Northampton committee pushes pause on St. John church demolition decision >St. John Cantius Church on Hawley Street in Northampton, seen in July. Visible at left are the Hawley Manor townhouses, under construction on the site of the church’s former rectory and parish hall. Gazette FILE PHOTO
Published: 8/4/2021 7:52:20 PM
NORTHAMPTON A decision on whether the historic St. John Cantius Church can be torn down to make way for five townhouses has been delayed at least three months, giving the committee weighing the issue more time to consider proposals from both sides of the contentious debate. The Central Business Architecture Committee voted Tuesday to continue a public hearing on the proposed demolition of the church on Hawley Street. The unanimous vote to review the application again on Nov. 9 came after a presentation from the building’s owner, O’Connell Development Group of Holyoke, and a four-hour public hearing that drew comments from residents who argued that t