Pittsfield Council Finalizes Marijuana Zoning

By Joe Durwin12:14AM / Wednesday, June 12, 2013Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday on the first read of an amended ordinance designed to regulate the local zoning of medical cannabis dispensaries.

The first application for a marijuana clinic is expected within the next few months.

The final wording of the ordinance, which was previously developed by the Community Development Board and further tailored at the council's Committee on Ordinance & Rules, would prohibit opening of a dispensary within 1,000 feet of a school or public playground. This, in addition to other restrictions to the commercial areas in which it can be located, leave approximately 7 percent of the city open for this use, though the nature of the licensing for this operation may limit the number of possible locations further in a practical sense.

Ward 5 Councilor Jonathan Lothrop motioned to add the clause distancing such eventual dispensaries not only from schools, but from public parks and playgrounds. This recommended precaution, said City Planner C.J. Hoss, is aimed more at protecting future dispensaries from federal interference by the Department of Justice, noting that when federal law enforcement has acted against a dispensary, it has been on occasions in which the facility was close to a school or park.

An additional restriction on the distance from operating day-care centers was considered but discarded. Lothrop noted that such facilities are more plentiful and include home day-cares licensed by the state, and would further reduce the area of possible sites to about 5.8 percent of the city.

Councilor at Large Melissa Mazzeo raised concerns that the number of restrictions already in place, such as the distance from parks and restricting it from light industrial zones in residential areas, already may too tightly limit the zoning for this use.

"I hope we're doing the right thing, making it accessible to everyone but keeping it out of areas it shouldn't be in," said Mazzeo.

Hoss said only about 15 percent of the city currently allows any kind of commercial or industrial use, and Lothrop added that the zoning for adult entertainment in Pittsfield narrows the field down to 3.2 percent.

"I'm very comfortable with 7 percent," said Lothrop.

Tags: city council, medical marijuana, zoning,

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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