Pittsfield's Allendale Pines Plans Further Expansion

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Allendale Pines plans to expand the mobile home park with more than 20 additional lots.

This addition will separate the parks into AP South and the new AP North.

The Mobile Home Rent Control Board on Monday OK'd the plan contingent on approval from the Conservation Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

"In summary, this project would provide 21 additional financially attainable lots and homes for Pittsfield," Attorney Jeffrey Scrimo said on behalf of owner Eagle Allendale.

"This would be an expansion of the existing Allendale Pines community, but it was served by a separate entrance and separate utilities."

Lot rent is proposed to be $550 for AP North and the existing lots' lower rate of $320 will not change.  The higher rate is attributed to the costs of creating a new lot from scratch and inflation.

"If one were to compare the rent structure that exists for the existing facility versus the proposed, in this case here we're taking a virgin piece of ground, we need to clear it, we need to grade it, we need to provide a sub base to construct a road and then pave the road, construction-grade all the pad sites, slope stabilization, drainage," Brent White of White Engineering in Pittsfield explained.

"The work that was proposed down below, we had a road network in place, we had a road base, we had water and sewer lines that needed to be replaced and the electricity was already to the site.  In this case, here we have to establish that all for the first time in this area."

The project will cost about $1.4 million with additional fees associated with the site's development.
 
It needs to go before the Conservation Commission because work is proposed to occur within 100 feet of a bordering vegetative wetland and the applicant will need to apply for a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals for a pre-existing non-conformity

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.