MONTAGUE — The Planning Board and its zoning consultant have officially kicked off the process to explore rezoning the former Farren Care Center, as the town looks to revitalize the dormant parcel with resident input.

Innes Associates, the town’s consultant funded through a $62,000 award from the Community Planning Grant Program, will work with Montague officials and residents over the coming year to examine the town’s zoning bylaws and how they can be used to rezone the former Farren Care Center’s parcel on Montague City Road, as well as a sister project on Rod Shop Road that will see the town explore zoning opportunities to encourage reuse of historic buildings on the street.

The main focus of the former Farren Care Center’s 8-acre plot of land, which the town acquired in June 2024 following the long-term care facility’s April 2021 closure, is to determine how Montague’s zoning can be used to redevelop the land into a mixed-use, campus-style project. Early indications from residents show they want some sort of mixed-use project, but those thoughts could change once community forums are held, according to Planning Board members.

“I feel like this is a project that has a lot of potential uses and wants to be a little of everything,” Planning Board member Samuel Guerin said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I’m not sure if we have anything on the books that fits cleanly.”

Fellow Planning Board member Ron Sicard added that the mixed-use, campus-style approach has been popular in early discussions with residents.

“I think most people were on board with that as opposed to a bunch of big buildings with six or eight [units] in each one,” he said, adding that folks want to “make it more like a neighborhood feel.”

The parcel is currently located in the Central Business District, while Rod Shop Road is split between Central Business and Historic Industrial. Adjacent parcels are located in the Neighborhood Business District, while the westernmost lots to the Farren Care property, which abut the Connecticut River, are in the Industrial District.

Emily Innes, president of Innes Associates, said there is some wiggle room in the town’s current zoning. She added there are also opportunities to explore cutting the parcel into different pieces or creating a new zoning district that could better accommodate the community’s desires.

“You’ve got a lot of flexibility in your existing zoning,” Innes said, adding that “there are no preconceived notions on our end.” “It kind of feels like we might want a new zone, just depending on what specific people want for this particular site.”

With Tuesday’s meeting serving as the kickoff to the visioning and planning process, there will be several more opportunities for the public to provide input on what they’d like to see in the area over the coming weeks and months. Innes Associates is expected to speak with the Selectboard at its March 31 meeting.

From there, the first major community workshop will be held Thursday, April 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A. Innes and Planning Board members urged residents to attend the workshop, as it is a chance to set the stage for the rest of the project.

The goal, Innes and Planning Board members said, is to try to develop some bylaw amendments that could come before voters at October’s Special Town Meeting.

“It’s so important to have your voice heard and to let us know what you think the direction should be,” Innes said. “Those first few meetings are critical to getting results the community really has a voice in.”

Residents with questions or comments about the project are encouraged to reach out to Planning Director Maureen Pollock at mpollock@montague-ma.gov.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.