Pittsfield Concom Approves Car Wash Improvements, Relocated Cell Antenna

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Patriot Car Wash is planning various improvements to its facility on Elm Street.

On Thursday, the Conservation Commission approved two 600-square-foot additions, a roof canopy to the existing laundromat building, the relocation of 11 vacuums, two planting areas, and the milling and repaving of the existing bituminous parking/access drive.

The work is proposed within the riverfront area and bordering land subject to flooding due to its proximity to the east branch of the Housatonic River.

The operation includes a self-serve and automatic car wash, vacuums, and a laundrymat. Patriot plans to add a 20-foot building extension to the automatic car wash and a 10-foot addition to another existing building.

"They want to put a canopy onto the existing laundromat building.  No walls, no windows, no doors, just a simple roof to keep the rain and stuff off of clients," Jeff Randall of Hill Engineers explained.

"They want to put a small addition onto the automatic car wash to get some new equipment and we need to stretch that out just a little bit to get all that stuff to fit inside. We showed an addition to the existing manual wash bay and offices as well. They're both 600 square feet. This one may or may not be necessary but they want to show it while we were coming in."

He explained that the vacuums are scattered around the property and the owners would like to put them in one place behind the manual car wash with green space.

Randall also pointed out that the proposed work has been pushed away from the riverfront area.

Conservation Agent Robert Van Der Kar said this is the quintessential riverfront project.

"The commission is aware of the fact that these typically require some sort of overall improvement," he said. "I think they've done that."

• Issued 35 orders of conditions for the construction of a single-family home on a property located off of Old Farm Lane that is within the buffer zone associated with bordering vegetated wetlands.
   
• Continued a notice on intent application for constructing an unattached garage at 25 Grand Ave. within bordering land subject to flooding.
   
• Issued a negative determination to allow the installation of a dock at 76 Shore Drive within land under Onota Lake.
   
• Issued a 1-year extension of orders of conditions for work done at 25 Downing Parkway.

Youngsters Promote National Diabetes Awareness Month in Hinsdale

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
06:35AM / Saturday, November 02, 2024

The water bottles decorated with stickers promoting Diabetes Awareness Month and bracelets that the youngsters acquired for two school personnel with diabetes.

HINSDALE, Mass. — According to the American Diabetes Association, two Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every minute.

 

At Kittredge Elementary School, two youngsters are fighting back.

 

Fourth-grader Nelson Pelkey and his cousin, fifth-grader Emily Ham, each have Type 1 diabetes, a condition formerly known as juvenile diabetes.

 

On Friday, they marked the beginning of National Diabetes Awareness Month by distributing water bottles with stickers calling attention to diabetes to every child in the school.

 

Nelson's dad Jesse said this week that standing up to diabetes is nothing new for his son, who was diagnosed in the summer of 2021.

 

"The very first day he was diagnosed at age 6, he wouldn't let us do a finger stick on him," Jesse said. "The doctor showed how and he did it himself.

 

"He's taken the helm of it. He has the Dexcom and the pump and all of that. He knows when to do what he needs to do or how to program the machines. Emily is the same way."