Friday, June 13, 2025

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Welcome to Real Estate Friday!

Here’s what we have for you this week in The Edge Real Estate section: Property of the Week – Lori Rose of Stone House Properties offers a spacious modernist 4 BR/3 bath escape on 4.8 wooded acres, a seasonal creek, and a footbridge to a bonus cabin in the woods. Transformations – Architect Pamela Sandler opens up a house on Onota Lake to light, movement, and, most importantly, to the lake itself. Weekly real estate transactions for Berkshire County, Northern Litchfield County and Columbia County. Market Perspective – In...

State DEP issues ‘unilateral administrative order’ against Housatonic Water Works

Housatonic Water Works Co-owner Jim Mercer explained that there is no threat to public health. Nor does the unilateral administrative order from DEP state that there is such a threat.

100 Bridge Street misses out on state tax credit funding, but gets go-ahead for cleanup

"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

Connecticut Expansion Pipeline: Don’t blame the company

Following nearly four years of struggle against a powerful company (Kinder Morgan and its subsidiary, Tennessee Gas Pipeline) backed by laws and a Federal commission, it seems that now is an appropriate point to judge performances of the various participants and agencies that could have made more of a difference to avoid this calamity.

State looked the other way as chainsaws make way for pipeline in protected forest

So where were the Massachusetts officials who could have negotiated with Connecticut to save Otis State Forest because the gas wasn’t really needed after all?

Opposition mounts to GE’s insistence on Berkshire PCB dumps

Although EPA’s final remedy requires the General Electric Company to transport and dispose of PCB waste in a federally approved landfill, the company is fighting tooth and nail to dispose of contaminated waste locally.

Legal loose ends, market forces might yet rescue Otis State Forest

Depressed consumer demand for natural gas in Connecticut, could yet save beleaguered Article 97 of the Massachusetts’ Constitution. Reduced demand for gas in Connecticut could allow Massachusetts to continue to protect pristine, specially designated Commonwealth terrain.

MassDEP approves remediation plan for 100 Bridge St. development

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.

GE restriction hobbles revenue potential for historic Rising Paper Mill

In 2008 Hazen Paper Company bought the building from Neenah Paper Company for $785,000 according to John Hazen, whose company has never had any dealings with GE but whose building is subject to the restriction allowing only industrial use for 12 more years.

Task Force urges approval of Lake Mansfield improvement plan

In her letter to the editor, Christine Ward writes: “We respectfully request the Select Board endorse/adopt the comprehensive Lake Mansfield Recreation Area improvement plan as provided in the KZLA report. It is a balanced, expert report.”

Local zoning bylaws may trump General Electric’s Housatonic PCB dump

The GE-owned parcel at Rising Pond here — earmarked by the company for a PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) dump --is zoned for residential use only, according to Great Barrington Town Planner Christopher Rembold, who said the town’s zoning regulations “do not allow an industrial-type use.”

100 Bridge St.: Brownfield development on the back of affordable housing

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."

Great Barrington Selectboard postpones recommending $40 million 100 Bridge Street project

“The idea of bringing this into a residential neighborhood is hard for me to swallow. So many things that have happened...things we bet on and lost.” --- Great Barrington Selectboard Chair Sean Stanton

100 Bridge Street seeks affordable housing permit; commercial tenants uncertain

“It is my observation that it’s too bad that [the affordable housing] is wedged between a sewer waste plant and a toxic waste field.” --- ZBA member Michael Wise

State needs to investigate practices of Housatonic Water Works

In her letter to the editor, Jane Wright of Housatonic, Mass., writes: "I do not believe the Mercers have been good Stewards of our water supply. I believe the state should take a closer look at the quality of our water."

Housatonic Water Works violates DEP monitoring rules; seeks 34 percent rate increase

Privately-owned Housatonic Water Works, which draws water from Long Pond, says it needs the increase to deal with higher operating expenses and state-mandated upgrades to an antiquated system.

On the toxic trail of PCB pollution with eco-warrior Tim Gray

General Electric proposes to stash PCBs from the river in three landfills: one next to Woods Pond in Lenox Dale, another near the Mass Pike in Lee, close to Goose Pond, and the third adjacent to the Rising Pond dam in Housatonic.
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