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Lanesborough's Gulf Road Remains Closed, Outage Planned For Bull Hill

By Jeff SnoonianiBerkshires Correspondent
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LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen reluctantly voted to keep the town's side of Gulf Road closed through the duration of the pandemic. 
 
The decision was made Monday following discussion of a memo from Department of Public Works head William Decelles regarding the reopening of the seasonal dirt road. It often serves as a shortcut between Lanesborough and Dalton and allows cars to avoid the retail-related traffic at Allendale Plaza as well as Berkshire Crossing in Pittsfield.
 
Decelles, in his memo, said his discussions with the Dalton highway chief led him to believe that both the Dalton town manager and police chief wanted the road to remain closed through the COVID-19 pandemic. He also said the town could lose some Chapter 90 road funds if it remains closed going forward.
 
Decelles wants the road to open, an opinion shared by the board.
 
"If anything ever happened on that side [of Dalton] there is still access to get to Route 8 in Lanesborough without having to go to East Street … and vice versa. It wouldn't be a lot of Chapter 90 money but I still don't think we should close it," said Chairman John Goerlach.
 
The board was unsure what the pandemic had to do with the road being opened but ended up agreeing to keep it closed until the crisis is over in keeping with Dalton's plan.
 
Town Secretary Diane Stevens brought to the board's attention a planned power outage by Eversource scheduled for Tuesday, June 23. The outage will last up to six hours and will affect the Bull Hill Road area as that's where the work is being performed. Eversource is planning robocalls and mailers to affected residents and the information is also on the town website.
 
In other business, the board approved the Lakeside Restaurant's request to add four outdoor tables. Massachusetts recently allowed restaurants to reopen for outside dining only as part of Phase II of its pandemic reopening plan and towns have been given a wide berth to approve changes to businesses looking to enlarge their outdoor dining footprint. The tables will sit between the existing deck and Pontoosuc Lake.
 
Saturday's community paper shredding event was a success according to Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District head Linda Cernik. She informed the board in an email that 4,800 hundred pounds of paper was shredded by a mobile unit at Lanesborough Town Hall. The Selectmen thanked everyone who was involved and said they are looking to try to make it an annual event.
     
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Lanesborough to Negotiate New HCA With Only Dispensary

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. Due to evolving state regulations, the town must settle on a new or amended host community agreement with its only dispensary.
 
On Monday, Feb. 24, the Select Board voted to allow Town Administrator Gina Dario to work with counsel towards a resolution.  Dario felt that both parties were willing to come up with a practical solution.
 
Liberty Market, located on North Main Street, has requested a new host community agreement or host community agreement waiver in lieu thereof.  The town was sent a notice of non-compliance from the Cannabis Control Commission in January.
 
"The discussion for the Select Board is whether or not to proceed with either a redrafting of the current host community agreement or a re-negotiation of a new host community agreement that uses a more prescriptive template that is being provided by The Cannabis Control Commission," Dario explained.
 
A couple of years ago, the Canabis Control Commission (CCC) approved changes to the state's adult and medical use regulations including policies that implement the agency's oversight of host community agreements, new equity requirements, and suitability reform.
 
"The Cannabis Control Commission is taking the position that changes to the cannabis laws which went into effect in November of 2022 are retroactive and affect pre-existing agreements, such as the one that the town has with Liberty Market," Attorney Nicole Costanzo said.
 
"Of course, there are some novel legal issues presented as to whether or not the legislative changes do retroactively affect pre-existing host community agreements. It's my understanding that the town does want to work with Liberty Market nevertheless and try and get them a "compliant" agreement for purposes of the Cannabis Control Commission issuing them a license renewal to move forward."
 
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