The event was a big success—collecting almost 50 Christmas trees and other holiday greens and multiple boxes of food donations and $1,700 for the Lee Food Pantry, which serves residents from several communities in the area.
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.
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.
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.
Consultant Brandon Pollock explained that medicinal marijuana dispensaries are “set up like pharmacies,” and “heavily regulated by the Department of Health.”
The entire area around Lake Mansfield is a delicate ecosystem surrounded by homes on a hill from which storm water and sediment run into the lake. Simply repaving the road won’t solve any of this, and town officials say such a measure will simply increase car speeds.
Rain gardens in Pittsfield collect storm water and remove motor oil, dirt, animal waste, trash, and other pollutants from the water, via filtration through the soil and uptake by the plants, before it enters the Housatonic River.
“The applicant has taken it all very much to heart and wants to do...what is right for the community…we all have the potential to get something good for Great Barrington.”
--- Sean Stanton, chairman of the Great Barrington Selectboard
Town Planner Chris Remold has launched a web survey for people who can’t come to the forums. He also hopes to record the forum or stream it on CTSB-TV. (See link to survey in this story.)
"Any significant structural work to the road — beyond a simple paving job -- will require the extensive environmental permitting."
-- Town Planner Christopher Rembold
“Open space is the industry. It promotes wellness, provides community, and lends itself to a happy, healthy society.”
-- Ethan Culleton, who sold 45 acres on the western slope of Monument Mountain, including Flag Rock, to the Trustees of Rserversations.
