LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The long-delayed Berkshire Mall road is among 33 priority projects targeted for a second round of stimulus funding totaling more than $165.6 million.
The list released by the Patrick administration on Monday includes $10,128,284 for the two-mile roadway. It is a public road operated by the Baker Hill Road District with the Berkshire Mall its only taxpayer.
The main connector between Routes 7 and 8 has been waiting for state funding for more than decade but heavy traffic has severely deteriorated the road over its 20-year existence. The surface has gotten so bad, some ambulance services have refused to use it.
Built primarily as an access road to the mall, reconstruction plans signify its importance as a connector between North and Central Berkshire's main north/south highways.
The project includes widening sections of the winding road and eliminating the need to enter into the traffic ring around the mall. Instead, the road will run straight to Route 8 with right- and lefthand turns into the mall drive. It will include full reconstruction, resurfacing, guardrails, granite curbs, traffic signals, retaining walls signage and drainage improvements, along with work on the bridge.
Construction is expected to begin in 2010, if an agreement can be hammered out with two other stakeholders bordering the byway, Pittsfield and Petricca.
Also in the funding is $2.8 million for resurfacing First Street, Barker Road, Holmes Road and Valentime Road in Pittsfield.
"These projects put stimulus money and Massachusetts people to work," said Gov. Deval Patrick. "This administration is all about investing in our future, and these funds help."
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Jeez I think it is sad that 10 million is going to roads, but 2 middle schools have closed, teachers getting laid off. Let's see what is more important, going to the mall or a child's education. If people still have values on education our students would be first. The state talks about low test scores and ways to raise them. Try taking the 10 million an invest in our future-educating children.
Editor: The state's received millions in education stimulus funds. These funds are directly related to highway and bridge construction. The two middle schools would cost far more than $10M to fix.
Really, as a nation, this is all we can think of to do with $800 billion in stimulus money? Pave a bunch of roads? The asphalt producers of the world must be laughing all the way to the bank.
What a big crop of sour grapes are growing here in the Berkshires. Reconstructing roads will bring jobs (help keep bread on the table of workers) as well as making travel safer.
Why not just be grateful something beneficial is being done with the stimulus money?
Amy - It's not an issue of sour grapes. Paving roads seems like a very short-lived benefit, however. We pave a few roads, a few people (look at the chart that is linked below) have jobs for a while. Is any of this money being spent on things that will have long-term impact? If so, the people who are communicating that news are doing a poor job, because all I ever hear about is road paving. If you look at that map (again, linked below), the total number of jobs created/saved is in the tens of thousands. That's great. But MILLIONS are unemployed -- that's thousands of thousands. I'm sure that without the stimulus we would be in worse shape. I just question the effectiveness of it.
I find your last comment contradictory. How can you question the effectiveness of the stimulus package, and still believe we would be worse off without it?
I, too, would like to see all the unemployed back at work,but by putting paychecks in the hands of only thousands, we strengthen the cycle of production to respond to need and demand. A better trickle down theory, than waiting for the rich to have compassion on those less fortunate than them.
Sorry to drag this out... I should have been more clear and said we would be incrementally worse off. Here's the math, again using the figures from the map that the iBerkshires editor linked a couple of comments ago. If we generously assume that the stimulus money has created 100,000 jobs, well, that's great for those 100,000. That still leaves 15,000,000 people unemployed. That means there are still 150 people looking for work, for every job created. When I say I question the effectiveness, I am wondering if there was some better way to spend the money.
Listen Editor - Keep your hands off the keys relative to the comments submitted. It is not likely that an opinion is needed in anything with which you do not agree. Let the comments stand alone.
Editor: First, I'm providing facts not opinion. Second, my Web site, my rules.
Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
Brayden Durant struck out seven and walked one in a complete-game effort on the mound Saturday to pitch the Drury baseball team to a 6-0 win over Keefe Tech in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament at Joe Wolfe Field. click for more
Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
For the boys, Ward Bianchi helped lead the way with a win in the shot put and a second place in the javelin as the Mounties finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Pittsfield (pending the results of the pole vault, which were unavailable at 11 p.m. Friday night). click for more
