NORTHAMPTON — A controversial proposal to build a roundabout on North King and Hatfield streets is once again in the works at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation after a redesign intended to appease property owners and archaeological sites located in the nearby area.

The MassDOT will hold an informational meeting at the Northampton City Council chambers on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to update the public on the project. The state ditched the last proposal in May of 2021 after more than 50,000 people signed a petition in opposition over the project’s impact on an archaeological site where evidence of an ancient indigenous village was discovered.

In addition to an update, transportation officials on Tuesday will discuss design modifications and outline the next phases on the project, the MassDOT said in its notice announcing the meeting.

The project will include targeted safety improvements, compliant traffic control devices, signs, and pavement markings, the state said.

In addition to the roundabout construction, the project also includes sidewalks and bicycle accommodations, planned for Hatfield Street. The area is located near businesses such as Wal-Mart and River Valley Co-Op.

Opponents to the proposed roundabout have cited the presence of Indigenous artifacts dating back to 8,000 years ago that have been uncovered in the area. Local Indigenous groups such as the Nipmuc Nation have told media outlets in the past that they had no involvement in opposition to the project, although other state tribes such as the Wampanoag have previously expressed concern about the artifacts’ preservation.

Carolyn Misch, the city of Northampton’s director of planning and sustainability, said that the city is in favor of the project, and that MassDOT has provided concepts that would build the roundabout within the existing road layout, thus reducing the area of construction.

“It’s still a very dangerous intersection on a scale throughout the commonwealth,” said Misch. “Something has to be done.”

John Skibiski, a nearby property owner who has been one of the chief opponents to the project in the past, said although the new project was reduced in size, concerns still remain. The new concepts put forth by the MassDOT still have some areas which extend into Skibiski’s property, according to the city’s planning and sustainability office.

“There’s a possibility that they might be using areas that are suspect to Native American artifacts because they didn’t finish the archaeological activities as they said they would,” Skibiski said. “So that question has come up and has some concern.”

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.

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