Even though I consider it a goofy, boring waste of time, it has been difficult for me to understand why the federal government has been in such a lather about TikTok.
Building inspector Ed May attributes the increased revenue and inspection work to a wave of commercial investment and construction in Great Barrington, along with some high-end homes in the area.
The case has been an enormous headache for town officials and nearby residents in the Blue Hill neighborhood and has so far cost tens of thousands of dollars in billable hours from the town’s law firm.
The divide between the natives and those from outside the area is as wide as it's ever been. Don't take my word for it or judge based only on Monday night's meeting. As of Tuesday afternoon the Great Barrington Community Board Facebook page contained more than 500 comments.
The money for the acquisition would come from a special revenue fund containing proceeds from the sale of town-owned real estate. O'Brien has been in violation of multiple cease-and-desist orders since 2011.
The selectboard has held a pair of closed-door meetings on the possible purchase and related litigation this month, and has said its goal is to add the item to the warrant for a special town meeting scheduled for Monday, Aug. 6.
The Planning Board had a frank and often tense discussion with outgoing Selectboard Chairman Sean Stanton over which board should be the special permit-granting authority for marijuana establishments.
In a unanimous vote Monday night, the selectmen urged the Great Barrington Zoning Board of Appeals to reject the appeal of Gary J. O'Brien, whose trucking company has been told to halt its illegal practices on Roger Road.
Town manager Jennifer Tabakin reminded town residents of the upcoming deadlines for citizen petitions to have items placed for a vote on the warrant for the annual town meeting.
Gwendolyn Hampton VanSant, who directs Multicultural BRIDGE and co-chairs the Du Bois 150th Committee, was in Town Hall Monday night with Randy Weinstein, founder and director of the Du Bois Center at Great Barrington, to gain approval to mount banners on utility poles in town and to report on the progress the committee had made on celebrating the birthday of iconic scholar and civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois.
Selectman Steve Bannon then made a motion that, if building inspector Edwin May attends a hearing in front of the Great Barrington Zoning Board of Appeals or goes to court in the Gary J. O'Brien matter, the town will provide an attorney to represent him. It passed unanimously.
"My immediate concern is the [fuel] trucks. Any fuel storage has to have 110-percent containment under it. How that's okay, I don't understand. If something happens, there nothing between that truck and the ground."
-- Selectboard member Ed Abrahams
In addition to the trucks and the transfer station activities, there are reports of race cars gunning their engines on the O'Brien property on the weekends.
Inspector Edwin May did his job by interpreting what was available on the books. He treated Kearsarge’s project, which is to generate power at discounted rates for three central Massachusetts municipalities, as “light industrial” and so not allowed on the land the company planned to lease from farmer Bob Coons.
“Until last week the school did not understand the location, the size, or the timing of the project. We’re just attempting to collect as much information as possible to share with our families, hear their concerns, and work with Kearsarge Energy to bring about a solution.
-- Tom Sternal, president of the board of trustees at the Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School
Building Inspector Edwin May said the property did not have sufficient frontage for a building lot and is not by right since it sits in a residential/agricultural zone.
