State Reviewing Dalton's Proposed Second Historical District

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The State Historical Commission has received the preliminary documentation required in the process of establishing the town's second historical district. 
 
The proposed district starts at Park Avenue, where Main Street Cemetery is, and goes down to Depot Street. It then goes up High and North Streets.
 
Based on photos and by following the district subdivision plans or other development patterns, the state will determine whether there is enough historical significance to be considered a district. 
 
If they deem there is, the State Historical Commission will request an area form that they will use to evaluate the area for National Register eligibility, National Register Director Ben Haley in an email update to the commission.
 
"After we review the photographs, we may have questions about boundaries and may do a site visit," he said. 
 
The email did not include a timeline of this process, said town Historical Commission Secretary Nancy Kane. 
 
When the commission sent the files to the state, there was a request to define the area, Kane said. 
 
Kane said she defined it as a classic New England mill town characterized by residential areas, such as mill worker housing and homes of prominent citizens. 
 
Additionally, she demonstrated how the district had all the basic services and needs they would need to provide, such as schools, businesses, banks, and churches. 

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Pittsfield Holds Second Master Plan Workshop

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Participants added notes to the sectors  such as transportation, open space and neighborhoods  being reviewed by the Master Plan Steering Committee. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The city is about halfway through developing its new master plan, and held a second community workshop this past Thursday. 

"Basically, we're talking to people from Pittsfield and trying to figure out, among a broad sector of issues that affect us, what is our goal and vision for the next 10 years, where we want Pittsfield to be in 10 years, and what changes do we want to see?" Director of Community Development Justine Dodds explained to about 20 community members and city staff at Conte Community School. 

"That will be broken down into some goals and objectives and then some measurable action items that we can all take as a community to move that forward."  

The Pittsfield Master Plan is the policy guide for future physical development, covering land use, infrastructure, sustainability, and more. The plan was last updated in 2009, and Pittsfield has engaged the VHB engineering firm and CommunityScale consultants to bring it through 2036. 

There have been two public listening sessions, a Master Plan Advisory Committee guiding the work, and small focus groups for each section. On poster boards, residents were able to see and mark the draft goals and actions under six themes: economic development, housing opportunities, transportation and infrastructure, environment and open space, neighborhoods and community, and governance and collaboration. 

In November 2025, community members participated in a similar exercise at City Hall. 

Transportation and infrastructure had several notes on them. Suggestions included using infrastructure to address the urban heat island effect, a light rail system, and continuing to implement Complete Streets standards for roadway construction projects. 

"I want to ride my bike to my friend's house safely," one respondent wrote. 

Under economic development, people suggested digital business infrastructure for the downtown, food hall opportunities, and nightlife opportunities. 

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