I am deeply concerned about Aldi’s proposed plans to build a 19,400-square-foot grocery store on the 6.7-acre property previously occupied by the Candlelight Inn on Route 2 opposite Big Y Supermarket. I am opposed to this proposal for the following reasons:

■It will make traffic off the Route 2/91 traffic circle and in and out of the existing stores on both sides of Route 2 heading west extremely crowded for traffic going in all directions.

■ It is on wetlands and will threaten the small amount of environmental presence to mediate the already high amount of asphalt in the area.

■It is going to be leased by Aldi, which indicates their lack of commitment to Greenfield. They can leave whenever they want to, leaving a large empty building behind for us to deal with.

■Aldi’s is another big box chain, originating from Germany, that is trying to compete with Amazon and other internet sources of buying food.

■We already have five grocery stores plus a farmers market, all of which have sales, delivery, pickup and SNAP programs for low-income folks.

■We live in the bread basket of Massachusetts and prefer to buy local food from local farmers from our already existing grocery stores who support our farms.

■I have been to the Aldi’s in Northampton and find every product wrapped in plastic around plastic which is an anathema to Greenfield’s city charter’s “commitment to maintain sustainable values in all our decisions about new building in town.”

I am shocked that the Greenfield Conservation Commission approved the Aldi development project at all. I don’t know the process for objecting to this build other than to write to the Recorder.

Becca King

Greenfield

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