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The town is updating its zoning maps to align with property boundaries.
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Adams Updating 50-Year-Old Zoning Maps

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — Adams is moving to update its zoning maps for the first time in nearly 50 years. 
 
The Planning Board got an update at a Monday workshop on the proposed zoning boundaries and how an information session on the new zoning went last week. 
 
"You've done a really good job with this," said board member Michael Mach. You put a lot of work into this and it's about time because we haven't done any zoning in the town since, what, the '70s?"
 
Kevin Towle, senior planner in the Community Development Office, said more than 100 letters were sent out to those whose properties would be affected by the zoning changes but only about a dozen people attended the information session.
 
"At the meeting there, there were some questions from the public and there some a couple of concerns in terms of procedural aspects but nothing as far as content," he said. 
 
Towle said he had a couple phone calls from property owners but they were questions that could be answered rather than any overreaching issues. 
 
The town has worked to align zoning with current uses and to conform with property boundaries to eliminate single parcels split into zones.
 
"Particularly with the business zones, that's been an issue with where the front is in business and the rear is in residential," Towle said. "Businesses are wanting to expand but because they're different use categories, they can't."
 
One property had been of interest at last week's meeting, he said: Al's Service Center at the corner of Commercial and Prospect. 
 
The site, which had been considered for a Cumberland Farms, is being shifted into a Business 2 zone from residential. 
 
"We've gone back and effectively gotten back to the 1800s and found that property was in business use all the way back then," Towle said. "So we believe that's  what it was originally so we are trying to correct that in this process."
 
Lisa Gazaille said she'd been involved in an land surveying error in the past that had caused issues. She asked if the new zoning map would open up to the town to any similar concerns. 
 
"This makes it easier to determine boundaries," responded Towle. 
 
On the old maps, the zoning was based on distance from the road, which caused a lot of the split zones. They also were hand drawn so thicker lines obscured and sometimes covered parcels and made it difficult to determine the boundaries of split zones. 
 
Gazaille asked if the zoning changes would have any affect on property values. Towle said that was not his area of expertise but he thought that a residential property shifted to a business zone would probably be more valuable it were to sell.
 
What it wouldn't do is affect the tax rates because properties are taxed on their use, not the zone they're in. So a residential home in a business zone would still be taxed as residential and a business existing in a residential zone would still pay the commercial rate. 
 
The Planning Board is anticipating a public hearing on the zoning on Monday, March 16. After that, it would go to a special town meeting or the annual town meeting for approval. 
 
Mach said clarifying the zoning would be a good thing for the town.
 
"I do see businesses starting to sprout and people starting to come into town," said Mach. "There's people coming into town, they're sprinkling in from North Adams."
 
Mach and Gazaille were the only planners able to the attend the meeting, so without a quorum present the only application before the board — a site plan for a wholesale bakery — was postponed to the next meeting. 

Tags: Planning Board,   zoning,   

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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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