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.
At 33, Kate Feuer Burke represents a much-desired but disappearing demographic in town: a young professional with children who brings new vision and energy to the board.
In a letter to the editor, Co-op manager Daniel Esko writes: "We have asked representatives of the Green Tea Party to change the text of their communications and remove any previously posted flyers and statements... As of the writing of this letter, no changes have been made."
In her letter to the editor, Sharon Gregory writes: “Wouldn’t it be a better to plan and approve expeditiously much-needed affordable housing projects that are NOT on brownfields?”
Economic development promised by both the 100 Bridge and hotel projects on Bridge Street helped the town get a $2.1 million state grant to work on roads and utilities along this emerging commercial corridor.
In her letter to the editor, Susan Bachelder of Egremont writes: "The Robbie Burns Pub was a notorious roadhouse in the 1970’s that operated out of the barn. It was finally closed down by the authorities for noise and traffic issues."
In his Letter to the Editor, Navin Shah thanks town boards for the approval of a special permit for Holiday Inn Express, and writes: "Businesses in the area may agree that an extended sidewalk would allow us all to have safer and easier access to other business neighbors."
The ZBA’s test for expansion of grandfathered property, given the room limit bylaw, was whether a third floor would be “substantially more detrimental” according to a list of criteria, than what already exists.
The 5-year-old battle with Claudia Shapiro and Danny Bell has not been cheap. Through the end of July, town officials say they estimated that the town will have spent somewhere between $53,000 and $54,000 defending itself from their claims.
The charge was amended to “tagging,” a misdemeanor, rather than the original charge of vandalism, which is a felony in Massachusetts and carries more severe penalties.
"Gilded Age estates are the Berkshires. They are the distinguishing characteristic of our region, like the great country homes of England."
-- Laurie Norton Moffatt, Director and CEO of the Norman Rockwell Museum
"Restoring Elm Court in this way is like embalming a corpse. It's a trade off, more than a fair trade."
-- Gregory Whitehead, speaking for the Old Stockbridge Road Neighborhood Association
“There is no room for error when you’re dealing with a public water supply. There was insufficient regulation around public drinking water in Great Barrington until this zoning code was put in."
-- Richard Dohoney, attorney for Building Inspector Edwin May
The state Division of Capital Asset Management, the agency that manages the Commonwealth’s building real estate, will hold a training session on March 18 at the Firestation, 37 State Rd. from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The session is aimed at explaining the requirements for such bidding, and “how to get your company up to speed to be able to bid competitively on government work.”
