Great Barrington — When zoning came to the Village of Housatonic in 1960, three-quarters of the village’s properties were suddenly thrown out of compliance with zoning regulations, making it expensive and difficult for people to invest in their properties. The zoning bylaws, still in effect, also opened the door to retail box stores, according to town officials, the building of which runs counter to what residents of the village say they want.
But if Great Barrington voters agree, this will all be fixed at the May 4 Town Meeting.
The Planning Board has developed four proposed zoning amendments in an effort to not only correct what Town Planner Christopher Rembold says is “an existing problem” of non-conformity to zoning regulations, but to help the village continue to grow in vibrant ways and expand its economy by allowing mixed-use properties. Rembold says this, along with the protection of its charm and character, is the key to a thriving village.
“When something is non-conforming it basically tells the world that it’s not what we want,” Rembold said. “The regulations are working counter to what we know people want Housatonic to be.”
Rembold says current downtown zoning is a deterrent to making changes to one’s property or investing in it. “It most likely would involve an application through the Zoning Board of Appeals, which takes time, legal expertise, architectural drawings — time and money — and in the end the ZBA’s opinion is discretionary. That’s not a situation that we believe is conducive to protecting the existing character of the village.”
Zoning for the former mill town, which is a village within and governed by Great Barrington, was scrutinized during Master Planning, and even earlier, Rembold said. The proposed changes come “out of at least a decade of meetings and community task force sessions. Time and again, people say this is a great small village, a great place to live. People say: ‘We’d like a few more places of business.’ So we want to encourage all of that.”
The Planning Board also wants to protect the spirit and charm of the place, but current regulations might allow something unwelcome. “What we have is zoning that allows Stockbridge Road [in Housatonic]. We’re trying to fix that,” Rembold told the Selectboard at their February 9 meeting, upon presenting the proposed amendments.
The village is slowly making a comeback, with two new eateries, Pleasant & Main and a restored Housie Market, as well as a new home for Berkshire Pulse dance and creative arts center. Another mill building has been privately restored, and the old Housatonic School is on the market. And two recording studios call Housatonic home.
But all of the downtown village, as well as the section in the North Plain Road area where Country Carpets sits, is zoned “similar to the size and density of what currently exists on Stockbridge Road,” which “encourages medium and large scale box retailers,” according to the proposed zoning amendment draft. Current zoning, says the draft, “allows retail stores of up to 20,000 square feet, the size of a medium-large box retailer.”
The proposed amendments will prevent retail larger than 6,500 square feet in that area, with special permits required for retail use of between 6,500 and 10,000 square feet, and nothing permitted beyond that size.
“We think we found a way to recognize the commercial potential of that area but make it sized to where it fits into that character of North Plain Road,” he added.
Areas like the neighborhood around the Rising Dale Café on Route 183, Rembold said, will be zoned as “small scale retail mixed with residential zoning.”
“We want to create zoning that better reflects the fabric of the village,” said Planning Board Chair Jonathan Hankin. The hope, he added, is to have “less hoops to jump through if people want to invest money in their property.”
A re-zoning of the village center will allow for mixed use and small restaurants, with a retail square footage cap at 6,500, because “clearly people like the feel and fabric of Housatonic Village,” Rembold said. However, with a special permit from the Selectboard, retail up to 10,000 square feet would be permissible. In the case of an historic structure such as the Housatonic School, a permit for up to 20,000 square feet could be applied for. This re-zoning would also create more parking flexibility, he said.
Another amendment would create a village Overlay District for parcels fronting Main Street, Meadow Street and Depot Street.
“Overlay keeps the underlying residential zone, but puts overlay on top in case anyone wants to use it,” Rembold explained. The original regulations stay in place, but the overlay allows mixed uses only by special permit, on a “case by case” basis.
Hankin explained that this overlay looks to the future, “assuming that the village itself has made a comeback.” He said this zoning is intended to give flexibility to someone who, for instance, wants to live above their art gallery or artist studio, and noted that there are a few “huge houses” in that area, making it ideal for such usage. “It’s not likely that we will see anything there yet,” he said, “but it’s creating some possibility of someone coming in with a really good idea and not being stifled by the zoning.”
“Mixed use encourages the sort of activity that makes a place lively,” Rembold said. “That’s what we want to happen.”
Another residential zoning proposal aims to “better reflect the existing development pattern that is there,” Rembold said, of an area that does not allow multi-family housing. Hankin said this amendment would be a “miniscule difference” and “unnoticeable.” It would simply “bring a small percentage of property into conformance with zoning regulations,” in a completely developed area.
“We need to make sure our regulations are really fostering what people want,” Rembold said.
The Planning Board is holding a public hearing about the proposed amendments at Town Hall on March 12 at 7 p.m. And Town Planner Christopher Rembold will be at the Ramsdell Library in Housatonic to answer questions the next two Wednesdays (February 25, and March 4) from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. He can also be reached at crembold@Townofgb.org.
The zoning proposals can be found here, on the town’s website, and more information is available on the Town Planner’s blog.
Two other, smaller changes to the zoning bylaws are also slated for the Town Meeting warrant.
