Pittsfield Concom Approves Car Wash Improvements, Relocated Cell Antenna
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Patriot Car Wash is planning various improvements to its facility on Elm Street.
On Thursday, the Conservation Commission approved two 600-square-foot additions, a roof canopy to the existing laundromat building, the relocation of 11 vacuums, two planting areas, and the milling and repaving of the existing bituminous parking/access drive.
The work is proposed within the riverfront area and bordering land subject to flooding due to its proximity to the east branch of the Housatonic River.
The operation includes a self-serve and automatic car wash, vacuums, and a laundrymat. Patriot plans to add a 20-foot building extension to the automatic car wash and a 10-foot addition to another existing building.
"They want to put a canopy onto the existing laundromat building. No walls, no windows, no doors, just a simple roof to keep the rain and stuff off of clients," Jeff Randall of Hill Engineers explained.
"They want to put a small addition onto the automatic car wash to get some new equipment and we need to stretch that out just a little bit to get all that stuff to fit inside. We showed an addition to the existing manual wash bay and offices as well. They're both 600 square feet. This one may or may not be necessary but they want to show it while we were coming in."
He explained that the vacuums are scattered around the property and the owners would like to put them in one place behind the manual car wash with green space.
Randall also pointed out that the proposed work has been pushed away from the riverfront area.
Conservation Agent Robert Van Der Kar said this is the quintessential riverfront project.
"The commission is aware of the fact that these typically require some sort of overall improvement," he said. "I think they've done that."
He did wish that the vacuum cleaners were located farther away from the restoration site due to possible littering.
31 orders of conditions were issued for the project.
The commission also issued a complete certificate of compliance for work done at 500 Hubbard Ave. by AT&T.
The wireless company must move its antenna from a smoke stack on the former trash incinerator facility to a temporary free-standing structure.
Casella Waste Systems purchased the waste transfer facility on Hubbard Avenue from Community Eco Power LLC, which filed for bankruptcy in 2021, and will demolish it for redevelopment. The wireless company will need to find a permanent place for its antennas on the new build or on another nearby site to prevent gaps in service.
On Wednesday, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved a time limit variance for temporary wireless communications facilities, giving AT&T one year with an option to extend for six months.
In other news, the commission:
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Issued 35 orders of conditions for the construction of a single-family home on a property located off of Old Farm Lane that is within the buffer zone associated with bordering vegetated wetlands.
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Continued a notice on intent application for constructing an unattached garage at 25 Grand Ave. within bordering land subject to flooding.
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Issued a negative determination to allow the installation of a dock at 76 Shore Drive within land under Onota Lake.
- Issued a 1-year extension of orders of conditions for work done at 25 Downing Parkway.
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