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Landscaping and siting plans for the proposed Cumberland Farms on Commercial Street.

Cumberland Farms Seeks to Build on Commercial Street

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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Cumberland Farms wants to purchase three lots including Al's Service Center to build a new gas station and convenience store. 

ADAMS, Mass. — Cumberland Farms is proposing to construct a new gas station and retail store on the site of Al's Service Center at 95 Commercial St.

Cumberland Farms will go before the Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday, May 22, to seek three variances needed to erect and run a 24-hour gas station and convenience store.

The company has reportedly been seeking a location on Commercial Street for some years. A smaller, older — less than 2,000 square feet — store has been open since the 1980s at 46 Commercial, at the corner of Edmund Street. The lot is only about a third of an acre with little room to expand.

The company over the past decade has been updating or building much larger stores with more offerings, including on Curran Highway and Union Street in North Adams. It currently has a purchase-and-sales agreement to construct a third store on Ashland Street in North Adams.

According to documents submitted to the town, the convenience store will be 5,275 square feet and there will be four fueling stations.

The proposed development will utilize three parcels: 5 Elm St. and 89 and 95 Commercial St. Cumberland Farms intends to remove the service center as well as two two-story buildings on the parcels. Two 20,000-gallon underground gasoline tanks will be installed.

The facility will have 25 parking spots and will include landscaping, signage and lighting. There will be two proposed curb cuts on Columbia Street and Prospect Street.

The service center and two structures are currently owned by Carol L. Ostrowski.

According to the documents filed with the application, Alfred Ostrowski had purchased two of the lots in 1945, from which he operated Al's Service Center. His daughter, Carol Ostrowski, bought an abutting parcel, 89 Commercial, in 1983 and her father transferred his property to her name. Alfred Ostrowski died in 2002 and 95 Commercial was conveyed to Al's Service Center Inc. 
 
"Unable to avail itself of the continuation of a pre-existing nonconforming service station use due to the existence of internal lot lines, the petitioner must obtain a variance to allow the project as proposed as a technical matter," the applicant writes. 
 
Cumberland Farms' application states the property is "ripe for development" and not allowing a gas station to be sited there would be a "substantial hardship." 
 
"Denying the variance will leave a service center and its adjacent land in the same state of repair that currently exists," the application states. Cumberland will mediate any environmental issues and says the new store would provide goods and services as well as providing more sales and property taxes than the current tenant. 

Cumberland Farms will be asking for a variance to allow the redevelopment of the service center and adjacent land for the convenience store and gas station in an R-4 zoning district, to be open 24 hours and for the two curb cuts.


Tags: ZBA,   convenience store,   cumberland farms,   gas station,   

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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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