North Adams Board OK's BFAIR Kitchen; Towing Yard Continued
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The Planning Board on Monday approved Moresi & Associates' application for the facility in its offices at 1000 Massachusetts Ave. Berkshire Family and Individual Resources currently manages Moresi's bottle redemption center in the building.
The partnership is working out so well that when BFAIR's contract to deliver prepackaged meals to adult day care centers more than doubled, the nonprofit decided to lease space next to the redemption center. Both the redemption center and the meal service provides jobs for members of BFAIR's Arcadia Employment Services.
"Arcadia individuals do all the cooking under supervision," said Gayle LaPine, a supervisor for Arcadia. The organization was recently awarded the contract for the Pittsfield adult day care center. It's been providing about 25 prepared lunches to the North Adams site for some time; adding Pittsfield means another 35 or so meals.
BFAIR's been using a small kitchen at the Brien Center but it won't be big enough for the new orders. David Moresi said the kitchen should be completed in about 60 days. The lunches will be prepared onsite and then packaged and delivered to the appropriate facility.
The redemption center, meanwhile, has been taking in anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 cans and bottles a day, said manager Joseph Cantoni. "It's doing very well."
Both Lapine and Cantoni attended the meeting in case of questions, but the board approved the special permit with little discussion other than to compliment Moresi on the condition of the former Ravel Technologies building. Moresi has been renovating the structure since purchasing it several months ago.
Far more discussion centered around the application of Mark S. Braman and his son, Nathan W. Braman, for a special permit to store a flatbed tow truck and towed vehicles at garage at 444 and 456 Ashland St.
Neighbors Alice Cande and Lee Martinez, both of Corinth Street, raised concerns over the hours of operation and its potential for expansion because of a newly erected fence. Cande worried about noise: "Is towing going to be going on at all hours?"
"That is one of the most hazardous areas to go through," said Martinez, referring to the sharp corner that runs under the train tracks nearby. "Having a truck backing in and out adds to the hazard."
Mark Braman said there was a banking and rail line between his property and the neighbors. "I don't see how noise is going to be an issue."
Shapiro & Sons has been operating on that corner for 30 years with little incident, he said, and "a lot of insurance companies require you to keep towed vehicles behind a fence."
Administrative Officer Jay Green said the city had concerns over building issues and past fines. Board Chairman Michael Leary said "the board needs far more elaboration and a plan before it can make a decision."
The board voted to continue the hearing on the Bramans' proposal until September while the Bramans work with the Office of Community Development to clear up issues.
In other business, the board:
■ Approved a special permit for Richad Duteau of Duteau Collision to operate an auto body repair business at 559 Ashland St., on the same property as Eight Ball Auto repair, owned by Michael Milazzo. The board conducted a site visit shortly before the meeting and approved the permit on condition that the number of vehicles parked on the property not exceed 10, with the caveat that Duteau can return in the future to request more.
■ Approved a special permit for Jonathon Girard to operate a gymnastics facility at 420 Curran Highway on condition that he work with the city on a landscaping plan and other elements of the building. The hearing had been continued from last month because of a lack of information.
■ Approved an application from Roland G. Gardiner and Larie Goodreau to operate a video game and accessories business at 151 Eagle St. in the former Neville's Donuts building. Goodreau and Gardiner, who are in-laws, are hoping to open by November. The shop, they said, will provide an alternative to traveling to the mall or Pittsfield for video game selections.
■ Approved a sandwich board sign submission by Bark 'n' Cat on Eagle Street. The board has sent letters to retail operations using sandwich boards to request they have the sidewalk signs reviewed as part of their signage packages. The city is expected to formulate a bylaw on sandwich boards, which have proliferated throughout the city over the past few years.
Also, an application by O'Connell Oil Associates for the installation of an above-ground 30,000-gallon tank at 483 Ashland St. was withdrawn without prejudice. The hearing had been continued from last month.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts requested a continuance to September on its application for constructing a storage building at 277 Ashland St. The building is to be used for storage and shipping and receiving for the college. The board plans to make a site visit prior to September's hearing.
Board member David Babcock was voted in as the board's delegate to the Berkshire Regional Planning Comission.
