Greenfield Reconnaissance Report - MA Heritage Landscapes ...

6. The Town might consider adopting an Agricultural Preservation Bylaw that wouldsupport local farms by allowing accessory uses that would supplement farm income, suchas educational centers, Bed and Breakfasts or rental of barn space for art studios orgalleries.7. Historic houses and barns on land that is enrolled in the Agricultural PreservationRestriction program are not protected. The Greenfield Historic Commission mightconsider pursuing National Register of Historic Places listing for this area, to providelandowners with the opportunity to consider preservation restrictions on the buildings forpotential tax deductions.8. The Greenfield Historical Commission should reevaluate its list of historic structures thatare subject to Greenfield’s Demolition Delay Bylaw to ensure that historic homes withinthe Meadows area are included. The Commission may want to consider changing from alist based approach to an age based approach for the bylaw, as is recommended by theMassachusetts Historical Commission, to ensure that all historic structures in town of acertain age would be subject to the required delay in demolition.9. Greenfield should consider adopting an Agricultural Protection Overlay District thatwould encompass farmland within the Upper and Lower Meadows area. Provisions toconsider include mandatory clustering; reduced density in the district by increasingminimum lot size and frontage requirements combined with a mandatory clusteringprovision and a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) or bonus lot provision; and BackLot Bylaw with Farmland Set-Aside for Approval Not Required (ANR) development.10. Greenfield should consider a Transfer or Development Rights (TDR) provision to locatenew development elsewhere in the town to help protect farmland in the Meadows. TDRis an innovative way to direct growth away from lands that should be preserved tolocations well suited to higher density development. With TDR, landowners have theoption of transferring their development rights from one parcel in the “sending zone” toanother parcel elsewhere in town designated as a “receiving zone”. The receiving zonewould have a greater density than would otherwise be permitted. This system would helppreserve farmland and focus residential and commercial development in locations that thetown identifies as appropriate for this. Communities using TDR are generally shiftingdevelopment densities within the community to achieve both open space and economicgoals without changing their overall development potential. 19 (For more information onTDR, see http://www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/bylaws/TDR-Bylaw.pdf)19 Smart Growth / Smart Energy Toolkit, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs,http://www.mass.gov/envir/smart_growth_toolkit/bylaws/TDR-Bylaw.pdfMassachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program 29Greenfield Reconnaissance Report