On Nov. 4, Greenfield will be holding a local election to determine members of the City Council, members of the School Committee, and the future of a vacant lot that exists on Hope Street. I will appear on the ballot for the Precinct 6 Council position which I am presently serving as by appointment.

Last July the City Council voted our approval for the mayor to send out a request for proposals to builders to develop housing on the vacant Hope Street lot. The council was overwhelmingly in favor of this plan because of the need for housing in our community. A healthy vacancy rate in any neighborhood is 4 % to 5%. The vacancy rate in Greenfield is .01% ; we definitely need more housing.

After the council vote, a petition was filed with the city clerk’s office to bring the question to a citywide vote. The petition seeks to rescind (reverse) the council vote. Our city charter states that when there is a petition challenge of this type the actual voting ballot must read as follows: “Shall the following measure which was proposed by the voters in an initiative petition, take effect?”

Hence, a “Yes” vote would reverse the City Council vote and the vacant lot would NOT be available for housing.

A “No” vote keeps the council vote intact and the vacant lot WOULD be available for housing.

The site will not be transformed back into a parking lot. Conservative estimates have that bill at over $400,000. A bill that our city cannot and in fact should not pay since we have a large parking garage right in the area. Some folks have said a parking lot there would create income of $200,000 annually for the city. That’s hard to believe since the entire income from parking from all the lots and spaces in the city created around $250,000 in income last year.

I will be voting “No” and I am encouraging my friends and neighbors to do the same. The choice is between the neighborhood enhancement of new housing contributing property taxes and downtown shoppers or the eye sore of a weedy vacant lot.

Vote “No” and support housing for Hope Street! See you at the polls!

Patricia Williams, Precinct 6 city councilor

Greenfield