BUCKLAND — Following initial feedback from residents in March, planners showed three potential concepts — residential, commercial or a mix — for redeveloping the former Highway Garage at 50 Conway St. during a virtual meeting last week.
The land, garage and two outbuildings served as the Highway Garage from the 1930s until 2008. It was abandoned due to structural integrity issues, Town Administrator Heather Butler explained previously. Now, the town wants to sell the 50 Conway St. property and make “productive use” of the space.
The 0.36-acre parcel sits at the corner of Conway and North Elm streets and has access to electricity, cable, broadband, and public water and wastewater systems. The Village Residential Zoning District where the property is located allows for residential, business and industrial uses, including single-family or two-family homes, restaurants, retail stores and manufacturing.
On March 24, meeting attendees reviewed the context of the neighborhood where the property is located, village market conditions and site conditions. Architect Aelan Tierney noted that, “considerations when developing these scenarios were: what’s the community’s vision for redeveloping this site and what would they like to see on the property?”
After the meeting, an online survey received 43 responses and an additional 10 emails with comments. The survey asked three questions: “What would be the ideal use for this site? Is there something in the village that is missing that the reuse site could serve to fill? What is your biggest concern for the future reuse of this site?”
The most popular response regarding what the ideal use would be was affordable housing, followed by a community gathering space. Meanwhile, among the biggest concerns were environmental damage, as well as a lack of development and long-term viability.
Tierney presented three concepts to attendees. The first, Concept A, showed what the property would look like as a residential area, with a total of 9,000 square feet for eight units. This concept would provide three levels of access into the buildings, responding to the existing topography of the site while providing private points of entry. The plan included 10 parking spaces between the two buildings. The concept also featured solar panels on the roof and vehicle charging in the parking area.
Concept B showed what the property would look like as a commercial building. The site plan included parking in the back for visibility, accessible paths and rooftop restaurant seating to take advantage of views. Tierney described this plan as “very small, but big enough to have a community gathering space, performances and a café.”
Concept C was a hybrid of the two previous concepts, with a residential area and a commercial building separated by community space. Housing was placed at the rear of the site, while the commercial area was placed along Conway Street. The plan was divided into a 5,400-square-foot residential area, a 1,500-square-foot community gathering area and a 5,400-square-foot commercial area.
The meeting then turned into a town hall format, where attendees provided feedback on the proposals.
Cheryl Dukes asked if the affordable housing would be owned by the town. Butler said she doesn’t anticipate that the town would take ownership.
“There are a number of developers who have the capabilities and resources to do affordable housing,” Butler explained, “and the property would be sold to those types of individuals.”
Raymond Lanza-Weil praised the town for seeking to redevelop the property, noting that officials could have easily done nothing or sold the property undeveloped. James Boehmer, the owner of a nearby vegetated strip of land, noted redeveloping the property would help Shelburne Falls modernize.
The meeting ended with a brief discussion on the climate-related concerns of building near the river. While 50 Conway St. technically lies outside of the 100-year floodplain of the Deerfield River, Dukes noted that, during Hurricane Irene, most of the nearby area was flooded.
Regarding next steps, Jessica Atwood, economic development program manager with the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), explained that the presentation will be posted on the Buckland town website and a report will be given to the Selectboard.
“Your input has been invaluable,” Butler told attendees, noting that redeveloping 50 Conway St. offers a unique opportunity for the town.