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Pittsfield firefighters are battling a major structure fire on North Street.
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North Street has been blocked off past Linden Street.
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Pittsfield Firefighters Battling 3-Alarm Blaze on North Street

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Firefighters were battling a large blaze on North Street late Wednesday night. 
 
The fire at 6 White Terrace was called in shortly before midnight as a structure fire and a third alarm was called in. 
 
Smoke could be seen billowing from the upper floors of the four-story building that fronts on North Street not far from Berkshire Medical Center. 
 
This fire appears to be in the middle section of the building. There's heavy smoke and flames can be seen coming out of windows, and the roof.
 
North Street was blocked off from at least Linden Street to White Terrace and a smoky haze covers the area. 
 
The apartment building was the scene of a fire in 2017 on the north end of the three-structure complex. At least two dozen people had to be evacuated at that time and four people were treated at the hospital.
 
Fire Department officials were unable to comment at this time and the building is reportedly unoccupied.
 
Hinsdale Fire Department and its rehab bus are on the scene as are Lenox firefighters. Police are not allowing anyone close to the scene and visibility is low from smoke.

Tags: structure fire,   

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Pittsfield Looks at 'Form-Based' Code for West Side Zoning

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Department of Community Development has been working on a zoning proposal that aims to encourage small businesses and lively, characteristic activity in the West Side. 

City Planner Kevin Rayner has appeared before the Community Development Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals to provide updates on the process. 

"I'm really trying to bring business back into the West Side with a soft touch," he told the ZBA in January. 

"So we don't want those big, big businesses going in there. We want to encourage the small family businesses to come back, because there's a lot of storefronts in the Westside that are boarded up, and you can't use it as a store anymore because it's all zoned RM out there." 

This is done by limiting the size, location, or intensity of business use, and allowing accessory commercial units and "micro businesses" on the site of people's homes.  The proposal also adds new street types that support these possibilities. 

"It's something that a small family business is going to see an incentive to invest in," Rayner said. 

"That's the intent." 

The city planner has been discussing this proposal with the Community Development Board for about six months, and as the general permitting authority for properties, he wanted the ZBA in the conversation as well. 

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