Times have changed, but the formula remains stuck in 1949. The wealth disparities between neighboring towns simply did not exist at anything like their current scale. The founders of the regional school system could not have foreseen the inequity their formula has imposed on most towns today.
At the Annual Town Meeting to be held to be held tomorrow, May 2, residents will be asked to vote on whether to donate the Sawmill Brook property to the developer to facilitate needed state and federal aid.
In a letter to the editor, Michael Tuck writes: "The teachers in our schools, our firefighters and EMTs, and the actors and staff at Shakespeare & Company are all committed to the long-term health of this community—they should have the opportunity to live here, too."
Statewide there are over 8,900 calls per year on the domestic violence hotline asking for shelter. There are fewer than 26 shelters with just over 400 beds in the entire state of Massachusetts to accommodate these calls.
"It’s a very tough and competitive situation for Low Income Housing Tax Credit Projects right now — a situation exacerbated by the uncertainty that has been created at the national level."
-- Tim Geller, executive director of the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire
In terms of housing, there are still miles to go and promises to keep if Great Barrington is to meet the state goal of 10 percent of its housing classified as affordable.
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.
One of the conditions is that the CDC continues to accept public comments on its plan. And if changes are made as a result of those comments, the CDC will amend its plan.
In her letter, Carol Diehl of Housatonic writes: “We sorely need affordable housing… hopefully… people with low incomes would be treated with the same dignity as those with more.”
In his letter to the editor, Tim Geller writes: “This zoning approval of the affordable housing at 100 Bridge is an important step forward in addressing our unconscionable lack of housing affordable for our friends and families who live and work here.”
In her letter to the editor, Sharon Gregory of Great Barrington writes: "Let us spend NO additional public dollars until a formal proposal has been presented and approved by the DEP. Full remediation is critical to the community."
In his letter to the editor, Steve McAlister writes: “A major intention of the affordable housing law is to avoid concentrating the residents of such housing on the worst available sites.”
In her letter to the editor, Nan Wile of Great Barrington writes: “I believe that we absolutely must persevere to create housing, and make it happen soon. At the same time we must preserve the small family neighborhoods of our village.”
In his letter to the editor, Tim Geller, executive director of the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire, writes: "The 100 Bridge site is singled out in the Town Master Plan for precisely the kind of development proposed."
In his letter to the editor, Bobby Houston writes: “It is highly cynical of CDC to compare their [100 Bridge Street] project to Pinewoods in Stockbridge.”
In her letter to the editor, Cara Davis writes: “The sooner Great Barrington can generate more affordable housing stock, the more robust will be our social and economic vibrancy… To miss this opportunity to move this plan forward would be a devastating loss.”
