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...
In their letter to the editor, Wray and Cora Gunn write: “It is an important piece of architecture, but it is so much more. It has been the political and spiritual home of Great Barrington's Black community for over 130 years.”
Because the regional agreement between Great Barrington, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge stipulates that towns pay in a per pupil system, Great Barrington bears 70 percent of the cost.
The owner wanted to create a bright, simple, fun space that’s a joy to live in even on the dreariest of days. Inside and out, the 1950’s theme has been preserved, combining a nod to mid-century modern with a contemporary feel.
Renovations like this are done for many reasons, but the top three reasons are economic, practical considerations, and love. This renovation combines a bit of all three but “love” played no small role in the owner’s decision to do this work.
According to correspondence between the Berkshire Hills Regional School District and the Massachusetts School Building Authority last winter, Monument is not eligible for reimbursements through their Accelerated Repair Program, in which specific renovations or replacements can be made to an otherwise robust school building.
In his presentation to the Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee, Dave Long of Housatonic proposes the formation of a task force to address educational and infrastructure needs within the school district, including the renovation of Monument Mountain Regional High School.
In his letter to the editor, Dave Long of Housatonic writes: "Make no mistake; we could potentially be facing a truly existential crisis. At this point, one bloody town meeting in Great Barrington could throw the entire district into a tailspin. Now is the time — before the warrant for town meeting is cast in stone — to try and head off a nasty escalation of political strife."
“Basically, we’re going after the school budget and the school committee. That [budget] has been bloated for years. [The district] wins every year by packing the [town] meeting. That’s the thing that’s driving expenses."
-- Republican Town Committee member George Beebe
Chip Elitzer updates his analysis of the Berkshire Hills Regional School District assessments to its three member towns, and proposes what he insists is a more equitable formula.
I believe we need to take this opportunity to model for our children -- and each other -- what civil discourse and democracy can look like in small New England communities.
In her letter to the editor, Claudia Laslie of Great Barrington writes: "When it comes to security and safety there are so many concerns here. Is there any greater negligence than knowing what might occur and not preventing it?"
It is bad news for Great Barrington taxpayers, who overwhelmingly defeated the District’s $51 million renovation project that included $23.2 million from the MSBA under its Major Repair Program.
“We were told legally that [the Finance Committee] is an advisory board, and it just seems to me that your advisory capacity is going well beyond the advisory nature and actually trying to set policy.”
-- Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee member Bill Fields
In his letter, Jack Spencer writes: "One way to show support of the schools is to make a contribution to the nonprofit Berkshire Hills Fund for Excellence."
