(Host) The future of the long-defunct Green Mountain Race Track in Pownal got a close look this fall from a group of environmental planning students at nearby Williams College.
They’ll present their findings to the public tonight. Professor Sarah Gardner teaches the course.
She says the track property became a hot topic last year when a large biomass and wood pellet facility was proposed.
Neighboring Williamstown, Mass., residents opposed the proposal. But Gardner acknowledges that the 149-acre track is Pownal’s biggest developable property.
(Gardner) "We know that Pownal could really use some development, they could use the jobs and the tax revenue. So it stands out as a property that has a lot of potential."
(Host) Four Williams students interviewed local residents, town officials and the property’s owners and conducted their own research.
Gardner says the students recommended retail activity for a portion of the land bordering Route 7.
Among the recommendations for the stadium-sized track building is a food processing facility that would help promote locally grown food.
The students will present their findings tonight at seven at the Pownal Elementary School.