Pittsfield Subcommittee Supports Battery Energy Storage Ordinance

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — During its first meeting of the new term, the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee supported city efforts to bring battery energy storage guidelines to Pittsfield.

The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee on Monday approved an amended proposal to add a battery energy storage system overlay [BESS] district. This would allow Pittsfield to embrace greener energy sources while protecting the interests of residents.

"As solar and other forms of renewable energy become more commonplace, developers and communities need to safely store the electricity that they are generating," City Planner Jacinta Williams explained.

"The proposed amendment is an attempt to codify where and how storage systems can be located within the city of Pittsfield."

She added that there is a sense of urgency for the zoning amendment, as there are developers who are "actively and aggressively" seeking ways to place large-scale battery energy storage systems on parcels in the city. There is a party with a preliminary subdivision plan coming through the Community Development Board, she said, and this leads the way to a definitive subdivision plan.

The goal is to provide regulatory procedures for BESS and BESS facilities, outline the application process for site plan approval and special permit applications, specify which districts are comparable with the use, discuss site requirements for each district where it is permitted, and require that interested departments respond with comments and concerns within 14 days of the application.

The proposal includes guidelines for residential-scale, small-scale, and commercial/industrial-scale BESS that fall within the boundaries of the overlay district. In the proposed ordinance, the infrastructure is not allowed in various places such as flood hazard zones, parks and open spaces, historical or indigenous land, and conservation areas.

"Overlay districts, they basically fill a gap where traditional zoning does not address a specific or a complicated local condition. It's an additional district that's laid over two or more zoning districts so we're not eliminating anything, we're just sort of putting a blanket over some of the districts and saying this is where you can put your large-scale battery energy storage systems," Williams said.

"And why would we need one? It's just to help us streamline the implementation of the additional regulations without having to go through and piecemeal and amend the codes for each district and it just helps us maintain some consistency throughout."

This was approved as an amendment to the motion.

Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre had some concerns with the design guidelines and would like to see more public input, explaining that the Berkshire Environmental Action Team recommended language that other municipalities have used.

There will be a public hearing on the proposal at the next City Council meeting where she hopes some more conversation will occur.

"We don't have to pass it exactly as it," Williams explained. "We can amend things but if we can move it forward with these changes I think that would be helpful."

Williams brought this proposal forward last year. In July, the Community Development Board voted to become the petitioner for the zoning amendment, and in November, it recommended the proposed document.

Shoes at Pittsfield City Hall Give Shocking Visual of Countywide Child Abuse

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
07:31AM / Sunday, May 12, 2024

Amy Hall, president and CEO of Child Care of the Berkshires, speaks at Friday's annual Step Up event at Pittsfield City Hall.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — One case of child abuse is too many, Berkshire leaders say.

The steps of City Hall were lined with 56 pairs of children's shoes on Friday, representing the average number of children with confirmed abuse and neglect cases each month in the county. The Children's Trust and Child Care of the Berkshires coordinate this shocking visual yearly.

"Let's just take a minute and realize how many kids that is. That's probably about the number right here that are all together," Jennifer Valenzuela, executive director of the Children's Trust said.

"Fifty-six is  too many children that are being entered into our system and that something is happening in their home. The last time we were all here it was 2019 and there were 58 pairs of shoes so we're doing better. We've gone down by two a month."

She said the goal is for more children to have access to great child care and strong adult support. How does this become a reality? Strong programming and a strong workforce.

"Our home visitors and our family support staff wake up every day and they give unselfishly to the families across Massachusetts. They're supporting our families day in and day out. They're helping them learn about parenting and child development and helping them get set up in the systems that are available and signing up for programming. They're listening to the highs of what it is to be a parent and the lows and for those of us who are parents here, we know that there are many highs and lows," Valenzuela said.

"Their stories of why they do this are heartfelt and I've been going around the state over the last year and a half since I started. What I hear over and over again is, 'I love what I do. I wake up every day and I'm so grateful for the engagement I have with these families and the partnerships that we create. I want to do this for as long as I possibly can.'

"The problem is, they can't afford to stay. We're not paying our workforce enough for them to be able to live and to sustain in this type of work."