(Greenfield, MA) In August, Greenfield Mayor Roxann Wedegartner asked the planning board to consider an expansion of the Interstate 91 Industrial Park along French King Highway, or Route 2A.
“We are running out of land in the industrial park,” said Mayor Wedegartner. “It’s my hope that rezoning these parcels will serve as a catalyst for job creation and economic development.”
Tuesday night, the Economic Development Committee met to continue discussion with public comment on the proposed rezoning 11 parcels of land from General Commercial to Planned Industrial.
City councilors and residents expressed concerns about rezoning the property for industrial use when Greenfield has a need for retail and housing opportunities.
Stephanie Duclos, a Greenfield resident, voiced her support of mixed use for the property, that Greenfield “wouldn’t want to limit” the area to industrial purposes.
At the same time, there was support for growing Franklin County’s industrial park and the well-paying jobs it would bring to the city as manufacturers have expressed desire to expand in this area.
Mayor Wedegartner expressed her belief that rezoning for Planned Industrial is the “highest and best use of the property.”
Valley Steel Stamp is one manufacturer that could benefit from the rezoning. They have expanded their facility in 2008, 2012, and 2018, but have reached the limits of the property. If this land were rezoned, VSS could expand and bring in around 400 new jobs. The potential job creation prompted further discussion around the need for housing in Greenfield.
The rezoning amendment will need to be voted on by the full City Council.
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The December 13th meeting of the Greenfield City Council’s Economic Development Committee will be open for public comment on a proposal to rezone 48 acres of undeveloped land on the south side of the French King Highway, across from Stop & Shop.
The plan to rezone the property from General Commercial to Planned Industrial was initiated by the Planning Board at the recommendation of Mayor Roxann Wedergartner. The public hearing required by city charter was held on November 17th, after which the Planning Board forwarded the proposal to the City Council with a unanimous positive recommendation.
The Economic Development Committee (EDC) held off its vote for further deliberation at its December meeting.
“Because the EDC usually meets by Zoom and the Planning Board at John Zon, there was some confusion about how and where the joint public hearing would be held,” says Philip Elmer, chairman of the EDC. “As a result, the hearing was pretty sparsely attended — too sparsely attended, in my opinion, to hear from the public and get a good sense of what it wants done with the property now.”
The December 13th meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Instructions for how to dial in by phone or log in by computer will be posted on the city’s website at Greenfield-ma.gov/calendar.