image description — Walmart is taking part of its garden center to create a pickup space for online orders.

Pittsfield Walmart Plans Online Order Pickup Area

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:32PM / Sunday, August 24, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Walmart plans to enclose part of its garden center for an online grocery pickup area.

On Thursday, the Conservation Commission OK'd the project to convert about 1,550 square feet of the outdoor garden center on the left side of the building. The total disturbance area is approximately 7,000 square feet and is confined to a few feet around the building and the drive aisle directly adjacent.

The expansion will facilitate the corporation's online ordering operations. This type of shopping became popular and necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's very low impact,” said Greg DiBona of Bohler Engineering, the firm working on behalf of Walmart.

"I mean, there's no change to drainage, no change in impervious coverage. The area was already fully paved and developed as part of the garden center. It's basically like putting a roofed area on top of that portion of the garden center.”

The ConCom issued a negative determination for the project's request for determination of applicability, meaning it will not have a negative impact on the protected wetland areas.

Based on the materials provided, there was some uncertainty about the project's setback from protected areas.

The application states that activities are proposed to occur within the buffer zone of land underwater bodies and waterways, and bordering land subject to flooding associated with Barton Brook.

DiBona reported that the flood zone is about 175 feet from the work area.

"The garden center itself was already basically part of that building footprint. This area is outside of the flood hazard impact zone, so it's at a higher elevation. It doesn't impact the flood hazard area,” he said.

"... Most of the garden center stays. I think the garden center is roughly about 10,000 square feet. So the garden center is going to now just be reduced to about 8500 square feet.”

Commissioners issued the negative determination, conditional on a site visit with the city's conservation agent when erosion controls are installed, and that Walmart will submit missing architectural and building plans.

Tags: conservation commission, Walmart,

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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