As a member of Valley Housing Cooperative, I’d like to share our vision of these beloved 32 acres on Stone Farm Lane in Greenfield. There is a variety of confusion and conjecture about our plans that we hope to clarify.
Valley Community Land Trust (VCLT) acquired the land last summer in collaboration with Noble Home, Valley Housing Cooperative, and an outpouring of community support. Founded in 1977 as the first Community Land Trust (CLT) in Massachusetts, VCLT is a small volunteer-run nonprofit in Franklin County with a dual mission: to provide affordable access to land for homes and to ensure responsible stewardship of land for the benefit of present and future generations. VCLT differs from most conservation land trusts by integrating human habitat into the ecosystem.
In the CLT model, a nonprofit owns the land and leases it to individuals or organizations for use and improvement. This ground lease caps the home resale price at the appraised value of the buildings without the land value, while providing oversight for land stewardship. VCLT has a 99 year renewable ground lease with Noble Home and Valley Housing Cooperative for 7 acres and 25 acres respectively at Stone Farm Lane.
Noble Home, a values-aligned design/builder based in Shelburne Falls, plans to build one 18-unit and one 4-unit building on this multifamily-zoned land. The buildings will consist of small, energy-efficient units with shared common spaces and resources. The condominium, composed of residents who own their units, will lease the land from VCLT.
Noble Home’s plans are designed to reduce the environmental impact and maximize conservation of land and habitat for biodiversity. The condominium, including buildings and parking, will develop only 2.9 of the 32 acres owned by VCLT. This plan is in sharp contrast to a previously approved development plan from 2006, which would have subdivided all 32 acres into 13 lots with duplexes and a cul-de-sac that would have disrupted habitat, eliminated trails, and “moved over wetlands.”
A recent Mass Wildlife botanical report stated that “almost the entire acreage has been heavily disturbed by non-native vegetation, sand/gravel mining, and a residential development at the top of the hill.” Valley Housing Cooperative submitted an invasive species management plan for native habitat restoration, which was approved by Mass Wildlife.
The mission of the CLT is attainable housing alongside responsible land use. New construction is difficult to make affordable without public subsidy, but multifamily construction helps lower the price per square foot. Housing experts consider housing “affordable” when less than 30% of household income goes towards housing. The Stone Farm Lane condominium units are currently projected to be affordable to 100%-120% of Area Median Income for Greenfield, which is the income bracket that includes many teachers, firefighters, nurses, and other public servants. This category of “missing middle” housing meets the need for workforce housing for middle income wage earners, and there is currently a severe lack of such housing in Greenfield.
Additionally, this project addresses the need for housing supply and demand for smaller units. The Greenfield Housing Plan (2024) noted a shortage of studio and 1-bedroom units available for single and two person households. Our region has a low vacancy rate close to 0% rather than a healthier 5-8%, and the lack of units available drives up competition and prices (FRCOG Housing Study (2024). Even as our population slightly declines, the number of households is increasing given the under-occupancy of large single family homes. The Greenfield Housing Plan identified an increasing population of seniors living alone, and 45% of the condominium units will be wheelchair accessible. This site is well-positioned 2 miles from downtown Turners Falls and Greenfield and within half a mile of the bus stop, making it possible to live here without a personal vehicle.
Greenfield can grow through sustainable community economic development. As property taxes continue to rise, new housing expands Greenfield’s tax base allowing us to adequately fund our schools and infrastructure. If we want a thriving future in Greenfield, housing is inevitable. Supporting creative, democratic, community centered development allows us to combat rising inequality and climate change while striving for affordability and resilience for present and future generations.
The CLT model is a beneficial addition to Greenfield’s toolbox, currently in use around the country and world to prevent displacement and gentrification. We at Stone Farm Lane are part of the growing “social housing” movement that makes housing permanently affordable and democratically controlled by the public, residents, or a nonprofit to empower the residents and the greater community. After all, housing is a human right.
Peter Hunt is a member of Valley Housing Cooperative.
