No Injuries In North Adams Vehicle Fire

By Jack GuerinoPrint Story | Email Story
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Fire Department quickly snuffed out a vehicle fire on Ashland Street on Thursday morning.
 
The call came in around 9:30 am, and Lt. Matthew LaBonte said the driver was at Hometown Tire when her car began to smoke.
 
"It started to smoke on her so she drove over here," he said. "It was an engine compartment fire. That is where it started. It burned right through the firewall."
 
LaBonte said the driver drove the Chrysler Pacifica next door to Berkshire County Construction where she safely exited the vehicle.
 
"This was a good spot to have it," he said.
 
LaBonte said upon arrival the vehicle was on fire, but firefighters were able to quickly put it out.
 
"It was burning through. The window was already blown out," he said. "But once you put the hose in the front of the vehicle it extinguishes pretty quick."
 
LaBonte said not only does a vehicle fire pose an immediate danger to the driver, but the fumes released are not safe to breathe in.
 
"It is not good to breathe in; vehicle fires are bad," he said.
 
The vehicle was heavily damaged, but the driver sustained no injuries. The fire engines left the scene right before 10 am.
 

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North Adams Council Gives Initial OK to Zoning Change

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council wrapped up business in about 30 minutes on Tuesday, moving several ordinance changes forward. 
 
A zoning change that would add a residential property to the commercial zone on State Road was adopted to a second reading but met with some pushback. The Planning Board recommended the change.
 
The vote was 5-2, with two other councilors abstaining, indicating there may be difficulty reaching a supermajority vote of six for final passage.
 
Centerville Sticks LLC (Tourists resort) had requested the extension of the Business 2 zone to cover 935 State Road. Centerville had purchased the large single-family home adjacent the resort in 2022. 
 
Ben Svenson, principal of Centerville, had told a joint meeting of the Planning Board and City Council earlier this month that it was a matter of space and safety. 
 
The resort had been growing and an office building across Route 2 was filled up. 
 
"We've had this wonderful opportunity to grow our development company. That's meant we have more office jobs and we filled that building up," he said. "This is really about safety. Getting people across Route 2 is somewhat perilous."
 
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