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Residents, councilors spar over plan to site sports complex in Elmwood Forest
Summary
Neighbors and several council members urged the City Council and Holyoke Economic Development & Industrial Corporation (HEDIC) to stop a proposal that would remove roughly 22 acres of Elmwood Forest for a sports complex; councilors raised transparency, zoning and alternatives while HEDIC noted the parcel has been on the market for years.
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…
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