image description — Airport Manager Daniel Shearer explains to the City Council the need for a taxi lane and how it will be funded.

Pittsfield Council OKs Million-Dollar Borrowing for Airport Taxi Lane

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:37PM / Sunday, February 02, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Municipal Airport will build a new taxi lane with help from federal, state, and local funds.

On Tuesday, the City Council approved a $1,040,000 borrowing for a paved way that enables access to additional developable land. Because the local share is only 2.5 percent, or $26,000, Rule 27 was waived.

A taxi lane is a path that connects aircraft parking areas to taxiways. Airport Manager Daniel Shearer said it will "substantially" open up a new area that is yet to be developed, providing access to a new hangar.

"This is the taxi lane for the development area that we've been working towards and signed a lease for. We had intended to start this a couple of months ago, the federal fiscal year put us a little behind on that so we're trying to get that work underway so we can pave as soon as the asphalt plant opens up in the spring,"

"This will line up with the completion of the first hangar in that area and will provide access to that space."

He added that ground lease revenue will come in as soon as the lane is finished.

Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey pointed out that the current hangar has a dirt floor.

The first lease to construct a new hangar on this land was approved by the Airport Commission and council in 2023. Last year, the council authorized borrowing for the engineering services portion of this project.

This borrowing covers the construction phase and will be funded 95 percent by the Federal Aviation Administration ($988,000,) and 2.5 percent from both the state and city.

"Construction of this taxi lane will be funded principally through grant funds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Massachusetts Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division (MassDOT,)" Shearer wrote to the council.

"In this case, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program. These funds have been awarded to the Airport and allocated to this project through the Airport Capital Improvement Planning (ACIP) process with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Massachusetts Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division (MassDOT Aeronautics)."

The bid for the project comes to $906,960 and combined with engineering services and administrative costs, the grant for the construction phase totals $1,040,000.

"Due to the type of grant, application deadlines, and construction schedules, it is necessary that the project be funded locally through a borrowing authorization before the grant is awarded; however, once awarded the city will only be responsible for its 2 1/2 percent local share," Shearer clarified.

Last year, the Airport Commission approved a new logo with a cleaner design that depicts a jet flying over a green mountainscape. It is a far cry from the former branding, which had more than 10 saturated colors.

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Pittsfield Housing Project Adds 37 Supportive Units and Collective Hope

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:01PM / Monday, December 29, 2025

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A new chapter in local efforts to combat housing insecurity officially began as community leaders and residents gathered at The First on to celebrate a major expansion of supportive housing in the city.

The ribbon was cut on Thursday Dec. 19, on nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at The First, located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. The Housing Resource Center, funded by Pittsfield's American Rescue Plan Act dollars, hosted a celebration for a project that is named for its rarity: The First.

"What got us here today is the power of community working in partnership and with a shared purpose," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said.

In addition to the 28 studio units at 111 West Housatonic Street and nine units in the rear of the church building, the Housing Resource Center will be open seven days a week with two lounges, a classroom, a laundry room, a bathroom, and lockers.

Erin Forbush, ServiceNet's director of shelter and housing, challenged attendees to transform the space in the basement of Zion Lutheran Church into a community center. It is planned to operate from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. year-round.

"I get calls from folks that want to help out, and our shelters just aren't the right spaces to be able to do that. The First will be that space that we can all come together and work for the betterment of our community," Forbush said.

"…I am a true believer that things evolve, and things here will evolve with the people that are utilizing it."

Earlier that day, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus joined Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and her team in Housatonic to announce $33.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funding, $5.45 million to Berkshire County.

He said it was ambitious to take on these two projects at once, but it will move the needle. The EOHLC contributed more than $7.8 million in subsidies and $3.4 million in low-income housing tax credit equity for the West Housatonic Street build, and $1.6 million in ARPA funds for the First Street apartments.

"We're trying to get people out of shelter and off the streets, but we know there are a lot of people who are couch surfing, who are living in their cars, who are one paycheck away from being homeless themselves," Augustus said.

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