Community gathering to inform Greenfield master plan update

GREENFIELD — The city of Greenfield and The Conway School invite residents to attend an interactive meeting to reflect on the city’s past and present, and envision its future.

The gathering, the first of two related to the master plan update, will be held Monday, Feb. 5, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the John Zon Community Center, 35 Pleasant St.

Three Conway School students in an accelerated program to earn master’s degrees in ecological design are working with Greenfield to update the 2014 Sustainable Greenfield Master Plan. They are delving into two chapters: Land Use, and Natural, Cultural and Historic Resources.

The meeting will open with an opportunity for residents to reflect on the history of Greenfield and share their thoughts about the city’s identity. There will be an assessment of the accomplishments from and the work still to be done from the 2014 Sustainable Greenfield Master Plan. The students hope to gather input from attendees on topics that may include development and conservation patterns, farmland, food production and natural resources. This will be followed by a chance for residents to share what they love about Greenfield, what they wish would be different and their visions for the future.

“We are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with The Conway School students, who will bring a fresh look at Greenfield’s landscape,” Jonah Keane, a member of the Sustainable Greenfield Implementation Committee, said in a statement. “They will help us as we work to improve our community’s preparedness and resilience to the wide range of local impacts from the changing climate.”

The gathering will be videotaped and made available. A second community gathering will be held in late February or early March where the students will present their draft plan and ask for feedback.