New zoning regs a story of the year

One of the biggest front-page Greenfield Recorder news stories of 2022 was the upswell of community activism that led to a significant rewriting of zoning regulations that placed new, clear limits on outdoor marijuana cultivation, and defined the difference between indoor and outdoor growths.

A record number of Greenfield citizens, spearheaded by the Country Club Road neighbors, attended, both in person and via Zoom, numerous Greenfield Planning Board, and City Council meetings.  Thanks to the determined activism of Country Club Road neighbors, city officials were able to close major loopholes in the old rules that allowed out-of-state developers to “game” the ordinance to propose huge cultivations next to large residential neighborhoods.

An equally significant response by the Greenfield Planning Board, the city department of planning, and the City Council allowed citizen proposals to be adopted unanimously.

These new regulations can help other towns across the state that are seeking ways to prevent out-sized cannabis dominance over their farmland and open spaces.

Al Collins and Al Norman

Greenfield

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