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A lot on Ashland Street across from Clark Biscuit is one of 10 properties being auctiond by the city. A long-vacant house on the lot is torn down in January.

North Adams Auctioning Off 10 Properties in October

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city will be auctioning off 10 properties this October, expected to be the first of number of lots to be sold. 
 
The auction will take place on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Joe Wolfe Field at 11 a.m.
 
The Community Development Office has been developing a strategic plan for disposing of  "functionless" properties — those that are not in service or generating revenue. The city can dispose of properties through auction, sale to abutters and requests for proposals.
 
The 10 properties in question include four conforming lots with and without structures and six nonconforming lots suitable for abutters to expand their holdings.  
 
Two lots have buildings on them. The first, 2438 Mohawk Trail, is located east of the Wigwam near the Florida town line. It has a two-story, four-bedroom home and outbuildings on nearly five wooded acres. It is not clear what condition the building is in and the entire property is assessed at $62,500.
 
The second is 306 Union St. that has been vacant for years and appears to be in difficult condition. The seven-unit apartment building was built in 1900 and sits on just over a third of an acre on a hillside across from the Eclipse Mill. It is assessed at $108,100.
 
The two other buildable lots are on Beaver Street and River Street. The Beaver Street property is located just to the north of the turnoff from Route 2 and is permittable for up to five dwelling units although much of the land is on an incline. There had been a single-family home that burned in 2014. 
 
The River Street lot is 0.355 acres and is located between Crossey Place and Loftus Street, across from the "prow" of Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art's Building 6. There had been an apartment building on the site. 
 
The two properties are assessed at $30,100 and $20,400, respectively. 
 
The other six properties are non-conforming, including a lot on Ashland Street near the Armory on which a vacant house was demolished earlier this year. They range in assessment from $7,100 to $28,300 even though they are not home building lots. They may, however, provide abutters with space for additions or outbuildings.  
 
More information on all the lots can be found here.
 
The city has also issued requests for proposals for several properties with commercial potential. 
 
Mayor Thomas Bernard apprised the City Council last month that the Notre Dame complex, Sullivan School and Western Gateway Heritage State Park would be put back on the market after potential deals fell through.
 
RFPs were issued for the former church and school on East Main Street and the former elementary school off Kemp Park. Bids are due on both by Oct. 9.

Tags: auction,   municipal property,   

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Clarksburg Sees Race for Select Board Seat

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town will see a three-way race for a seat on the Select Board in May. 
 
Colton Andrews, Seth Alexander and Bryana Malloy returned papers by Wednesday's deadline to run for the three-year term vacated by Jeffrey Levanos. 
 
Andrews ran unsuccessfully for School Committee and is former chairman of the North Adams Housing Authority, on which he was a union representative. He is also president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council.
 
Malloy and Alexander are both newcomers to campaigning. Malloy is manager of industrial relations for the Berkshire Workforce Board and Alexander is a resident of Gates Avenue. 
 
Alexander also returned papers for several other offices, including School Committee, moderator, library trustee and the five-year seat on the Planning Board. He took out papers for War Memorial trustee and tree warden but did not return them and withdrew a run for Board of Health. 
 
He will face off in the three-year School Committee seat against incumbent Cynthia Brule, who is running for her third term, and fellow newcomer Bonnie Cunningham for library trustee. 
 
Incumbent Ronald Boucher took out papers for a one-year term as moderator but did not return them. He was appointed by affirmation in 2021 when no won ran and accepted the post again last year as a write-in.
 
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