NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday night referred a proposed zoning change that would allow the Porches Inn to expand northward along Veazie Street. 

 

The petition, submitted on behalf of Berkshire Hills Development LLC by City Council President Benjamin Lamb, asks that four parcels on the south end of Veazie to be rezoned as CC2, heavy business district. The properties are currently in a Residental 3 zone. 

 

"We respectfully request the City Council and the Planning Board hold their required meetings on this Petition togetehr so as to expedite action on the Petition," writes Berkshire Hills' attorney Jeffrey Grandchamp of Grinnell Partners LLC. Amending the zone, he states, "will allow the use of Veazie Street properties in connection with the Porches."

 

John S. "Jack" Wadsworth Jr. is principal of Berkshire Hills and the Porches Inn.

 

The four Veazie lots abut the CC2 zone, which includes the Porches, on two sides. The lots are 10, 18-20, 22-24 and 26-28 Veazie. Three of the properties were purchased by Berkshire Hills between 2011 and 2013 and the final one, 18-20 Veazie, in April of last year, for a total of $327,000.

 

Berkshire Hills says the Veazie properties also cut off access to a portion of its CC2 property on an embankment behind the hotel. 

 

" ... the CC2 Zone renders the lots somewhat isolated from the remainder of the R3 Zone and excluded from the CC2 Zone," the petition states. "Amending the Zoning Map to include the Veazie Street Properties in the CC2 Zone will make the east side of Veazie Street the more intuitive and logical western boundary of the CC2 Zone."

 

The petition was referred to the Planning Board to set a joint meeting date. 

 

The committee also referred a request by Councilor Eric Buddington on posting minute meetings to the General Government Committee.

 

Mayor Richard Alcombright read a proclamation declaring May 7-13 as Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. 

 

In other business, the council approved or confirmed: 

 

• The secondhand licneses for James Montepare of McClain Court, Williamstown, for 432 State Road and 69 Main St.; George Apkin of Depot Street, Adams, for Apkin & Sons at 80R State St.; and, new, for Jennifer Howard, Water Street, Williamstown, for Minerva Arts Center doing business as MAC Treasures at 350 State Road. 

 

• Applications for Edward LaCosse of Brayton Hill Terrace, Carmen Hyatt of Town View Lane, Adams, and Lindsay Wilkinson of Oak Hill to drive for RJ Taxi. 

 

• Re-appointment of Michael Canales, city administrative officer, and Timothy Lescarbeau, commissioner of public services, to the Hoosac Water Quality District, both for terms to expire on April 1, 2020.

 

• A resolution committing the city to adopt an age-friendly strategy for any projects that was adopted unanimously on a roll-call vote with Councilors Josh Moran and Kate Merrigan absent.