Pittsfield Council Sees Crosby Feasibility Study

PITTSFIELD, Mass.—Wheels are moving on the proposed Crosby Elementary School rebuild. 

On Tuesday, the City Council referred an order to borrow up to $2 million for a feasibility study to the Finance Committee, which will meet on Monday.  It will gauge the possibility of rebuilding Silvio O. Conte Community School and John C. Crosby Elementary on the West Street site with shared facilities.

"As you are aware, the City of Pittsfield is working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) on a proposal which involves the future of Crosby Elementary School and Conte Community School," Mayor Peter Marchetti wrote. 

"The feasibility study will address outdated infrastructure, insufficient layouts, and significant repair needs." 

When the project was proposed last year, officials and community members toured the approximately 69,000-square-foot schools that are more than 50 years old. Crosby, built as a middle school, boasts cracked windows that were repaired with duct tape, and Conte is an open-concept school that doesn't align with modern safety and educational needs. 

The study, estimated to cost about $1.5 million, is a part of the 80 percent reimbursable costs from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which accepted the project into its queue late last year.

The Crosby/Conte plan has the potential to house grades prekindergarten to first grade in one school and Grades 2 to 4 in another, with both maintaining their own identities and administrations.  Running parallel to the effort is the proposed middle school restructuring, which would create an upper elementary school for grades 5-6 and a junior high school for grades 7-8 by the 2026-2027 academic year.

Marchetti explained that the MSBA Feasibility Study is a "critical component" in the process of addressing the needs of public school buildings in the state. 

"The Crosby Elementary School Feasibility Study will highlight facility needs and provide a framework that aligns with education goals, is financially responsible, and ensures expectations are met," he wrote. 

"The MSBA and Pittsfield Public School District will work collaboratively to determine the most
appropriate and cost-effective solution to address the challenges identified." 

Also on Tuesday, under Rule 27, the council saw a petition from Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren and Councilor at Large Alisa Costa requesting that the city confirm it has no authority to enact ordinances to create felonies or delineate the extent of power to criminalize through the imposition of fines was referred to the Ordinances and Rules subcommittee. 

The councilors also asked that the city solicitor draft appropriate language to correct, modify, or delete the language found in: 

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.