EASTHAMPTON — Rhythm Section Music has remained permanently closed since 2020, but with site plan approval from the Planning Board on Tuesday night, the property at 24 Cottage St. is set to keep music in a different form — karaoke.

James Crawford bought the property this past May from previous owner Thomas Atwood, who has remained the owner of the musical instrument shop since it shut down in 2020. Crawford met Atwood when he went to purchase music equipment, which transformed into a discussion over the property.

“As a resident of Easthampton and someone who sees the potential of Cottage Street and how the bars and music scene are striving, I wanted to bring something to it,” said Crawford.

His plan for the business, without an official name yet, is to have four private karaoke rooms that will be available for reservation. Crawford has had the business model as an idea for a long time now, wanting to provide a place for people to do karaoke in a private setting. He said he expects the business to incorporate a bring-your-own-beverage (BYOB) policy while serving snacks and non-alcoholic beverages.

With the approved site plan, there are multiple steps and tasks to complete before construction and renovation of the interior property. Crawford aims to begin construction in mid-fall.

“It’s still pretty early on,” Crawford explained about the progress on the business.

The main concern from the Planning Board is sound mitigation, with members seeking to have a quantitative measure — in decibels — of noise levels. Crawford plans to have an audiovisual company and contractor evaluate the proper wall installations necessary to reduce noise levels between each private room and neighboring businesses — Wedge Works and The Water’s Fine.

35 Pleasant St. property

The development on 35 Pleasant St. known as Riverview Place awaits confirmation from the Conservation Committee on multiple components before the Planning Board approves a special permit to begin construction on the multifamily housing project.

Five Star Building Corp., of Easthampton, is planning to turn the former Notre Dame du Bon Conseil Church building into nine apartment units, while other buildings on the site, including the rectory and former Roots Daycare, will be demolished and become an additional 33 units across seven buildings. Five Star Building Corp. has been working with Berkshire Design Group to create plans for the stormwater drainage system, housing structure designs, and other components of the project.

Jeff Squire of Berkshire Design Group presented updates to the Conservation Committee on Monday night, and the Planning Board on Tuesday night. Progress was made on the plans for the development presented to the Planning Board in May, which still await approval on multiple components before the Planning Board approves of a special permit. The topic has generated excitement for many members of the community, with the prospect of creating a compact housing site filling a housing need in the city.

Parking availability was originally a concern in May, with plans for 87 spots being upgraded to 94 spots.

Uncertainty over traffic mitigation was also expressed in May. Berkshire Design Group created a traffic assessment based on data collected by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) that was gathered in 2024, estimating the amount of traffic increase due to the development. The assessment showed estimated traffic would not increase substantially due to the development. The study was reviewed by engineers at Vanasse & Associates Inc., an Andover transportation engineering and planning company, which validated the research done by Berkshire Design Group.

City Councilor Felicia Jadczak, who represents Precinct 2, showed support for the housing project but hopes to see another traffic study and a meeting among Berkshire Design Group, neighbors and abutters of the property to discuss any concerns. Similarly, the Planning Board encouraged a meeting with neighbors and abutters to discuss different components of the development.

“I fully, wholeheartedly agree that we do need more housing in the city, so on that angle I am very much in support of this development and very excited to see this continue to progress,” Jadczak said.

Resident Kathy Wauczinski expressed concern that this development may cause traffic issues with buildups that already occur on Route 10 heading toward Pleasant Street.

At a Conservation Commission meeting on Monday, Squire presented plans for a stormwater drainage system and porous concrete to deal with excessive water. Discussion over the potential pitfalls of the drainage system focused mainly on erosion at the back of the property that slopes into the Manhan River. The Conservation Commission will decide whether or not to approve of the proposed drainage system.

Wauczinski said she was concerned that the porous asphalt would impact the aquifer recharge area with regard to salt and other components seeping through the ground into the aquifer.

Additionally, a snow removal plan must be created, and Conservation Commission approval is required before Berkshire Design Group returns to the Planning Board on Aug. 5. Further permitting is required to begin construction, which currently does not have a timeline.

Sam Ferland can be reached at sferland@gazettenet.com