations have already been ruled out because of environmental constraints, including extensive wetlands.

Despite the setback, he said the project remains active.

“This project is a long way from dead,” Spuck said.