Pittsfield Board OKs Turning Former Notre Dame School Into Apartments

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The former Notre Dame School at the corner of Melville and First streets is on pace to be an 11-unit apartment complex by fall.

The Community Development Board approved a special permit Tuesday for Scarafoni Associates to transform the classrooms on the top two floors into rental units.

"We hope to start work at the end of March," owner David Carver said. "We hope to have these ready for the market in the fall."

The plan is to demolish a home at the corner of First Street to make it a yard, eliminate a curb cut to the property there and widen the entrance on the Melville Street side.

A contractor is already lined up for the demolition is expected to begin in the next two weeks.

From there the top two floors will be converted to "nice, modern" apartments that retain some of the key features of the old school. The apartments will retain the 12-foot high ceiling to have a "loft-type feel," Carver said.

"We are proposing to do 11 total units. We'll have nine one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units," said Robert McIntosh of Bradley Architects Inc., who presented the plans to the board.

Because the rooms are open space now and the building's frame is still good, the work shouldn't take long, Carver said.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.