GREENFIELD — The Zoning Board of Appeals will continue its public hearing regarding the former Wilson’s Department Store redevelopment project next month, allowing time to gather more details on the traffic impact.

The hearing will continue on Thursday, June 8, at 6:30 p.m. at 20 Sanderson St. The project, which involves relocating and expanding Green Fields Market into the Main Street building’s first floor and turning the upper floors into 65 mixed-income rental apartments, has already been given the green light by both the Planning Board and the Historical Commission.

“The meeting was held up because the traffic study wasn’t really completed,” said ZBA Chair David Singer, mentioning that the planners “did a nice job of making a presentation” last week, when the ZBA’s public hearing began. “There are some issues on Chapman Street and Davis Street about traffic flow.”

Planning and Economic Director Eric Twarog added that the traffic study was submitted the same day as the hearing, so there was little time to review it in advance.

According to Singer, the traffic evaluation shared last week was based on the ability to take a left turn onto Davis Street from the posterior parking area, when, in fact, drivers leaving the property can only take a right turn onto the one-way street, which then funnels traffic onto Main Street.

“We needed the traffic study to really explore what’s really there,” Singer said.

Wilson’s Department Store, one of the last independent, family-owned department stores in the country, closed in January 2020. Mark Abramson, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Commercial Upton-Massamont Realtors, previously said the property, which includes the parking lot behind the building and two lots on Chapman Street, was priced at $3.95 million when it went on the market. Mayor Roxann Wedegartner announced in November 2022 that the city worked in partnership with The Community Builders, MassDevelopment and the Franklin Community Co-op — which operates Green Fields Market — on the property’s acquisition.

Five people spoke during public comment at the first ZBA hearing, most of whom were in favor of the project, Twarog said. At least one, however, expressed concerns about parking issues due to the proposed apartments.

Another resident, Bob Williford, who is a member of the Commission on Disability Access, had concerns about the size of the landing at the top of the handicapped ramp and the measurements of another ramp. Other questions that were taken into consideration included the dimensions of one particular curb cut, he said. Williford said this week that he also asked designers to consider not placing a curb between the parking lot and the building’s entrance, which was used in the design of the Greenfield Senior Center.

While members appeared receptive to the project presented by planners on Thursday, Twarog said the “main hang-up” was the traffic impact and parking situation.

“That’s key; that [study] tells you what’s happening the all the neighboring intersections,” he said.

In general, Twarog relayed, ZBA members “liked what they saw,” but wanted more time to digest the traffic study shared with them that day, as well as for planners to address concerns related to the Chapman Street parking lot.

“We’ll be able to see how that plays out downtown and on Main Street,” Singer said, “and we’ll take it from there.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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