Letter to the Editor – Benjamin Spencer
June 17, 2009 | Daily Hampshire Gazette
To the editor:
From the South Campus of Northampton’s Village Hill the views of the Pioneer Valley and the Holyoke and Mount Tom Ranges are stunning. The Manhan Rail Trail Extension to Village Hill (the site of the former state hospital) could travel up the hill in a series of switchbacks to the crest and then travel west towards Laurel Street. From here it could connect to the network of bike path lanes planned for the North Campus.
The path could also extend east and follow the ridge of the hill bringing users out by the main intersection at Village Hill Road. Here Route 66 (West Street) can be crossed safely at the traffic signals that are currently being installed. This is a centrally located entrance that is equally convenient to everyone living in Village Hill.
The Overlook Bike Path would provide a common place for residents, workers, families and cyclists to share and enjoy. It would offer a calm path for beginning cyclists and provide everyone the scenic views. Here the community would be able to meet each other and connect with the beautiful valley we all call home.
The Overlook Bike Path could also serve as a memorial to Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride and the former Northampton State Hospital. Dr. Kirkbride played a significant role in improving the quality and effectiveness of mental health care in America.
The asylum buildings and their rural surroundings were central to Dr. Kirkbride’s ideas of treatment for patients suffering from mental illness. He understood that fresh air, natural light, and beautiful views of a natural environment would make a patients experience more comfortable and enhance their treatment. It is thanks to his vision that this beautiful location is available.
I ask Kollmorgen, Mass Development, the CAC and the City of Northampton to work together to see this path become a reality for everyone to enjoy.
Benjamin Spencer
Northampton