Letter: Greylock Glen Camping Proposal Aligns with Town's Needs

Letter to the Editor02:00PM / Wednesday, January 18, 2023Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

For many years, we've maintained our community with little economic growth. It has not been for lack of effort. And now, smart people from many different backgrounds have uncovered what we all knew — Adams is special! The founders of the Project 13 1/2 Grove Gallery and Real Eyes Gallery know it, as does Yina Moore, who has breathed new life into the Adams Theater, a revitalization effort started by our Topia Arts friends.

Our Greylock Glen trail partners DCR and TSR contribute to Adams by maintaining and expanding our trails. The outdoor center is being built, after years of hard work from our Community Development Director Donna Cesan, our town administrator(s) and our state Rep. John Barrett, and [former] state Sen. Adam Hinds, to name a few. We never lost sight of the end game, and now the state has funded further investment in Adams.

The newest developers interested in Adams have proposed an EcoVillage at the Greylock Glen. Not only does the EcoVillage align with keeping the beauty of Adams intact, it is also innovative, attractive, and creates a revenue stream that we have not seen the likes of in Adams. We were impressed by the developer's presentation, and hope other community members will turn out for future outreach sessions.

It is our turn to embrace growth in innovative programs and projects. It is our turn to share in the creative economy and tourism. Shame on us if we are not one voice in that support. We have vetted all the details of the Greylock Glen projects together and will continue to do so with the same goal in mind: To grow our town in a thoughtful manner, while maintaining the quality of life that we all enjoy. This town belongs to all of us.

Thank you to our select board and Shared Estates for presenting us with an opportunity that is in lockstep with our goals. And, many thanks to the proud, forward-thinking people of Adams for embracing new growth.

In 2023, Adams is about rail trail expansion, mountain bike trails, scenic train rides, glamping, outdoor center, café on the mountain, education space, art galleries, revitalized theater, revitalized visitors center, new developers on Park and Summer Streets. We are catching up with the rest of Berkshire County.

Please join us in support of the Shared Estates plans for camping at the Greylock Glen. This really is our time.

Erin Mucci & David Bissaillon
co-chairs ProAdams
Carol Cushenette
Adams Finance Committee chair

Tags: Greylock Glen,

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Walnut Street Repair Project Expected to Begin This Fall

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:42PM / Thursday, August 13, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday approved four temporary easements to accommodate the $2.2 million reconstruction of a collapsed section of Walnut Street over the next year.

Walnut Street runs above and parallel to State Street and the section that collapsed is above a large gorge just north of the closed Oak Avenue. A pipe runs under the road and streams water into the gorge — a 20 or 30 foot drop.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey said the easements are for two years and are required to move utilities from one side of the street.

"As we get ready to do this project and make it come to life, we need to move the utilities," she said. "So, as you will understand in true City of North Adams fashion, all of the utilities run along the wall. So we have to temporarily remove the gas and the electric, telephone cable and whatever else is attached up there to the opposite side, and move the utilities onto properties."

Residents have been expressing concerns about the road's condition for 30 years. The more than century-old dry stone stack retaining wall on the steep grade began to significantly deteriorate four years ago and the roadway was blocked off to one lane along the wall. The east edge of the road gave way in April 2022 and collapsed during the night, reportedly loudly enough that it woke the occupants in the home across the way.

"We tried for several grant rounds, and we finally were successful last year, receiving a grant from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program in the amount of $2 million," the mayor said. "Part of that grant application was a required match, so the city is basically matching $200,000 that we have remaining from our flood recovery money that we received a few years ago. ...

"The project has been a long time coming."

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