Dozens of residents told the Holyoke City Council on Oct. 7 they oppose a developer-backed plan to build a large sports complex on roughly 22½ acres of forested land in Ward 3, saying the project would destroy mature trees, harm neighborhood quality of life and should be moved to brownfield parcels instead.

Why it matters: The parcel is central to a neighborhood and residents and several councilors said the city should prioritize infill development and long-vacant retail plazas rather than removing an urban canopy. The disputed site has been the subject of HEDIC discussion earlier in the year, and minutes released to the council show a nonrefundable deposit was retained when the petitioner advanced a purchase agreement.

Residents testified repeatedly that Elmwood Forest provides environmental, recreational and health benefits to nearby homes. “We have unacceptable high asthma rates,” Jordana O’Connell of 56 Woodland Street said during public comment, and “we’re going to destroy this green space to make way for an anything-goes sports complex.” Beth Scribe Harris, of 25 Woodland Street, urged voters to research candidates’ positions on preserving the forest and criticized what she described as limited transparency from city agencies and the developer.

Councilors pressed for more public process and pointed to options the city already has for redevelopment. Councilor Howie Graney and Councilor Kevin McGrath Smith said the parcel had been advertised for sale for many years, and Councilor Michael Sullivan, who noted he sits on HEDIC, said the administration’s Office of Planning and Economic Development (OPED) handles minutes and that staff turnover had delayed posting. Sullivan also said some acreage is held in partnership with Holyoke Gas & Electric and that designs presented to HEDIC were for a smaller footprint (9–10 acres) than the 30-acre complex discussed publicly.

Several councilors, including Councilor Patty Devine and Councilor Izzy Rivera, said the primary venue for public input will be any zoning-change process; the parcel is currently zoned residential/agricultural and would require a zone change for the proposed development. Councilor Jordan urged the city to pursue existing underused sites such as the former Kmart/ShopRite plaza or Whiting Farms rather than forested land.

HEDIC minutes from Feb. 27, released to the clerk on Oct. 1, show the petitioner’s $50,000 deposit became nonrefundable; councilors and residents said that detail and the timing of public notice raised concerns about transparency and public engagement. HEDIC board members responded that HEDIC meetings are public and that the delay in posting minutes was an administrative issue handled by OPED amid staff turnover.

What’s next: Councilors discussed filing orders and taking conservation steps but did not adopt a specific land-use change during the Oct. 7 meeting. Several members said they will pursue options — including a conservation designation, a disposition process if the parcel is declared surplus, or pressure on underused retail owners — and encouraged further community-led planning.

Residents and councilors urged the mayor and HEDIC to hold additional public briefings and to explore alternative locations for the sports complex, arguing the city should focus redevelopment on vacant and blighted sites before removing public canopy.