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The former JB Paper Factory burned down earlier this year.

Pittsfield Council Rejects Funds to Start Demolition of JB Paper Site

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Mayor Linda Tyer asked for a $25,000 increase in the building demolition budget in the wake of the JB Paper fire, which now poses a hazard.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council rejected a request Tuesday night to add funds to the property demolition budget line to start moving toward securing the JB Paper Co. building, which burned last month.
 
Mayor Linda Tyer put in a request to add $25,000 to the property demolition budget, a budget that the City Council had cut during the budget process by that much. The council reduced Tyer's budget request for $50,000 down to $25,000, which was the amount budgeted the previous year.
 
Tyer said the increase would go to performing a hazardous materials assessment and creation of specifications for the demolition of the large Elmvale Street building.
 
The City Council, however, was split on it — literally. In a 5-5 vote, the request failed to get a majority and therefore was rejected. Ward 1 Councilor Lisa Tully was absent, leaving an even number of councilors to vote. The mayor will now have to resubmit the request to have it reconsidered.
 
"I feel this is a fairly urgent situation. We need to secure this property," Tyer said. 
 
The building was abandoned years ago and burned in dramatic fashion at the end of August. Now, the property is rubble and Tyer said her office has tried to contact the building's owner but to little avail. She hopes to get the assessment for some $19,000 and then in the future move forward with getting rid of the debris. The cost of those actions would then be added to the current lien for back taxes. The back taxes and unpaid sewer and water bills currently owed add up to $59,935, according to Director of Finance Matthew Kerwood.
 
"I think we have a responsibility to make sure that property is secured," the mayor said.
 
If the owner opted to sell the property, the city would be in line to recoup the loss through that deal. However, Councilor at Large Melissa Mazzeo says she doesn't want to spend money to secure the property and then have it sit there without the city taking ownership. She instead would rather have the city negotiate a deal with the owner to take it, forgiving his back taxes, and then give it to somebody would want to clean it and develop it.
 
"I just feel like we can put liens on all we want but if they don't sell it, they don't do anything, they don't pay taxes as it is, they don't care," Mazzeo said.
 
Tyer responded that the city has the option to take the property through tax title because of the liens if it so chooses. But by taking the property, all of the liability — whether it be people getting hurt or environmental contamination — would all then be transferred to the city. If the property remains in the hands of the owner, but with a lien, the city is in place to recoup it money without taking on the liability.
 
She added that forgiving the owner's back taxes, taking on the liability, and then having somebody else do the cleanup with be a "bargain" for the property owner.
 
Being so close to Dower Square and the West Branch of the Housatonic, Tyer said, "I think we have an obligation to secure the site, to conduct this hazardous site assessment." Since it burned, it poses a greater threat than before.
 
Ward 4 Councilor Christopher Connell, however, says the assessment isn't going to protect anybody, it is just a study. 
 
All properties eyed for demolition goes through a hazardous materials assessment to know how much asbestos, lead paint, and other contaminants are in there and how much it will cost to dispose of it. From there, Purchasing Agent Colleen Hunter Mullet says the demolition work can be put to bid.
 
"The first phase of any demolition project is a hazardous materials assessment. And they development demolition specifications and a cost estimate for the demolition," she said.
 
Council Vice President John Krol said the assessment must be done or else nobody will want to even consider taking on the property and the cost of demolition. 
 
"The last thing I want to do is take this property and all of the liability that goes with it," Krol said. "No one worth their salt is going to purchase this property even for a dollar if they don't know what kind of liability it has."
 
Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Simonelli said the owner should be responsible for those costs. He suggested the city legally force the owner to pay for the assessment and demolition. Tyer said the legal mechanism is to put a lien on the land and then go through land court or tax title.
 
"We know we have an irresponsible owner. The owner isn't paying taxes. The owner is not responding to our certified letters," Tyer said. "This building didn't even have insurance on this to help us cover this cost."
 
Councilor at Large Peter White said the unknown contamination and liability is too much for the city to just take the property. He added that the property is technically owned by a limited liability company, so chances are the city doesn't have much to "go after" should it seek legal action.
 
Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi says he wants the city to "go right after" the owners of the property and take him to court for it.
 
Mazzeo, Connell, Simonelli, Morandi, and Ward 5 Councilor Donna Todd Rivers voted to table the request, asking the mayor to begin negotiating with the property owner to reach some sort of deal. But that motion also failed 5-5. The same five councilors opposed the motion to approve the restoration of funds, leading that to fail as well.

Tags: demolition,   liens,   Pittsfield city council ,   structure fire,   

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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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