The city’s proposed redevelopment of 196 Cooke Ave., will be described next week during a site visit for neighbors at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22, and a public hearing held by the Planning Board at 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 24 in the City Council chambers at 212 Main St.

The former Moose Lodge on the site was demolished last year and the city owns the property, which it intends to use for affordable housing and parking near an access trail to the Broad Brook Greenway.

The proposal calls for the existing parking lot on the eastern side of the property to be paved and reconfigured with 21 spaces, including two that are handicap accessible. There also would be a rack for bicycles.

The city proposes to sell a portion of the western side of the property to Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity for four single-family homes owned by first-time home buyers. The houses would have their own parking spaces and be screened from the conservation area parking by trees and fencing.

The project would be done in two phases, with the first involving the city issuing requests for proposals and awarding a contract for work on the parking lot later this year, with construction likely next spring.

After the parking lot work is completed, Habitat for Humanity could commence construction of the homes and they would be completed on its timetable.

The city has installed wooden stakes and marked with spray paint both the parking area and the house sites.

The city’s Office of Planning and Sustainability organized the site visit for neighbors that I plan to attend along with a representative of Habitat for Humanity.

Documents related to the project are available at:

http://archive.northamptonma.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=773765&dbid=0&repo=CityOfNorthampton

Stan