NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday approved four temporary easements to accommodate the $2.2 million reconstruction of a collapsed section of Walnut Street over the next year. 

 

Walnut Street runs above and parallel to State Street and the section that collapsed is above a large gorge just north of the closed Oak Avenue. A pipe runs under the road and streams water into the gorge — a 20 or 30 foot drop. 

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey said the easements are for two years and are required to move utilities from one side of the street. 

 

"As we get ready to do this project and make it come to life, we need to move the utilities," she said. "So, as you will understand in true City of North Adams fashion, all of the utilities run along the wall. So we have to temporarily remove the gas and the electric, telephone cable and whatever else is attached up there to the opposite side, and move the utilities onto properties."

 

Residents have been expressing concerns about the road's condition for 30 years. The more than century-old dry stone stack retaining wall on the steep grade began to significantly deteriorate four years ago and the roadway was blocked off to one lane along the wall. The east edge of the road gave way in April 2022 and collapsed during the night, reportedly loudly enough that it woke the occupants in the home across the way.

 

"We tried for several grant rounds, and we finally were successful last year, receiving a grant from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program in the amount of $2 million," the mayor said. "Part of that grant application was a required match, so the city is basically matching $200,000 that we have remaining from our flood recovery money that we received a few years ago. ...

 

"The project has been a long time coming."

 

Macksey said the city has been in contact with the owners of the properties being affected "and they are basically ready to get this project done so they can have full access." 

 

In answer to questions, she said most of the utilities are taking on the costs but that city also has contingency money in the grant to provide some funding, adding that National Grid and Berkshire Gas have "stepped up tremendously." The council also approved temporary joint pole locations for Walnut Street.  

 

The city will have to move sewer and water services and return them to tie into the new storm and water system. 

 

The reconstruction of the road first means addressing the wall holding it up. The work will include the main issue for the collapse — stormwater runoff — which is not going into catch basins but leaking out through the wall. 

 

Three of the temporary easements are on the west side of the street and the fourth on the east side south of the wall. The city is responsible for restoring landscaping once the utilities are moved back again when the project is completed.

 

The low bidder for the project is Western Earthworks of North Hatfield, currently working on a project in the West End, but the mayor said the contract has not yet been awarded. 

 

"We hope by the end of this week to have all of the documentation from the utility companies in place, and then following that, we'll make the award of the contract and have a pre-construction meeting," Macksey said. "It is thought that this type of work, because it's a wall, that we may be able to work through the winter."

 

The goal is to have the utilities moved by September, start the work and then, if necessary, halt if it's a difficult winter, and resume in the spring. The two years for the easements was built in to provide some flexibility should the project encounter unexpected difficulties. 

 

"That might be a bit of an aggressive schedule, but again, we're dependent upon the weather. But both the engineers, which are Tighe & Bond, and the contractors feel that they can meet that timeline," said the mayor, adding, "this is something that the residents in that area are very much supporting, and we just want to get the job done."

 

The vote was unanimous with Councilors Lisa Blackmer and Alexa Macdonald absent. 

 

In other business, City Clerk Tina Leonesio swore in firefighter Miguel Hernandez. He is from Pelham, N.H., and a member of the Massachusetts National Guard, serving with the 727th Military Police Company in Springfield. He graduated from the Fire Academy in June. 

 

• The mayor informed the council that she has appointed Peter Oleskiewicz to the Hoosac Water Quality District for a term to expire on April 1, 2029; Wayne Wilkinson to the Planning Board for a term to expires Feb. 1, 2031; and Valerie Shields to the Public Arts Commission for a term to expire Aug. 11, 2031. These are all new appointments to vacant seats. 

 

• The council approved the list of election workers for the primary and general elections and set the date of the primary for Tuesday, Sept. 1, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center for all wards. 

 

Early voting begins on Aug. 22, which is also the last day to register to vote; the last day to request a mail-in ballot is Aug. 25. Early in-person voting takes place in City Council Chambers.