Williams College Wants to Hear From You

04:41AM / Tuesday, October 08, 2019Print Story | Email Story

Williams College invites its neighbors to think out loud about ways that Williams and its students, faculty, and staff might become more fully and effectively engaged in the local community—and beyond.

Williams will host the following open forums to provide an opportunity for community voices to be heard and to contribute to shaping Williams' future:

* Thursday, Oct.17, 5-6:30 p.m., The Green, 85 Main St., North Adams

* Tuesday, Oct. 22, 6 -7:30 p.m., Williamstown Youth Center, 66 School St., Williamstown

* Thursday, Oct.24, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Zion Lutheran Church, 74 First St., Pittsfield.

All are welcome; there is no need to RSVP. For more information, visit the website.

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Summer Street Residents Make Case to Williamstown Planning Board

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:41AM / Wednesday, April 17, 2024

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Neighbors of a proposed subdivision off Summer Street last week asked the Planning Board to take a critical look at the project, which the residents say is out of scale to the neighborhood.

Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity was at Town Hall last Tuesday to present to the planners a preliminary plan to build five houses on a 1.75 acre lot currently owned by town's Affordable Housing Trust.

The subdivision includes the construction of a road from Summer Street onto the property to provide access to five new building lots of about a quarter-acre apiece.

Several residents addressed the board from the floor of the meeting to share their objections to the proposed subdivision.

"I support the mission of Habitat," Summer Street resident Christopher Bolton told the board. "There's been a lot of concern in the neighborhood. We had a neighborhood meeting [Monday] night, and about half the houses were represented.

"I'm impressed with the generosity of my neighbors wanting to contribute to help with the housing crisis in the town and enthusiastic about a Habitat house on that property or maybe two or even three, if that's the plan. … What I've heard is a lot of concern in the neighborhood about the scale of the development, that in a very small neighborhood of 23 houses, five houses, close together on a plot like this will change the character of the neighborhood dramatically."

Last week's presentation from NBHFH was just the beginning of a process that ultimately would include a definitive subdivision plan for an up or down vote from the board.

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