GREENFIELD — As the Historical Commission considers the creation of a historical district in the city’s downtown, discussion between members and the mayor’s Chief of Staff Erin Anhalt Thursday revealed that the process is likely to be longer and more arduous than anticipated.

The commission agreed to begin mapping which particular areas it wishes to include in the proposed district before preparing for a years-long process that will include public hearings and a City Council motion to create a new subcommittee.

Historical Commission Chair Margo Jones mentioned creating a historical zoning district at the May 1 meeting, in which she explained that its creation, which had been in the “back of [commission members’] minds” for some time, would open the city up to additional state and federal funding while providing legal protections for historic structures.

“We have a downtown that is beautiful and historic and certainly worth preserving as best we can,” Jones said at the May 1 meeting. “This would give us a few more tools and it would give us more money.”

At Thursday evening’s meeting, commission member Jeremy Ebersole explained that the creation of a downtown historical district must endure the “remarkably complex” and “peculiar” process of drafting a preliminary study report, then gaining City Council approval to form a district study committee responsible for planning and mapping the area.

Should a study committee be created, Ebersole explained that its members must dive into mapping the district and hold a public hearing to gather community feedback before bringing its plans back before City Council for a vote.

Anhalt also pointed out that the costs associated with designing and creating the district would have to be considered, given the city’s financial constraints. She explained that the proposed district would likely spark controversy and is not expected to bring in significant financial benefits, given the Department of Government Efficiency’s cuts to federal spending.

“There are going to be a lot of people who are really opposed to this even happening — a lot,” Anhalt said. “Federal cuts have hit the state already and they’re expected to be much worse. ... We are a state that pays more than we get back from the federal government, but we still do depend on the federal monies for about 40% of the state budget. There is potential for half to two-thirds of that being gone by the end of the year. … Things like historical tax credits are going to be some of the first things to go.”

Historical Commission members Tim Blagg, Sarah Bolduc and Doug Mayo formed a group focused on pinpointing a specific region for the district.

Members generally agreed that since the proposed district is expected to outlast the current federal administration, the commission should engage in initial planning steps for its creation, but expect a long road ahead until it’s complete.

“Why don’t we do one small step, another small step, and then push the rest of it down the road?” Blagg suggested. “[Let’s] define it, put it on the shelf, and then wait and see how the rest of it might play out. There’s no sense in talking to somebody who’s got no money to do anything.”

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