GREENFIELD — As a proposed zoning amendment seeking to raise the height restriction on construction nears a City Council vote this week, members of the Historical Commission expressed concerns over how such a change might impact aesthetics and shared a desire to preserve historic character.

The ordinance, which aims to bolster more dense housing development while mitigating sprawl, will be put before a City Council vote during a special meeting Thursday. If approved, the amendment would increase the height limit on construction from 50 feet to 80 feet for buildings in the Central Commercial District and from 40 feet to 60 feet in the General Commercial District.

“We really have no choice but to build up if we want to actually have affordability,” At-Large Councilor John Garrett told the Historical Commission last week while advocating for the amendment. “The Greenfield Housing Study estimates we have a 700-unit gap in the next decade that we need to build in order to keep things stable. ... We are going to be in an affordability crisis even if we do that. It’s a five-alarm fire we’re in, as far as housing is concerned.”

Garrett, who works as a history teacher at Smith Academy in Hatfield, explained to the commission that the city’s current housing layout was brought about by 1930s legislation that aimed to encourage the production of single-family housing across the country.

In response to Historical Commission Chair Margo Jones’ argument that an 80-foot building would “stick out” when surrounded by historic buildings, Garrett argued that the city has always adjusted its architectural styles and sizes to accommodate modern needs. He said that although an 80-foot-tall building in Greenfield would, in fact, “stick out tremendously,” the city is “playing catch-up” from decades of restrictive zoning.

“If we want to go back to the 1700s, [Main Street] had no three-story brick buildings. Prior to that, this was a section of Deerfield, so things change. The Wilson’s building is 55 feet tall,” Garrett said. “What we did since the 1930s is we subsidized single-family homeownership and the development of suburbia, so this city is in a state of arrested development compared to what it would have been if the Federal Housing [Administration] didn’t prioritize single-family homes and suburbs in prime farmland.”

Garrett also reassured the Historical Commission that it would maintain the right to issue setback and height restrictions for construction in the Main Street Historic District.

When Vice Chair Tim Blagg asked why the city should lift height restrictions when a developer would likely not walk away from a project simply because of them, Garrett responded that the process of amending a zoning ordinance is long and arduous, stressing that if the council did not take this opportunity, it would likely be a long time before it reappeared.

Jones, too, expressed skepticism with the ordinance, noting that Amherst sets its height restrictions at 65 feet and Northampton’s height restrictions fall under 80 feet.

“That’s exactly the reason not to approve it, because Amherst has [its height restrictions set at] 65 feet,” Jones commented. “Once the zoning allows by right 80 feet, [the Historical Commission] is just whistling in the wind.”

Garrett responded to Jones’ argument by stating that he hoped to “be better” than other cities, which are becoming less and less affordable to live in, especially for young people.

Commission member Jeremy Ebersole, on the other hand, noted that it is possible to increase a building’s height while preserving its historical integrity. He argued that, given the city’s need for housing development, he would prefer the construction of taller buildings to the demolition of historic properties.

“I’d rather it be 60 feet,” Ebersole said. “But I’d rather see two extra stories on top of a historic building than the demolition of one.”

The proposed zoning amendment will be put to a vote at a special City Council meeting Thursday evening, alongside a citizen’s petition to restrict the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and a proposed zoning amendment to allow for first-floor dwelling units in mixed-use buildings downtown.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.