ADAMS, Mass. — Residents wishing to learn more about the town's consideration of a Smart Growth Overlay District are invited to a public information session on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

 

The session will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Visitors Center at 3 Hoosac St. 

 

The purpose of the informal session will be to provide information to the community at large about the town's proposed adoption of the Smart Growth Overlay District, also known as Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40R. 

 

The Planning Board has proposed that the town's zoning bylaws be amended to establish a Smart Growth Overlay District. 

 

The purpose of the district is to encourage the revitalization of existing buildings through preservation, reuse, renovation and repurposing of underutilized historic structures using a mixed-use concept that typically includes both commercial and residential components. 

 

Successful mixed-use projects, similar to Adams' own Berkshire Mills Apartments, may help achieve several local, community and regional goals such as downtown revitalization, expanding the tax base, diversifying the town's housing stock composition, and increasing the amount of available housing to attract new residents that will serve the Berkshires workforce.

 

By adopting a Smart Growth Overlay District, the town hopes to position itself to access state incentive payments, maintain a consistent high level of design quality for such projects, and emerge as a premier place to live, work and play in the Berkshires. 

 

Anticipated topics to be addressed at the public information session include what is the Smart Growth Overlay District, what is the potential economic impact of such development in Adams, and an overview of the proposed bylaw and how it will work.