MONTAGUE — The Selectboard accepted a petition on Monday to rezone a lot on the south side of Turnpike Road from Neighborhood Business to General Business, sending the proposal on to a public hearing.

The zoning change, proposed through a petition initiated by the Planning Board during its July 25 meeting, would “allow a permit pathway for potential manufacturing or multi-family uses” at the 15.6-acre parcel 21-0-152, Town Planner Maureen Pollock said. The vacant lot, which lies between Judd Wire and the Department of Public Works, currently falls in a Neighborhood Business district that prohibits manufacturing or processing, multi-family dwellings of three units or more, and mixed-use buildings.

Town Administrator Steve Ellis noted the town-owned parcel is “the last available 15-acre site that [Montague has] that has reasonably ready access to all utilities.”

“It is well-documented that there is a lack of available land for manufacturing uses in the town of Montague, as well as Franklin County,” Pollock wrote in a memorandum she shared with the Selectboard on Monday. “Additionally, there is a documented need to provide more housing in the town of Montague, Franklin County and beyond.”

She explained that the Planning Board’s petition initially arose due to interest from a manufacturing company in Franklin County that has looked to expand, but has had trouble finding a permissible location to do so. While she would not disclose the name of the company, she said a new facility permitted by the zoning change would potentially provide “a few hundred … really good-paying jobs.”

“That’s kind of what inspired this zoning amendment change,” Pollock told the Selectboard. “It’s to accommodate this preferable business to consider this location.”

If rezoned, the Zoning Board of Appeals or Planning Board could grant special permits for manufacturing, mixed-use multi-family dwellings and marijuana-related facilities. The lot could potentially fit a manufacturing building up to 100,000 square feet in size, according to Pollock. It could also potentially fit more than 50 apartments.

The petition also considers rezoning the adjacent 13.2-acre parcel 21-0-004, which contains Springdale Cemetery, from Neighborhood Business to General Business, but there are currently no town intentions to repurpose the land, Pollock explained.

With the Selectboard’s unanimous acceptance of the petition on Monday, it now returns to the Planning Board for a public hearing. Pollock said the hearing will be held Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall’s second-floor meeting room.

Assistant Town Administrator Walter Ramsey said the zoning change, which must be approved at Town Meeting, will be accompanied by a “companion article” during the fall Special Town Meeting that pertains to the sale of the parcel to a developer.

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.

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