If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Planning Board last week advanced two of its zoning bylaw proposals to keep them on track for inclusion on the annual town meeting warrant and discussed what issues it should consider when considering a proposal it is tasked with considering.
One of the board-generated articles has been on the table for years: limiting the number of days a "primary dwelling unit" can be used as short-term rental to 90 cumulative days in a calendar year. The other is a more recent project of the planners: requiring installers of geothermal wells in the two Water Resource Districts to either use only potable water or prove their systems pose no threat to the town's public water supply.
Both proposals last Tuesday were sent to the Select Board, which will take a ceremonial vote to refer them back to the Planning Board for public hearings in March.
But those are not the only town meeting articles that the Planning Board will need to discuss in the weeks ahead.
The owner of the Sweetwood assisted living facility on Cold Spring Road has submitted a landowners petition to create an overlay district for the South Williamstown property that would allow conversion to multi-family housing. While the planners have no say over the content of the proposal, the board will need to host a public hearing on the article and likely will make an advisory vote to the May meeting.
And the Sweet Farm Road Homeowners Association plans to ask the annual meeting to accept Sweet Farm Road as a public way. By law, that request requires input from the Planning Board to determine whether the road design conforms with the town's bylaw and decide whether to grant waivers before passing the article to the Select Board for a public hearing.
At the outset of the Planning Board's Feb 11 meeting, Chair Peter Beck informed the group that the HOA asked to reschedule a planned discussion of the road acceptance request.
The Planning Board last week advanced two of its zoning bylaw proposals to keep them on track for inclusion on the annual town meeting warrant. click for more
A 16 percent health insurance increase from the Berkshire Health Group alone accounts for $550,000 in increased cost for the preK-12 district in FY26 — about 38 percent of the $1.4 million total.
click for more
The summer festival lists the five productions on its website, which provides no information about dates and says tickets go on sale "in March."
click for more
Capped by Sam St. Peter’s come-from-behind win in the final bout of the day to win the 285 crown, the Spartans placed second at the Western Massachusetts Division 3 Championships at Mount Greylock. click for more