Letter: Waubeeka Important to All of Williamstown

To the Editor:

In the Tuesday, April 5, Eagle article, "Waubeeka owner plans to offer concessions," the writer seems to imply that opposition to Mr. Deep's Waubeeka proposal is only from "some members of the Planning Board and some residents of South Williamstown."

Opposition quoted was from "South Williamstown neighbors." With all due respect, Waubeeka is not just a South Williamstown issue. People from all parts of town are concerned with various aspects of the way Mr. Deep's initial proposal seems to have morphed into something quite different from the initial golf course with a "3 to 5 acre boutique country inn."

My own opposition lies primarily with the process by which this potentially far-reaching proposal is going through our town government. My understanding is that Mr. Deep thought his proposal was meeting with obstructionist opposition and sought recourse through taking the issue directly to town meeting. (The line is often fuzzy between obstructionism and due diligence.) Mr. Deep, through attorney [Stanley] Parese, has, of course, every right to submit a citizens' petition to town meeting, but I suggest that this method is a very imprudent way for the town to rezone any area of town.

Mr. Deep's proposal should go back to the Planning Board. The Planning Board has both authority and responsibility to be the first board in line to thoroughly vet planning issues. Anyone who has served on any town board can attest that members are expected to familiarize themselves with a great body of specialized knowledge and to adhere to meeting procedures that promote civil discourse. Their recommendations ought to be seriously considered by those of us who sit on the sidelines.

Donna Wied
Williamstown, Mass.

Former member of:
Williamstown Cable Advisory Committee,
Williamstown Planning Board, and
Williamstown Elementary School Committee

Williamstown Fire District Dedicates New Station

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
06:37AM / Sunday, May 31, 2026

Chief Jeffrey Dias recognizes firefighter Alexandra Riggs, who will graduate from Williams College next week. See more photos here.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Massachusetts fire marshal came to town Saturday to congratulate the local Fire District and the taxpayers of Williamstown for the "amazing" station they have built on Main Street.

 

"I travel around the state, and I've seen hundreds of firehouses around the state — some great, some not so great," Fire Marshal Jon Davine told a crowd gathered outside the station for its dedication. "And I think we saw what the previous station here was in Williamstown. I'll tell you, especially in Western Massachusetts, we have a really big problem with deteriorating firehouses throughout Western Mass. These buildings are collapsing around our firefighters.

 

"And, as the marshal, it's my job to advocate for the departments for more funding. We've been working with our state reps and local reps and the fire chiefs association, trying to come up with different funding streams, so that we can help these departments build new stations, do better, safer stations, so that they have the equipment and the building they deserve to do their job safely."

 

The chair of the Prudential Committee, which governs the Fire District, and the chief of the department both thanked Williamstown residents for the 2023 special district meeting vote that paved the way for the station that went into operation earlier this year.

 

"It's an honor and a privilege to join you today as we celebrate this grand opening of the new firehouse," Chief Jeffrey Dias said. "This facility is so much more than a building that houses fire trucks. It stands as a symbol of our community's commitment to safety, preparedness and public service. It's a place where our members will maintain our equipment. They will learn about our craft. They'll share meals and, yes, from time to time, they're going to share sorrow.

 

"This isn't a fire station. This is a firehouse. And people have heard me say this a million times already. And it houses the very best second family that one could imagine."

 

Dias was joined at the podium set up in the parking lot for the noon ceremony by Prudential Committee Chair David Moresi, state Rep. John Barrett III and the the Rev. William F. Cyr, who gave an invocation.