Development of the Greenfield Armory started after the city refused to accept the property as a gift. We can’t fix prior administration’s financial mistakes by selling the Hope Street parking lot before a final bid has even been reviewed by the public.
We neighbors were told the parking lot would be restored to its prior use once the temporary fire station was gone. Parking was supposed to be available to the new Armory owner once the fire station was completed.
Residence of Prospect Street and Prospect Avenue are required to have parking permits to park in front of our homes. Leaving Prospect Avenue to go out to Prospecr Steet is a safety issue due to difficult visibility. Winter weather makes pulling out even worse. When maps were drawn up, Prospect Avenue wasn’t even included.
Whichever developer is chosen will benefit financially, but a major housing project will put a strain on already stretched services like water, sewer, police, ambulance, and fire. It’s just more congestion in our already dense neighborhood.
Courthouse workers and jurors aren’t given adequate options for parking. Hope & Olive customers also struggle to find available parking. For older and disabled residents, the climb from the garage up to Main Street or Hope Street can be difficult.
The courthouse, Fire Station, transportation center and parking garage have all impacted our water quality and forced us to install water filters. Sewer back ups are common, and sump pumps were required by the city. We have had a 10-year-long battle to get our sidewalks repaired. They are unfit to use and impossible to shovel in the winter.
All these concerns have been brought to the City Council multiple times with no resolution. That’s why we are supportive of the new referendum effort to overturn the City Council rush to sell this parking without even finalizing a bid for the public to review.
Debi Allen and Eva Carle
Greenfield