The City of Greenfield has issued a temporary moratorium on most new building permits as its wastewater treatment plant continues to operate beyond capacity, raising environmental and regulatory concerns.
The moratorium applies to any new construction that would increase wastewater flow to the city’s system—including residential, commercial and public infrastructure projects.
The city’s wastewater treatment facility is currently permitted to handle 1.2 million gallons per day and has reached that limit, leading to multiple spills and citations from the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
One incident in 2018 resulted in a spill that nearly reached the Salinas River, costing the city $170,000 in state fines.
City leaders say the temporary freeze is necessary to avoid further environmental damage and fees while they work on an upgrade to the wastewater system. That upgrade is not expected to be completed until 2030.
“When a town grows into a city, there's a cost,” said Council Member Belen Garcia at the city council meeting Tuesday. “And a lot of our infrastructure was great for little Greenfield.”
Even city-backed projects, like a planned recreation center will be affected.
“We would have to put a plug into that sewer line just to ensure that nothing goes down that,” said Public Works Director Jamie Tugel. “And then the restrooms would not be open. We would have to have portable facilities outside.”
The city had been counting on state funding to pay for the upgrade, but lost its Disadvantaged Community status last year, making it more difficult to secure grants.
Greenfield council members said they will revisit the moratorium every six months as the wastewater upgrades progress.
