Tag: Bridge Street

According to the Berkshire Co-op Market's general manager Daniel Esko, if the store has to leave the downtown to expand, both the town and its residents would lose a valuable resource.

Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire's executive director Tim Geller noted that these changes are “insubstantial” enough not to trigger another public hearing, as state regulations require it for “substantial” changes to the comprehensive permit, which was already granted last fall.

In her letter to the editor, Beth Carlson writes: “This looks like a big supermarket store. The design does not incorporate the concept of a community gathering place, one of the essential functions of the Co-op.”

Ward says he wants to stay alert to potential consequences of future remediation and construction work at 100 Bridge St. in case “disturbances to the site could lead to enhanced pollution” of the Sheffield water supply.

Wheeler & Taylor owns the building and the bank on the corner of Bridge and Main streets, and construction may block access to a 30-foot right of way that it was deeded access to.

At the top of Railroad Street, the town will see the old Pearl’s and Martin’s building, once home to NAPA auto parts, revamped into new storefronts with apartments and office space.

It was a messy night at Town Hall. In the end, Benchmark Development got a green light to proceed with its plans to design a second building planned for a parcel on the historic Searles Castle property.

“Design-wise, we want the building to fit into the downtown.” -- Benchmark Development Principal Michael Charles

Benchmark's principals had informally brought the plans to the Historic District Commission meeting and were met by the reality that the land parcel’s proximity to Searles Castle and its carriage house may raise some hoops to jump through.

The chemical perchloroethylene, a known carcinogen and hormone disrupter, is “isolated to a small area in the building,” Benchmark Development's Michael Charles said, adding that the contamination was not found in the groundwater.

The Bridge Street bridge is closed effective immediately due to a traffic safety issue, but will be reopened tomorrow morning (Tuesday, Sept. 13).

Benchmark Development has entered into contract for three land parcels that include the current Co-op location; the parcel behind it that stretches into the Searles Castle property;, and the location of the new Co-op, to be situated on what is currently its parking lot and the former Laramee’s Cleaners block.

The permit split raised concerns that the 45 housing units would sit alone up against the wastewater treatment plant, with 6 acres of toxic soil either left there or remediated in phases.

During construction, the Bridge Street bridge in Great Barrington will be limited to one lane of alternating traffic. Accommodations for pedestrians will be in place. Completion of the project is anticipated to be in the spring of 2017.

An upgrade to the Bridge Street bridge will likely start in early August and shut down one lane of traffic.

While Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire (CDC) has presented its plan for 45 units of affordable housing to several boards, the Zoning Board of Appeals is the one that has to decide whether to issue CDC its comprehensive permit.