Smart-growth district plans along commercial corridor in Hadley forge ahead

The town of Hadley is studying whether to create a possible  smart-growth district for a portion of Route 9 that could allow some residential development in the midst of the commercial corridor, including the site of the Hampshire Mall.

The town of Hadley is studying whether to create a possible smart-growth district for a portion of Route 9 that could allow some residential development in the midst of the commercial corridor, including the site of the Hampshire Mall. GAZETTE FILE PHOTO

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Staff Writer

Published: 07-29-2024 10:43 AM

HADLEY — In the aftermath of the Hampshire Mall selling for a fraction of its assessed value last month, the town is moving ahead with the study of a possible smart growth district for a portion of Route 9 that could allow some residential development in the midst of the commercial corridor if voters support the idea.

The Planning Board and the Hadley Affordable Housing Trust earlier this month both voted to support seeking a $22,500 Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Planning Assistance Grant that will extend the work currently being done by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission under the state’s Chapter 40R zoning law.

The trust, which is made up of the five Planning Board members and Select Board Chairwoman Molly Keegan, voted 4-1, with one abstention, to apply for the new funding.

Keegan said seeking the money is keeping the process moving forward so there are options for future development, but not obligating the town to any end result. The study’s focus is on the stretch of the state highway from where the Norwottuck Rail Trail passes below the road, just west of Gardener’s Supply Co. at 285 Russell St., east to the Amherst town line. Keegan observes that any proposal would likely be for a much smaller section and would depend on a successful Town Meeting vote, likely sometime in 2025.

Planning Board member Mark Dunn, who is chairing the Smart Growth Steering Subcommittee, supported the grant application, observing that surveys and outreach are continuing with assistance from Kyle Finnell, PVPC’s senior land use and environment planner.

The grant was also supported by Planning Board Clerk William Dwyer, who said a change in zoning would open up more opportunities for development, though those would likely depend on sewer capacity and other factors. Chairman James Maomsimki also supported continuing with the study.

But member Michael Sarsynski voted against the proposal and member Joseph Zgrodnik abstained, both noting worries about the end result and possibly compromising the town’s commercial base. Such zoning could accommodate more uses than the current commercial zoning, which generally prohibits multiple residential dwellings on a property.

Chapter 40R is a state program that “encourages communities to create dense residential or mixed-use smart growth zoning districts, including a high percentage of affordable housing units, to be located near transit stations, in areas of concentrated development such as existing city and town centers, and in other highly suitable locations.”

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One of the properties that could be affected, depending on whether it is included in the smart growth zoning map, is the Hampshire Mall, which in June sold for $7 million at a foreclosure auction to Deutsche Bank Trust Co. Americas and Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Securities Inc. That sale was less than half of the mall’s current $19.2 million assessment and means, for the first time since the mall was built, that it is not being run by the Pyramid Corp.

The 456,242-square-foot property on 46.52 acres is currently being managed by the Spinoso Real Estate Group of Syracuse, New York, which, according to its website, has 92 properties totaling 80.6 million square feet across the country.

“Hampshire Mall stands as a significant commercial hub, embodying both historical charm and modern retail allure,” the mall’s page on Spinoso’s website states. “Established in 1978, this one-level shopping mall stands as the premier shopping and entertainment destination of Hampshire and Franklin counties.”

Keegan said she and Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan recently had conversations with an interim leadership team in place at the mall, observing that the operation is similar to another Pyramid property, the Kingston Collection, also in Massachusetts and which also went into foreclosure and was taken over by Spinoso.

That meeting with the mall representatives offered little clarity about the mall’s future, though Keegan said her understanding is that no immediate changes are planned and that a seamless transition is underway to ensure that operations are unchanged at the site anchored by JC Penney, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Joann Fabrics, PetSmart and Target, as well as entertainment and lifestyle places like Cinemark, Planet Fitness and Interskate 91.

But Keegan said town officials have to anticipate there could be changes, and not having a municipal planner or economic development director to speak to the mall owners, took it upon herself to do so.

“We thought it was appropriate that someone from town leadership establish a relationship with the new owners,” Keegan said.

Previously, Pyramid representatives had been receptive to redevelopment ideas, including offering the mall as a project by University of Massachusetts students in the spring to reenvision the site.

During the meeting Tuesday, Keegan said that changes should be expected at some point from the new owners. “Maintaining the mall in perpetuity, as it exists now, I can’t imagine that’s their long view,” Keegan said.

Maksimoski said under current commercial zoning on site, only one home could be built, though should the property owner seek to subdivide the site that would allow for more possibilities.

Dwyer said any future plans could be complicated by Target owning its own parcel and the unique arrangement it has to access its parking.

Still, there are other commercial development opportunities possible, such as a hotel or convention center, Maksimoski said, but industrial uses, such as a warehouse, are prohibited.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.