MassDOT, Construction Firm Interested in Stanley Park Lots

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Site 9 redevelopment project is close to being finished with only some final amendments before approval.

"Site nine redevelopment project, if you look out there, you can tell we're getting very close to being completed. What's going on now is we're working with Mass DEP and the EPA to finalize the amended ERE," said Executive Director Michael Coakley at last week's meeting of the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority.

The ERE refers to the "easement and restriction for environmental conditions" at the site, required by the state's Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The amended documents will be sent to the state for approval before transferring the property to Mill Town.

"Hopefully, within a couple weeks, we're going to be all set, and then we sign that and send it off to the commissioner of DEP, and then she will hopefully approve it right away. And then everything will be set, and then we can do the transfer of the property, the 4.7 acres, to Mill Town," Coakley said.

Coakley brought up the negotiations with state Department of Transportation to use the parking lot adjacent to the Berkshire Innovation Center as a training site for commercial driver's licenses and motorcycles, noting the agency is still interested.

He also brought up the parking lot at Silver Lake Boulevard that is of interest to be used by Ludlow Construction.

"Ludlow Construction, it's going to be doing major work on the West Street project coming up, and they are looking for an area to store their equipment materials, and they've contacted me about leasing that parking lot," Coakley said.

The board authorized Coakley to negotiate the terms of a licensing agreement for Ludlow Construction.

Coakley also said leases with these two organizations will bring about $60,000 annually.


Tags: business park,   PEDA,   

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North Adams City Council Hears Housing Authority Grievances

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Unhealthy odors, drugs, mold, peeling paint, unsecured doors, lack of security and frightened residents. 
 
That was the list of grievances that current and former tenants of the North Adams Housing Authority's high rise on Ashland Street laid before the City Council on Tuesday. 
 
"I've stayed quiet long enough. I've been professional long enough. Somebody needs to do something. Damn it! It's getting too bad over there. It's worse than it's ever been. There's more drug people there. There's more dealers there. There's drunks rolling around in there, drinking out front, doing drugs out front," said Tenants Association President Cory Fortin. 
 
"Everybody's pointing fingers at everybody. Let's all get together and do this damn thing. Get it done. I'm sick of it."
 
Tenants have been speaking out at council meetings about security issues and Councilor Lillian Zavatsky, liaison to the authority, requested time for Fortin to speak. The authority has been in some upheaval lately with the loss of commissioner and the abrupt resignation of the executive director last week. 
 
The association had called for a formal grievance hearing against Jennifer Hohn after she locked their offices. Hohn has not publicly spoken about her resignation. The Housing Authority is meeting on Thursday for "acknowledgement" of the vacancy. 
 
"My paperwork that I put in for my maintenance request, ah, disappeared. We have nothing on record. There's a lot of things that this board, this council, the mayor, everybody needs to look at the big picture," Fortin said, adding that some tenants were worried about attending the meeting because of fears of retaliation. "All I'm asking for is the right support and for this this council, this mayor, and everybody to do what's right."
 
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