BRPC Receives Nearly $200K For Safety Plan

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Regional Planning Commission received a $198,593 grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program.
 
The grant will be used to develop a comprehensive safety action plan. 
 
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced approximately $30.6 million in awards to 17 municipalities and Regional Planning Agencies through the first round of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program.
 
The Program was established through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and includes approximately $5 billion in appropriated funds to be awarded over the next five years.  Approximately $1 billion has been appropriated specifically for the FY2022 grant rounds.
 
"MassDOT is pleased to work collaboratively with municipal leaders, Metropolitan Area Planning Councils and Regional Planning Agencies to further the goals of Safe Streets for All," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca. "We will continue to support the development of safety action plans and continue to work with our partners to improve transportation infrastructure to help make travel safer for the public whether people choose to walk, bike, take public transportation or drive."
 
The SS4A program funding awards can be used to improve roadway safety by supporting communities in developing comprehensive safety action plans based on a Safe Systems Approach, conduct data analyses, and implement projects and strategies that seek to significantly reduce or eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries involving pedestrians, bicyclists, micromobility users, motorists, public transportation customers, users of personal conveyance, and commercial vehicle operators.  Additionally, awarded funding can also be used to support robust stakeholder engagement in order to ensure that all community members have a voice in developing plans, projects, and strategies.
 

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Pittsfield Cannabis Cultivator Plans Dispensary

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD. Mass. — A cannabis cultivator and manufacturer has opted to sell its products on site in Downing Parkway. 

The Zoning Board of Appeals this month approved a special permit for J-B.A.M. Inc. to operate a dispensary out of its existing grow facility. There will only be changes to the interior of 71 Downing Parkway, as there will be less than 500 square feet of retail space in the 20,000-square-foot building. 

"My only concern would be the impact, and really would be traffic, which I don't think is excessive, the odor, if there was one, but that doesn't seem to be an issue, and I think it's a good location for a marijuana facility," board member Thomas Goggins said. 

The company's indoor cultivation site plan was approved in 2019, an amendment to add manufacturing and processing in 2021, and on the prior day, a new site plan to add a retail dispensary was approved by the Community Development Board. 

J-B.A.M. cannabis products are available in local dispensaries. 

The interior of the facility will be divided to accommodate an enclosed check-in area, front entrance, retail lobby, secure storage room, offices, and two bathrooms. There are 27 parking spaces for the facility, which is sufficient for the use. 

No medical or recreational cannabis uses are permitted within 500 feet of a school or daycare, a setback that is met, and the space is within an industrial park at the end of a cul-de-sac. 

"The applicant desires the restructuring of the business to be more competitive in the industry with the ability to grow and sell their own cannabis products so they have more financial stability," Chair Albert Ingegni III, read from the application. 

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