Lenox Community Garden Thrives Through Community Efforts

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LENOX, Mass.— Now in its third year, the Lenox Community Garden has expanded through volunteerism and local contributions
 
The updates were made possible through donations, discounted materials, a Community Preservation Act award and hands-on assistance from Department of Public Works staff, Honor Society students, shop class students and inmates at the Berkshire House of Corrections.  
 
The 25-bed garden is now fenced courtesy of Berkshire Fence who provided a discount. Haddad provided a free picnic table for members to rest and eat at, made out of recycled candy wrappers.  
 
Honor Society and shop students at LMMHS built the shed. The communal shed allows members to store tools, swap seeds, and share information.  
 
The lumber for each handmade 4 x 8 bed came from a company in the Northern Berkshires. 
 
The first year, soil came from Meadow Farm. This year, Meadow Farm donated three yards of their high-quality compost so that each gardener can give their growing effort a much-needed boost.  
 
The Community Center, Church on the Hill, and a Girl Scout Troop have a bed. This year, as work takes place at Lenox Library, the library will shift its youth garden beds next to the community garden.  
 
Families and individuals have also stepped up over the course of the garden’s three-year cycle, all of whom are recognized on the garden sign.  
 
Each year there are more interested members than there are available beds—so there is interest in finding another garden location in Lenox, preferably on Town-owned land. The communal shed allows members to store tools, swap seeds, and share information.

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Pennrose Breaks Ground in Lenox, Bringing 68 Units of Affordable Housing

Staff Reports

LENOX, Mass. — Pennrose announced the groundbreaking of 238 Pittsfield Road, a 68-unit affordable rental community.

The development will bring much-needed affordable, family-friendly housing options to the area.

The community will consist of 10 residential buildings offering a mix of 23 one-bedroom, 38 two-bedroom, and seven three-bedroom apartments. Of the 68 total homes, 57 will be affordable for households earning from 30 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) up to 80 percent AMI, with the remaining 11 units available at market rate rents.

A community building at the entrance of the development will offer resident-focused amenities, including event space and a fitness center, along with on-site offices for Pennrose management and resident services staff.

"238 Pittsfield Road builds on the progress that the Town of Lenox has made in addressing the region's pressing needs for affordable, family-sized rental housing," said Karmen Cheung, Regional Vice President at Pennrose. "This partnership with the Town of Lenox continues to deliver communities that give families of all sizes a place to call home. Together with Forge, these two communities reflect our long-term commitment to meeting the diverse housing needs of Berkshire families."

Currently only 7 percent of Lenox's housing stock is deed-restricted affordable, falling short of the 10 percent goal established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Additionally, approximately 90 percent of the town's existing affordable housing is limited to seniors, and market-rate rental options remain sparse.

238 Pittsfield Road is located a mile down the road from Forge,  a mixed-income community that celebrated its grand opening in August. Together, the two sister developments will add a total of 133 new affordable units to the town.

The project continues Pennrose's collaboration with the Town of Lenox and is guided by the goals of the Town's 2017 Housing Production Plan, 2021 Master Plan, and 2002 Gateway Redevelopment Plan.

The project is financed via federal 4 percent tax credit and state tax credit allocations from the Commonwealth's Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC), with the National Equity Fund as the syndicator and Rockland Trust and US Bank as the investors. Rockland also provided construction debt, and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) provided both permanent debt and Workforce Housing Funds. MassDevelopment is the bond issuer, and EOHLC provided additional soft sources and operating subsidy. Finally, the Town of Lenox provided local Affordable Housing Trust and Community Preservation Act funds, as well as funds through the Commonwealth's HousingWorks Infrastructure Program (HWIP).

Haynes Construction is serving as general contractor and The Architectural Team as architect for the development.

Construction is underway and is expected to be completed in early 2028.

 

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