Housing amendments moving forward in Greenfield

At-Large City Councilor John Garrett speaks Thursday in favor of proposed ordinances intended to bolster housing and development in downtown Greenfield. STAFF PHOTO/ANTHONY CAMMALLERI
Published: 03-10-2025 4:12 PM |
GREENFIELD — After the Planning Board voted unanimously to approve a series of housing-related ordinances last week, the Economic Development Committee is expected to discuss them, and potentially vote on them, Tuesday evening.
The series of proposed housing amendments include one regulating accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to bring the city’s regulations into compliance with the state’s Affordable Homes Act, and others concerning mixed-use developments and building height restrictions downtown.
The Planning Board’s vote followed a joint public hearing with the Economic Development Committee Thursday evening in which members of both boards joined the public to weigh in on issues related to housing and commercial development downtown.
In August, Gov. Maura Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act, allowing ADUs, or detached singular units, to be constructed by right on single-family lots throughout the state. The law took effect in early February.
“The only thing that we’re doing here is meeting the minimum requirements of law for single-family situations, saying that anybody who’s in a single-family home or lot can do a protected ADU,” Planning Director Eric Twarog said. “Anything above and beyond any protected ADU, which we’re calling an unprotected ADU, will require a special permit.”
While Greenfield resident Al Norman spoke in favor of adding municipal restrictions to the city’s ADU ordinance as allowed by the Affordable Homes Act, the overwhelming majority of those who spoke at the hearing spoke in favor of a more lenient ADU policy.
Resident Nancy Hazard spoke in support, commending the city for including language in its proposed ADU ordinance to prohibit the use of ADUs for short-term rentals.
“I’m concerned about the lack of available housing in Greenfield. With the present situation, the cost of rental housing is skyrocketing, and we cannot welcome more people to our community,” Hazard said. “I was happy to see the regulation that the ADUs cannot be used for short-term rental. ... Our goal was to increase housing for people who live here, not to create housing for tourists.”
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The approved ordinance recommendations are expected to come before City Council at its April 16 meeting. Some ordinance amendments — such as one originally proposed by Precinct 3 City Councilor Michael Mastrototaro to require all multi-family dwellings on Main Street, Bank Row and Federal Street within the Central Commercial District to be mixed-use, or containing both commercial and residential properties — will come before the Economic Development Committee at its meeting Tuesday. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall as well as on Zoom.
Other zoning changes approved by the board and up for the Economic Development Committee’s review include one originally filed by At-Large Councilor John Garrett mandating that first-floor dwelling units will not be allowed along the street side with the highest traffic use and that they be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ordinance also requires that business uses mixed with residential uses above the first floor be limited to office uses only.
“In a lot of urban areas, that’s a pretty standard thing where you have retail on the ground floor, office on the second and then everything above that is residential,” Planning Board alternate member Erica Rioux Gees said. “It’s a very common mix, and it’s economically very viable and very successful.”
The Economic Development Committee will also discuss a proposed amendment to the city’s Central Commercial District zoning to raise the maximum height for buildings constructed in the district from 50 feet to 80 feet, and to increase the height limit for the General Commercial District from 40 feet to 60 feet.
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.