Clarksburg Pursuing Green Communities Status
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town is moving forward with policies that will allow it to become a state-designated Green Community.
Among the first steps is instituting an anti-idling policy for vehicles, doing an in-depth energy analysis of town buildings and updating zoning bylaws. The state has set five criteria that has to be met.
"The reason we want to go Green Communities is we would be in line for 1 percent with the MSBA," Town Administrator Carl McKinney told the Select Board last Wednesday, referring to the Massachusetts School Building Authority's points toward energy-efficient school buildings. It would also open the town to other grants released to Green Communities. "We could be talking about a quarter million coming into the coffers of the town."
McKinney provided the board with an anti-idling policy to review. Select Board member Linda Reardon said it shouldn't affect the school buses because they are not allowed to idle now. McKinney noted that the anti-idling signs the town acquired for free are very faded.
The town received a technical grant of $5,000 to help it update zoning that hasn't changed since 1993. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission will help shepherd the process, which will tie into the Green Communities criteria.
McKinney said he had met with the Planning Board to address some of the issues, and there had been some concern about by-right alternative energy siting.
"They had assumed this is a by-right siting of windmills but that's not what it is .... it could be manufacturing or research and development or windmills. We might not want to consider windmills, or we might. We have to have a public hearing to hear what the people want," he said. "It's the beginning of a process and I'm in great hope we can bring it to town meeting in May."
The town is also receiving another $5,000 in assistance for reducing energy costs through the Community Compact it signed with the state. That will help fund the in-depth energy audits on Town Hall, the town garage, and the Senior Center. The school will not be included since it is about to undergo a feasibility study to determine options for renovation or replacement.
"This will form the basis for future comparison on getting our energy usage down," said McKinney. "These are ongoing and will take some time."
The town is looking to reduce its costs for street lighting, which is now more than $22,000 a year. Using LED, or light-emitting diodes, that cost could come down to $8,000. McKinney said National Grid is encouraging the town to buy the lights and install the LEDs, but that would require buying bucket truck and taking on other maintenance.
"It flies in the face of common sense, common sense will not be tolerated," he joked.
In other business, the town has signed the contract to begin the long-awaited reconstruction of the Gates Avenue bridge. Officials asked residents of the road to have patience after complaints the dead-end was closed briefly to allow the contractor to put down metal plates and concrete side barriers on the deteriorating span.
"We have gone well beyond the call of duty for this ... We've gone through three bids and two changeovers," said Select Board member William Schrade. "It's little compared to the whole scheme. ... there's got to be patience on both sides.
"There's light at the end of the bridge. Now it's just Mother Nature cooperating."
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