28 New Affordable Rental Apartments Open for Applications in Williamstown

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Individuals and families can now apply for one of 28 new affordable rental apartments at River Lofts, 250 Water Street. 
 
The apartments are deed-restricted in perpetuity for households earning 80 percent or less of Berkshire County's Area Median Income (AMI).
 
The Town of Williamstown has invested $2,005,000 in the Cable Mills development on Water Street over nearly two decades. At the 2007 Annual Town Meeting, residents voted to commit $1,525,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to the project's first phase. For River Lofts specifically, Williamstown supported the project in 2024 with $480,000 — $400,000 from the town directly and $80,000 from the Williamstown Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Without the public investment, the gap between construction costs and what income-restricted households can afford to pay could not have been bridged.
 
River Lofts will include 54 energy-efficient rental apartments total, 28 of which - 52 percent of the building - will be income-restricted affordable units. All 54 units are designed to be energy efficient in accordance with the town's master plan, Envisioning Williamstown 2035.
 
Applications are available online at https://riverloftsliving.com or in person at Williamstown Town Hall lobby, 31 North Street, Williamstown.
  • Application deadline: June 22, 2026
  • Lottery date: Monday, June 29, 2026 at 1:00 PM
For questions about the lottery and applications: Contact HallKeen Management at (781) 915-3060 or RiverLoftsLottery@hallkeen.com
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Williamstown Fire District Honors Notsley at Annual Meeting

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — As the town's fire district embarks on a new era, Tuesday it said thank you to a veteran leader who helped make that era possible.
 
At the annual district meeting, the Prudential Committee recognized more than six decades of service by John Notsley, who decided not to run for another term on the elected body.
 
Notsley started as a firefighter in the Fire Department in 1963, following in his father's footsteps.
 
Notsley called the department and the Gale Hose Company his "second home" throughout the 63 years that followed.
 
"When I was 6 years old, I met my first fire chief, Tom Welch, who I'm sure no one here remembers," Notsley said. "Followed by Edward H. McGowan, Gordon Noble, Edward M. McGowan, Craig Pedercini and our current chief, Jeffrey [Dias].
 
"My commitment to the district gave me 13 years as clerk, 42 years on the Prudential Committee and 62 years on the Gale Hose Company, the volunteer arm of the department."
 
For years, Notsley, Ed McGowan and Ed Briggs served as a three-person committee to help manage the department, and in 2006, they began looking at how to replace the Fire Department's aging and cramped home on Water Street. The three eventually expanded the body to five members and, this year, Notsley saw a 20-year project come to fruition with the completion of a new fire station on Main Street.
 
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