Former Pittsfield Church Eyed For Day Care
 The Community Development Board gave its approval for two projects on Tuesday. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Building Blocks Early Education Center Inc. is looking to convert the former All Souls Church into a day care.
Architect Steve Barry on Tuesday presented the Community Development Board with the conversion plans, which call for "minimal" work on the exterior but extensive renovations inside. The Pembroke Avenue church will be converted to include seven classrooms and an outside playground.
"The majority of the work will be inside the church," Barry said, saying that not only will the classroom spaces be created but the company will be installing a new sprinkler system and helping remove religious and historic artifacts.
The renovations are excepted to be completed within a year, pending city approval. The business will have 16 to 18 staff members and the church's parking will have enough room for 40 parking spots.
"The intent is to get the building up and running," Barry said.
However, the church is in a residential zone so the applicants need the Community Development Board's approval to ask the Zoning Board of Appeals to allow the business. The Community Development gave its OK, agreeing that the impacts to the neighborhood were minimal.
The board also approved Phoenix Realty Management's request to add Aspen Dental to its shopping plaza on Merrill Road. Phoenix currently owns the plaza with Petco, TJ Maxx and Dollar Tree.
Mike Panek, president of Phoenix Realty, said the plaza is in the middle of a $1 million facade upgrade that will be completed in October and that the Dollar Tree is expanding. There is significant parking to handle additional traffic for the dental business, which is expecte to have six employees.
In other business, the board agreed to support a ZBA petition that sets a 25-foot setback on ground-mount solar arrays when used as an accessory use.
The city already has bylaws regulating commercial arrays but residential ground-mount types have recently been noticeable. According to City Planner C.J. Hoss, the Zoning Board felt the arrays should be at least 25 feet from property lines and partially screened with vegetation. The bylaw does contain language that says the screening does not need to shade the panel thus reducing efficiency.
Those requirements will need to be approved by the City Council but will only affect those who are installing solar as an additional usage to the land.
Tags: commercial buildings, dentist, ZBA, zoning,
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