PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is planning to enhance access to Pontoosuc Lake's south shoreline with a staircase from the boardwalk and a couple of stair sets to the water. 

Last week, the Conservation Commission was updated on work on the park's southern section off Hancock Road, which last year saw a new boardwalk and access stairs from the parking lot. 

Pittsfield plans to build a set of stairs from the end of the boardwalk to the grassy area near the shoreline and is seeking additional feet of bank stabilization. The city's request for an amendment to the project's order of conditions was continued to July 23, as there were some explanatory presentation slides missing. 

"I've already got permissions from the original notice of intent, orders of condition, to bring a stair set off of the boardwalk down to this grassy area," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath told the commission. 

"So, when you're on the boardwalk, if you want to utilize this stair set, which we're proposing, you come down the boardwalk stair set, onto the grass, over to the bank, into the water." 

Two sets of stairs are proposed for shoreline access, supported by $12,000 in Community Preservation Act funds, along with additional feet of bank stabilization. 

Last year, community members argued that erosion control plantings impeded access at Pontoosuc Lake; four easy access points were proposed, and a site visit with the Conservation Commission revealed that some of the bank erosion was worse than they believed. 

Stairs were then proposed for that area instead. They will be about 3 1/2 feet wide.