North Adams Airport Commission Provides Feedback On Bike Path

City Planner Makenzie Greer reviews plans for the Mohawk Bike Trail with the Airport Commission on Tuesday.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Airport Commission indicated a willingness to work with the city on the proposed Mohawk Bike Trail.

City Planner Makenzie Greer met with the commission Tuesday afternoon to ask for input on where the path could cut through the airport property.

Greer said the goal is to "solidify some of the bigger question areas" on the path and solve any problem areas throughout the three-mile route.

The new proposed route from Western Gateway Heritage State Park to the Williamstown line would hug the north side of Harriman-West Airport.

"This isn't the time to do any real fine-tuning, but I think it is a time to just give us an indication if we are on track or very much off track," Greer said.

She said with the upcoming construction on airport property, it is important that everyone is on the same page when designing the path.

Airport Manager William Greenwald brought up concern about "people and airplane interaction." Greer said the path would be enclosed by a fence that would not interfere with airport operations. She said the Federal Aviation Administration mandates this.

Commissioner Trevor Gilman recommended moving a part of the path away from the taxiway and toward the northern boundary of the property to avoid elevation issues and to preserve land that could possibly be used for airport expansion.

Greer said the alternative path may create wetland issues.

"It is unfortunate for us because that means it is much closer to residents and a much larger wetland crossing," she said. "This could potentially become prohibitive so we need to look at that."

Greer said there will be an engineer who will come survey the problem areas in the spring.

"We will work with you and find a way to make it work," Chairman Jeffrey Naughton said. "If it is possible to do, we will do it."

A representative from Gale Associates, the airport's engineer, said the funds for phase one of the apron project have been secured and a notice of award was sent to J.H. Maxymillian that was cleared by the city.

Construction should begin in the spring and the scoping process of phase two of the ramp project has begun.

North Adams Hopes to Transform Y Into Community Recreation Center

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:19AM / Thursday, May 02, 2024

Mayor Jennifer Macksey updates members of the former YMCA on the status of the roof project and plans for reopening. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city has plans to keep the former YMCA as a community center.

 

"The city of North Adams is very committed to having a recreation center not only for our youth but our young at heart," Mayor Jennifer Macksey said to the applause of some 50 or more YMCA members on Wednesday. "So we are really working hard and making sure we can have all those touch points."

 

The fate of the facility attached to Brayton School has been in limbo since the closure of the pool last year because of structural issues and the departure of the Berkshire Family YMCA in March.

 

The mayor said the city will run some programming over the summer until an operator can be found to take over the facility. It will also need a new name. 

 

"The YMCA, as you know, has departed from our facilities and will not return to our facility in the form that we had," she said to the crowd in Council Chambers. "And that's been mostly a decision on their part. The city of North Adams wanted to really keep our relationship with the Y, certainly, but they wanted to be a Y without borders, and we're going a different direction."

 

The pool was closed in March 2023 after the roof failed a structural inspection. Kyle Lamb, owner of Geary Builders, the contractor on the roof project, said the condition of the laminated beams was far worse than expected. 

 

"When we first went into the Y to do an inspection, we certainly found a lot more than we anticipated. The beams were actually rotted themselves on the bottom where they have to sit on the walls structurally," he said. "The beams actually, from the weight of snow and other things, actually crushed themselves eight to 11 inches. They were actually falling apart. ...