Louison House Planning Youth Housing on Bracewell Avenue

The building, currently split into two units, would be converted into five studio-style apartments with a bathroom and kitchen and one two-bedroom apartment.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Housing support center Louison House hopes to turn 111 to 113 Bracewell Avenue into six apartments for unaccompanied youth. 

According to plans presented to the Planning Board Monday, the building, currently split into two units, would be converted into five studio-style apartments with a bathroom and kitchen and one two-bedroom apartment. The interior of the building will be redesigned, including replacing electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and life safety systems, to accommodate the new layout. 

"That would fit the need for a lot of our younger folk who just need a small space, but they need permanent housing," said Kathy Keeser, Executive Director of Louison House.

The structure, she explained, is currently vacant.

"They don't need to be out in the streets wandering," she said. "So we feel that would help with some of the homelessness needs, youth needs." 

The North Adams Housing Authority donated the property to Louison House in 2017.

Keeser said the organization has already mostly secured the needed funding for the project, and the group will continue to maintain the property once it's complete. 

"We actually have programmatic funding most likely coming down, because we don't want to charge a whole lot of rent. It'd be subsidized. Very low, affordability," she said. "... We're probably going to have a new piece of funding that will help pay. Basically, it'll pay for services and give us the money without having to charge high rent to be able to afford to pay for things." 

The board approved the application.

In other business: 

• The board approved a special permit for Walmart, which plans to expand its current store at 1415 Curran Highway by 8,150 square feet. The extra space will aid the store's online pickup operations and will be at the northwest corner of the existing store.  

"This entire expansion area is solely to support the pickup operation, so it's not additional sales floor. People can't shop within that area," said James Cranston of Bohler Engineering. 

Cranston said 45 spaces should be relined and dedicated to pickup, making them slightly wider than other spaces in the lot. Additionally, the building's facade will also receive a slight upgrade along with the expansion work. 

The project has already received approval from the Conservation Commission. 

• The board approved a special permit for ALC Addiction Treatment Services for internal repairs and repainting at 218 Ashland Street. The work will not alter the exterior of the structure. CEO Paul Supranowicz said ALC would simply be moving from its current location across the street, at 195 Ashland Street. 

"It's a little bit larger than the space we're currently leasing across the street," he said. "It's about another thousand square feet larger, which will give us a little bit more room.

North Adams Schools Talk Final Budget Numbers for Public Hearing

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:15AM / Wednesday, May 08, 2024

The elementary schools will be phasing in a new math curriculum over the next two years. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The School Committee received the presentation given last week to the Finance & Facilities committee for the fiscal 2025 spending plan.

 

The subcommittee is recommending the budget of $20,357,096, up $302,744 or 1.51 percent over this year. This was expected to be funded by $16,418,826 in state Chapter 70 education funds, local funding of $3,938,270 (up $100,000 over this year) and a drawdown of school funds of $575,237. This will also include the closure of Greylock School at the end of this year and the reduction of 26 full-time positions. 

 

A hybrid public hearing on the budget will be held on Thursday, May 23, at 5:30 at Brayton School, with a vote by the School Committee to immediately follow. 

 

The extra $100,000 from the city will likely not be part of this funding package, warned Mayor Jennifer Macksey, chair of the School Committee. 

 

"Going through all my process on the city side, so to say, with the rest of my departments, it's going to be really hard for me to squeak out the additional $100,000," said the mayor, alluding to a budget gap of $600,000 to $800,000 for fiscal 2025 she's trying to close. 

 

"I just want to be fully transparent with everyone sitting here, and as your School Committee chair, I don't know if the city budget is going to be able to squeak out that $100,000. That number will most likely change."

 

Director of School Finance and Operations Nancy Rauscher said the $100,000 had been a placeholder with administration understanding that it could change.