GREENFIELD — In an effort to mitigate extreme heat in a 25-acre portion of downtown Greenfield that the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has classified as a Climate Hub “hot spot,” the city has applied for more than $100,000 in state Cool Corridors grant funds to plant shade trees.

If the city’s application is successful, the grant would facilitate the planting of 71 trees on strips of land lining sidewalks in the 25-acre area between Beacon, High, Sanderson and Federal streets. Tree Committee leader Mary Chicoine, who initiated the grant application process, said the committee conducted an assessment in 2020, which concluded that the area’s impervious surfaces and only 7% tree canopy make it prone to extreme heat and flooding.

“That area is considered the most severe in terms of heat island effect based on Trust for Public Land data. It’s also considered a hot spot [by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs]. That’s just another way that the heat generated from all that paved surface is measured. ... This is an opportunity to provide more shade,” Chicoine said. “There’s lots of parking lots, the [Baystate Franklin Medical Center] buildings and Greenfield Middle School — in all of those buildings, paved surfaces make up 70% of that area and there’s very few trees.”

Although most of the trees that are expected to be planted will be contained to public land, such as grassy areas lining the sidewalks of Sanderson, Beacon and High streets and at the site of Greenfield Middle School, Chicoine said other private organizations, such as Baystate Franklin or Blessed Sacrament Church on Federal Street, have signed letters of support to allow trees on their land.

Chicoine said the grant awardees will likely be announced in October. If awarded, the city would not be required to match any of the state grant funds, which would be administered over the course of two years. The grant would cover the cost of the trees themselves and hiring contractors to plant the trees, along with the cost of watering the newly planted trees.

When Chicoine and Greenfield Grant Writer Athena Bradley presented the Cool Corridors grant application to the Planning Board earlier this month, board member Victor Moschella was skeptical that funds received by the city should be spent on projects that extend to private land. In response to his concerns, Chicoine noted that state law allows the public plating of shade trees on private property as long as the trees are set back roughly 25 feet from public ways.

The Planning Board voted to approve the plantings, with member Sarah Brown-Anson and Chair George Touloumtzis speaking in support of the proposed grant for its potential to make the area easier to walk through and more resilient in the wake of climate change. Touloumtzis said he was pleased with the fact that the tree plantings would, if the application is approved, be paid for entirely by the state.

“There is a reasonable redistribution of wealth, if you will, where towns that would have trouble doing this [independently] get help from the state coffers,” Touloumtzis said. “I think that’s reasonable and I think it’s important to be considerate of that.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.