My Turn: Sunrise Avenue neighborhood a poor fit for more housing

Kaboompics.com

By PATRICIA and GARY CROMACK

Published: 01-14-2025 8:04 PM

Thirty-eight years ago, my husband and I found and moved into a really nice neighborhood in Greenfield where we could look down the street, see the sun rise in the morning, and hike in the woods with our dogs before and after work.

We raised our family here. Our child and the rest of the neighborhood children could ride their bikes and play together without fear of being hit by cars or approached by strangers. Every neighbor looked out for each other’s children, property, and each other, which is what good neighbors do for one another.

Several years ago, the town decided to close the public way that connected this community to Turners Falls Road without contacting the neighbors, most of whom had deeded rights of way over this road. We now have one means of egress out of this neighborhood, which is precarious at best given the traffic on High Street at most hours of the day.

Additionally, we’ve had trees fall across the road multiple times. Later the town decided to resurface the road with oil and stone, resulting in the stones being redirected to our lawns due to plowing and just driving on the roads. Lawn mowers have been damaged, riding bikes is much more difficult, and walking on the street if you require a walker is next to impossible.

We were told that because Sunrise Avenue and Valley View are secondary roads, that this was how it was to be resurfaced. I don’t believe we pay secondary taxes.

Fast-forward to now, in the Jan. 8 Greenfield Recorder article regarding the Valley Community Land Trust land on Stone Farm Lane [“Mayor cites housing as 2025 goal”], where Mayor Virginia Desorgher commends the project as a good example of how the city should handle the housing crisis. Respectfully, I want to make sure our opinion is heard, along with most of my neighbors.

To take the land that was bought by a land trust and double the number of folks living in this quiet neighborhood with only one means of egress is not only a bad idea but dangerous. The damage that is going to be done to the ecosystem by noise, construction and additional vehicle traffic is going to negatively impact the quiet enjoyment of folks who have been living in this peaceful neighborhood for years.

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A land trust is supposed to protect the land. To exit our neighborhood with one means of egress is currently very difficult, not to mention the children who won’t be as safe due to the additional traffic. I ask that when the city boards review this for approval, that they take these issues into consideration. Thank you.

Patricia and Gary Cromack live in Greenfield.