BRPC Studying Locations For Passenger Rail Stations

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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The proposed line from the Berkshires to New York City.

LENOX, Mass. — Berkshire Regional Planning Commission wants to know which kinds of amenities the public would want in a train station.

The commission has partnered with the Housatonic Railroad Co. to do a land analysis of potential locations for passenger rail stations along a proposed line to New York City. The commission is looking for buildable areas along the line from the Scelsi Intermodel Center in Pittsfield to the Connecticut border and what amenities would be needed.

Gov. Deval Patrick has already made a pitch to restore passenger rail from New York City to the Berkshires and now with $240,000 in federal funds and $60,000 in Housatonic in-kind work, regional planners are helping the process along.

"The study itself is kind of narrow in focus," BRPC planner Brian Domina said. "We're going to carry out an objective land analysis. We're not building stations."

Domina said the grant tasks BRPC with two focuses. One would be to eliminate areas along the corridor that can't be built on and then identify issues with those that can — such as flood plains or endangered species. The other task would identify what the public would want and need in a train station and how the stations would "interface" with residents.

For the former, Domina said the planners will use geographic information systems (GIS) to identify locations. Domina said the analysis won't look at specific parcels, just narrow it to areas.  


For the latter, Domina said they are tasked with some design work by working with Housatonic to project ridership numbers if the rail line is built. That information will help determine size, types of amenities needed and what concerns residents would have with the interaction with the stations and line. For that portion, BRPC is hoping for additional public input.

"How would they use the service and what would they like to see at the stations?" Domina said.

Residents will have their chance to weigh-in on the north-south rail line and stations at two upcoming public workshop meetings. The first on will be held at Town Hall on Wednesday, June 26, at 6:30. The other will be held at Monument Mountain High School in Great Barrington on Wednesday, July 10, at 6:30.

The analysis could prove to be useful for Housatonic, which won't have access to at least one already existing station. The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, which owns the historic Lenox station, released a statement saying they wish their property not be to included. The museum also has a lease in place to manage the Stockbridge station.

The museum says the stations would need infrastructure changes to meet modern passenger codes that they are unwilling to make. They are "incompatible" for modern transit and renovations would "change the character" of the stations, said Berkshire Scenic Director Jay Green on Tuesday.

"We have no intention of selling or reusing the property in that fashion," Green said. "We don't intend to relinquish control."


Tags: passenger rail,   railroad,   train stations,   trains,   

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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said. 

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