Selectmen repeat determination to knock down old town garage

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The old brick town garage on Water Street, its windows boarded and its aspect forlorn, is absolutely, positively coming down, the Selectmen reiterated unanimously at their Monday meeting. It will be demolished, the board determined, because it stands in the way of development that could generate more in taxes than any use of the 1920s former automobile dealership that served as the town’s Department of Public Works garage until 1998. Those prospective taxes are even more important in today’s economic climate, Selectmen said, and a multi-story building combining retail, offices and apartments is in line with the recommendations of the town’s Master Plan, which envisions the parcel as critical in the revitalization of Water Street. The Selectmen confirmed the building’s fate in a discussion Monday with Historical Commission Chairman Charles Bonenti, who voiced concerns that the circumstances surrounding the town’s application for demolition were “confusing.” And, Bonenti said, he was concerned that the Shanleys — Peter and Michael, brothers who own and operate Berkshire Ivy Gardens and wanted to renovate the building to house an antique automobile museum — may not have been kept informed of the board’s thinking on the building’s future. “I have this lingering feeling that the Shanleys were ill-dealt with,” said Bonenti. “I have to say I found the circumstances surrounding the town’s application for demolition confusing,” said Bonenti. The Historical Commission last Tuesday, Dec. 3, voted 5-2 not to impose a 90-day delay on demolition. On Monday, Selectmen voted unanimously — Selectman John Madden was absent — to proceed toward demolishing the structure before the request for proposals process is finished. This and earlier votes to demolish the dilapidated building, whose structure is insufficient to support additional stories, stemmed from the Selectmen’s belief that a clear site would appeal more to potential developers and expedite a process that many consider inevitable. The Master Plan calls for public parking on part of the site, as well as three- or four-story building combining retail, office and residential space. Said Selectman Jane Allen, “We do have to expand our tax base, and this is a property that’s going to help us do that.” But Selectman John “Jack” Merselis questioned, “are these seemingly contradictory uses mutually exclusive?” Town Manager Peter Fohlin said “The RFP process and the demolition process are unrelated.” Early last year, said Fohlin, who owns a black 1963 Cadillac and a light blue 1961 Cadillac, the Shanley’s idea drew support from “the unlikely duo of Dagmar Bubriski and myself.” In April, 2001, “the Selectmen instructed me not to take any further action on the property pending the results of the Master Plan, so we did nothing for more than a year.” The Selectmen Nov. 12 instructed Fohlin and DPW Director Timothy Kaiser to seek bids for demolition, and Nov. 25 voted unanimously to proceed with demolition which, he said, “we will do as diligently as we did nothing.” Selectmen Chairman Margaret Johnson Ware said the economic climate has turned gloomy since the Shanley’s idea first surfaced, making the tax-generation potential of the parcel even more crucial, and indeed imperative. Fohlin said that absent intervention by the Selectmen there is a 50-50 chance the building will be demolished in January. The RFP will be advertised in February and returned in May, he said. “A classic car museum is not likely to generate the highest selling price or the highest tax revenue,” said Fohlin. Fohlin said the RFP is “meant to attract proposals that are the most advantageous to the community in terms of job creation and housing.” Its potential as a tourist attraction has never been given a high ranking, he said. Selectman Charles Schlesinger said “the Master Plan very clearly says this should be a multi-use building with parking.” Also Monday, Fohlin, in his town manager’s report, told the board that the apparent low bidder for the Photech cleanup is Air Quality Experts of Salem, N.H., at $233,000. Other bidders were A+ Asbestos Abatement of Pawtucket, R.I., with $484,526; Accutech Insulation & Contracting of Ludlow, $399,500; Environmental Compliance Specialists of Kingston, N.H., with $280,000; GEM Environmental of North Adams, $411,748; D.L. King & Associates of Amherst, N.H., $397,000; Safe Environment of America of Ludlow, $350,000; Aeroclean Demolition Contractors of Trumbull, Conn., $448,300, and Suburban Middlesex Insulation of Norwood, $332,800. Fohlin also informed Selectmen that Officer Robin Hart submitted his resignation from the Williamstown Police Department to Chief of Police Arthur Parker Monday morning, and that Fohlin accepted the resignation that afternoon. Hart had been suspended since August pending the outcome of a charge of assault and battery against his estranged wife Debra Johnson Hart. On Friday, Hart was found guilty in Northern Berkshire District Court, where Judge Fredric D. Rutberg sentenced him to a year’s probation.
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North Adams Housing Authority Director Steps Down

Staff Reports

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Jennifer Hohn, the longtime executive director of the North Adams Housing Authority (NAHA), has stepped down after 24 years with the agency.

The Berkshire Eagle reported that Hohn resigned from her position on Thursday. The NAHA Board of Commissioners is currently developing a transition plan.

Her resignation follows rising tension between Hohn and the tenants association. Residents—particularly at the Spring and Ashland Park apartments—have raised specific concerns regarding building security, drug activity, and trespassers.

This summer, Tenants Association President Corey Fortin posted a video on social media demonstrating that door alarms in some of the buildings were not functioning.

Shortly after the video was posted, the tenants association's office was locked. Members alleged Hohn locked the space in retaliation, while Hohn maintained it was a matter of tenant safety. Hohn also stated that NAHA does not officially recognize the association because it has yet to go through official channels for certification—a claim the tenants association disputes.

The dispute culminated in plans for a formal grievance hearing between Hohn and the association. Both sides agreed to hold a meeting on Oct. 3, but the hearing had not yet been scheduled at the time of her resignation.
During her tenure as director, Hohn oversaw significant changes at NAHA, including expansion and the dissolution of Housing Opportunities Incorporated, a program founded over 30 years ago to assist first-time homebuyers. Most recently, she led efforts to transition NAHA properties from traditional public housing models to the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. She also directed the rebuilding of a Greylock Valley Apartments building after it was severely damaged by a fire.

The NAHA Board of Commissioners meets monthly, typically on Mondays.

 

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