North Adams to Study Heritage State Park Documents
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city is reviewing the decades-old planning documents for Western Gateway Heritage State Park to see if they need updating — or dissolving.
The grant funding for the study comes through the state Community Compact signed by the city last year and applies to land-use governance. A Boston firm has been awarded the contract.
"We felt as though it's time to take a serious look at that 1980 plan and, through the compact, hire professional services that specialize in this kind of thing," Michael Nuvallie of the Community Development Office told Community & Economic Development Advisory Board last week.
The authorizing documents for Heritage State Park were developed around 1979 and fall under the Redevelopment Authority. When the failed Greylock Market was trying to come to an agreement with the city, "we found during that process that some of the things we came across were a hindrance," Nuvallie said.
One of the challenges is the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, which has a free lease in perpetuity. Another is the boundaries, since recent proposals for the park have taken into account the buildings on the pathway behind City Hall and the Sons of Italy building on the south side that are not part of the original plan. The old club building was purchased by the Redevelopment Authority a few years ago and is being considered as the location for a pedestrian tunnel to connect the park to the Berkshire Scenic Railway loading area on Crowley Avenue and possibly as a new location for the local and DCR museums.
There is a proposal to place a extreme model railroad and architecture museum in the park.
The contracted firm will look at the current planning document and possible options to modify, retain or terminate.
"It expires in 2021 at which time the city would have to determine if it wants to keep it there or let it go to the Planning Board," said Nuvallie.
The discussion was part of an update on grants overseen by the Community Development Office, including the overhauling of the city's zoning ordinances that has already begun; a regional economic development; a $35,000 study of the public safety building; $52,500 from this year's Community Development Block toward demolitions, $25,000 for social services and $10,000 for the historic survey; and an $8,900 food craft initiative program for Greylock Mill through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The regional grant, along with a downtown initiative grant for improving the Ashland Street corridor, are somewhat on hold. Both plans were being facilitated by Brian Domina of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission who took another job.
"He's going to be tough to replace because he was an attorney," Nuvallie said. "Not only was he a planner, he was a specialized planner. ...
"We're waiting to find out who [the new facilitator] will be ... this is probably going to pause for a little bit."
Nuvallie also filled in the board on the continuing phases at the armory, where a new parking lot is being put in.
The construction is being done with funding from the 2015 and 2016 Community Development Block grants. The 2014 grant was closed out with the demolition of the Modern Liquors building and 145-148 Cliff St.
Some $576,000 is being paid out of the 2015 grant for the installation of new catch basins, paving, and interior renovations at the armory, including a graded ramp in the lower level. Nuvallie said ramp was more cost effective than an elevator and would also serve deliveries to the commercial kitchen in the basement.
The second part of this phase is a continuation of the parking and paving work for the northwest side of the property, including landscaping and a connector lane so traffic will have a circular flow around the building. Funding is set at $313,000 for engineering and construction; requests for proposals were solicited last week.
Looking forward, another application is being submitted for a Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities for a splash pad at Noel Field Athletic Complex. Nuvallie estimated the matching grant for that would be $175,000 from next year's CDBG monies.
The annual grant funding has been as high as a $1 million, and as low as $600,000, he said, but has settled at $825,000 over the past several years.
Nuvallie said there are five other projects that already have studies done that could get started with 2017 CDBG funds.
A study was done on the Mary Spitzer Senior Center using the fiscal 2014 grant funds. The 40-year-old building has a number of capital needs, including a roof and heating and air conditioning system. Costs could range from $200,000 to $1 million depending how much the city wants to do with building; those costs could be phased out over several years.
Also, the Fire Department is seeking $90,000 to $100,000 as matching funds toward a brush fire truck; more Americans with Disabilities Act work could be done at the public safety building, although the future of that building is uncertain; and some "mini" projects could be done from the city's Capital Improvement Plan, such as proposed water rate study.
Next year's funds could also position the city to begin construction on designs developed from last year's state Downtown Initiative Grant that looked at the Ashland Street corridor.
"We could take a serious look at those four segments, do one or two, and do a phasing of that over the next few years," said Nuvallie. "We have excellent information to build from and CDBG would be a great source for making improvements to the corridor."
Tags: CDBG, Heritage State Park, municipal planning,
