An application for site plan approval, for a construction project by Clockwork Architecture on land owned by the Moody Center, has been sent to the Northfield Planning Board. The scope of the project is mind-boggling and would enormously impact and change the corner of Highland Avenue between Pine and Moody Streets.
Of special concern to me, is that the Moody Center, while actually backed by the extremely wealthy Signatry group, is a nonprofit, so may be exempt from paying taxes and also possibly exempt from some town zoning requirements. Our small town with an increasing population of people on fixed incomes has trouble funding our basic services through our taxes. The Police Department operates out of small dark offices in the basement of Town Hall, our Fire Department is inadequately housed, and it is all we can do to keep up with the needs of our schools. The East Northfield Water Company is struggling to keep its head above water (pun intended). This project would add a huge new population to the town, who may or may not be subject to taxes but will need police, fire and DPW services like other residents.
The information in an article in the Recorder on Nov. 11 came from Moody Center representatives. Citizens of the town were not consulted about this project. No specific benefits to the town are mentioned. Most of the people whose land abuts theirs were notified by the Moody Center and Clockwork of a brief meeting held by Zoom on Nov. 5, but they failed to notify most neighbors, or the Northfield Historical Society, which is housed, with its museum, directly across Pine Street from the proposed construction.
The Moody Center, through its affiliate Signatry, has access to plenty of money to hire lawyers and architects. It is a relatively new organization based in Kansas and has very little knowledge of the life or broader needs of this town — other than its significance to D.L. Moody and his history here. The developer is very experienced in building projects of this sort. The townhouses that are being proposed have their cookie cutter replicas all over the country. The “country club living style” that the houses seem to espouse does not seem in any way to meet the needs of lower income or senior folks who are looking for smaller housing. It is as yet unknown who will have access to this housing.
D.L. Moody, during his evangelistic career, raised huge sums of money, but it went right through his hands and into the charitable enterprises he established. He did not build for-profit housing. When he established and built the Northfield Seminary and the Mount Hermon School, he gave the money he had raised to build the beautiful buildings of Northfield Mount Hermon, and he brought students from all walks of life to the schools, charging them very little for their education.
In my own view, a housing complex would be much better situated as a nicely designed addition to the Homestead on Main Street, where it could be bermed into the hill, providing excellent access to parking and a large road for trucks and deliveries. Residents would have the advantage of a gorgeous view across the valley from their windows. Such a placement would not negatively affect a small town residential neighborhood or impact open space. The Homestead has been used as office building and apartments throughout the years, so this would not change its use.
The Northfield Planning Board will hold a meeting for a preliminary review of the project on Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. Public access is available by Zoom; information on accessing this Zoom meeting will be posted on the Planning Board Agenda on the Town of Northfield website the week of Dec. 17. I urge Northfield residents to email their comments or questions to the Planning Board before the meeting.
I hope citizens of Northfield will look at this project very carefully, and realize that it may prove mainly to be a cash cow for wealthy investors, while becoming a long-term drain on the town’s resources as well as a neighborhood-changing eyesore.
M. Patterson Field is a resident of Northfield and a member of NorthfieldCAN (Northfield Community Action Network), a new grassroots group of town residents.