Greenfield Reconnaissance Report - MA Heritage Landscapes ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

common that contributes to the visual harmony of downtown, offsetting the urbanconcentration of buildings and surrounding traffic in the downtown area.• Bank Row is within the Main Street Historic District on the National Register of HistoricPlaces, and contains buildings of architectural and historic significance to the City ofGreenfield.• Three of the buildings on Bank Row have recently been purchased by an experienced andreputable developer, providing the opportunity for reuse of these historic buildings torevitalize Bank Row and the downtown area with new commercial enterprises. Due tothe buildings’ location within a National Register District, they are eligible for federaland state tax credits for rehabilitation.• The Bank Row Urban Renewal Plan will encourage the redevelopment of other buildingsin the Bank Row area including the First National Bank building.• If the William Coleman - J. H. Hollister House comes on the market in the future, theremay be an opportunity for the town to work with Historic Deerfield and/or Historic NewEngland to purchase the property and pursue a public education program for the property.Issues:• There is a need for meeting space in the downtown area for meetings of municipal staff,area businesses and organizations, as well as for public events.• Revitalization of historic buildings can be costly, which can be a barrier to revitalizationefforts.• Historic buildings in the Bank Row/Court Square area are not protected.Recommendations:1. Developers should be provided with information about the federal and state investmenttax credit programs available for qualified restoration and rehabilitation of incomeproducing properties in National Register listed districts.2. Conduct an assessment of and develop a master plan for municipally owned buildings tomaximize the use of current space and plan for any additional needs for offices andmeeting space.3. The City of Greenfield should continue to support and work with the GreenfieldRedevelopment Authority, the Franklin County Community Development Corporation,and the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce to provide resources to promote thereuse of historic buildings to revitalize the downtown area.4. Greenfield should consider a Local Historic District (LHD) for the historic BankRow/Court Square area under M.G.L. Chapter 40C, through a 2/3 majority vote of theTown Council for this area. This would provide a higher level of protection for allproperties in the District. Recommended in the Downtown Plan and under discussion byMassachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program 12Greenfield Reconnaissance Report
the Historic Commission, Local Historic Districts are administered by a Local HistoricDistrict Commission (appointed by the Mayor and may be distinct from the community’sHistorical Commission) that reviews and approves proposed changes according to theterms of the local bylaw. As a second option, the City could establish an ArchitecturalPreservation District. This is a local designation that recognizes the distinctivecharacteristics of special areas within a community. They are less strict than LHDs inthat they focus on a few key architectural elements and massing, scale, and setback, in aneffort to preserve the overall character-defining features of the area. As in LHDs,changes are reviewed by a district commission.5. The property owner of the McCarthy Funeral Home could consider placing a preservationrestriction on the The William Coleman - J. H. Hollister House to help preserve itsarchitectural integrity due to its historic significance in Greenfield.Massachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program 13Greenfield Reconnaissance Report
Page 1 and 2: Greenfield Reconnaissance ReportCon
Page 3 and 4: INTRODUCTIONHeritage landscapes are
Page 5 and 6: station and depot located in the do
Page 7 and 8: Massachusetts Heritage Landscape In
Page 9 and 10: The process that follows shows the
Page 11 and 12: William Coleman House, 1934 Histori
Page 13: the bank has always been run by mem
Page 17 and 18: Franklin County FairgroundsThe Fair
Page 19 and 20: to use the same roof style and colo
Page 23 and 24: elated to the byway and the potenti
Page 25 and 26: Council for conservation purposes a
Page 29 and 30: Without permanent protection of thi
Page 31 and 32: 6. The Town might consider adopting
Page 33 and 34: PART II: PLANNING FOR HERITAGE LAND
Page 35 and 36: High, E. Main and Franklin Streets.
Page 37 and 38: IMPLEMENTATIONSTATUSCOMMUNITY PLANN
Page 39 and 40: IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIESOutreach,
Page 41 and 42: RESOURCES:Draft Overview of Economi
Page 43 and 44: APPENDIX A: GREENFIELD HERITAGE LAN

Greenfield Reconnaissance Report - MA Heritage Landscapes ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?