EDITORIAL

Editorial: Getting to Yes

It was like that lightbulb in a cartoon. I was watching the Select Board (SB — January 12, 2023) meeting when a bright idea occurred.

Chair Patrick White said, "we always know how to get to no, tell me how to get to yes." What if that were a perpetual instruction from the Chair?

The SB is the top of our governmental hierarchy. The three elected members of the SB sitting together are the final decision makers.

The job descriptions of many others is advising the SB — Town employees such as Town Administrator, Town Counsel, and Assessor are advisors; committees and commissions including Finance Committee, Stockbridge Bowl Stewardship, Agriculture and Forestry, Water and Sewer Commissions are all advisers to the SB.

Here's the bright idea...

Why shouldn't they advise the SB on both — how we get to no, and how we get to yes.

Wouldn't it be lovely if the SB were provided with the road map to no and the road map to yes, the possible outcomes of no and the possibilities of yes — important information on which they reach the best decisions.

For example, our Town Counsel (TC) rendered an opinion on the Daniel Chester French garden structure and its demolition. It seemed to boil down to — alas, the Town was powerless given the size of the structure. TC provided a considered opinion but what if that were not the end of the task? What if SB also asked her how to get to yes so that we can preserve our historic structures?

For example, SB expressed a desire for an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) bylaw. The Chair of the Planning Board rendered an opinion that it was unnecessary. What if that were not the end of the task? What if SB asked PB Chair how to get to yes so that we have more affordable housing?

There are times when boards/commissions are permit-granters, that is, decision makers, but mostly we are all — citizens included — advisors. Sometimes advisors are too anxious, too quick to state opinions. It limits the information available, cuts off discussion, and sets up a competitive rather than collaborative process. Wouldn't it be nice to establish the smoothest and most effective decision-making process? The most open and informative process — with information about how to get to no, and how to get to yes?

Carole Owens
Managing Editor

 

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BBG Barn Raising. Photo courtesy Felix Carroll, Berkshire Botanical Garden

 NEWS

SU FYI

1. Correction:

Notes from the PB — My notes read "SP". PB members were discussing Special Permits ergo SP was special permits. Alas it was not. In this case, SP stood for site plan. Thank you to Anita Schwerner for catching the shift in subject and therefore the mistake.

2. A bit of Stockbridge history

It was April 1, 1867. On the Town Meeting Warrant were two articles, that in their day, were of importance and contention:

Article 12: To see if the Town will vote to impose a fine for fast driving across the large bridges in town. (In the day of the horse and carriage when fast would be 18 mph)

Article 14: To see if the town will allow cattle to run in the highways with or without a keeper.

3. What's in a Name?

For those who asked Stockbridge Updates, the following is from the www.Mohican.com web site:

"What is our name? Our official name is Stockbridge-Munsee Community. We often call ourselves by variations of this such as Mohican Nation, or Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans. The original name of our people is Muhheaconneok or Muhheconeew, meaning "People of the Waters that are Never Still." Over time, and Dutch and English contact, the traditional name became distorted and turned into variations such as Mahican or Mohican. Mohican is what we refer to ourselves as today. This should not be confused with Mohegan, a separate Tribal Nation. In addition to Mohican, we are also Munsee (Lenape). Munsee (Lenape) homelands are further south on the Hudson River Valley and Delaware River Valley. Munsee people are very closely related kin of Mohican people historically, and after the pressures of colonization many Munsee people joined together with Mohicans in Stockbridge. Stockbridge itself is not a culture, it is a placename, a town in Massachusetts where we lived in the 1700s.

In short, culturally, we are Mohican and Munsee people. Politically, our Nation is called the Stockbridge-Munsee Community."

A. More What's in a Name?

We call each other names — pet names and pejoratives, but mostly names are just descriptive.

For example, folks who come in here from outside are called outlanders. In Sweden they are called utbolingar (residing elsewhere), in the West and Midwest they are drylanders and wetlanders, in Scotland lowlanders and highlanders. All are descriptions without judgement, and yet it cannot be denied some take offense even though no offense is intended.

In a public meeting, I was called a woodchuck. It might have meant a dumb local. Yet I am proud to be a local and proud to represent a philosophy about protecting the environment that is the basis for what locals mean by preserving the character of Stockbridge. We take things differently when we listen, and we mean things in different ways when we talk. Be nice to give each other the benefit of the doubt.

4. Greetings from the Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce

1Berkshire is accepting applications for the second year of Best Foot Forward Facade Improvement Micro-Grants. Applications range from window washing, awnings, signage, facade painting. Click on link below to view details. Applications are now open, and grants will be awarded until funding is exhausted. All grants must be fully utilized, and the work completed by June 30th, 2023. Apply: https://form.jotform.com/230045434240139

 

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Photo: Blue Moon Images/Dana Goedewaagen

 NEWS

Events

1. "Coffee and Conversation" with our state legislators on Monday, February 13 at 10am in the Selectmen's Meeting Room in the Town Offices. Stop by to meet and greet our newly elected State Senator Paul Mark (Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire District) and State Representative Smitty Pignatelli (3rd Berkshire District).

2. Save the date: Norman Rockwell Museum (NRM) 2023 Gala — NRM will present "A Night of Wonder", its annual fundraiser, Saturday, June 10, 2023, 6pm — 10pm

NRM Spirit of the Holidays last 5 days — view the beloved Norman Rockwell images depicting Christmas, New Year's, and winter scenes — closes February 5, 2023

3. The Berkshire Edge, on the last Wednesday of each month will run Dateline: Stockbridge. It is all about the greatest little village in New England, and another source of Stockbridge news. Please let me know if you have news or a tip or something you would like me to cover. Thank you, Carole.

4. Berkshire Botanical Garden — Annual Bulb Show set for Feb. 24 through March 10 in the Fitzpatrick Conservatory. The show is free and open to the public, runs from Feb. 24 through March 10. The Fitzpatrick Conservatory is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

5. Stockbridge Library special events: Julian Zelizer with speak about his book, Myth America, February 4, 3pm — 4pm. Free

Valentine's Day Book Party, February 14th, 10am — 2pm.

 

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BBG Barn Raising. Photo courtesy Felix Carroll, Berkshire Botanical Garden

 PERSPECTIVE

From the Desk of the Chief of Police Darrell Fennelly

I just wanted to bring to light a recent scam being reported by the Berkshire County Sheriff. Scammers are calling people in Berkshire County and claiming to be Deputies with the Berkshire County Sheriff's Office. They are requesting money in order to clear a warrant or requesting money to clear a financial freeze on people's social security income due to legal troubles. The Sheriff's Office would never do this.

Also, it is that time of year again, that's right, tax season. That means the scammers are out in force. Five common scams to look out for are as follows: Tax related identity theft, the gift card scam, the refund recalculation scam, the stimulus payment scam and the taxpayer advocate scam. More information about these scams and others can be found at www.irs.gov/newsroom/common-tax-scams or www.use.gov/irs-scams .

Please remember do not send money, gift cards, bank checks or money orders to anyone soliciting it over the phone or email. Think twice about sharing any of your personal information to anyone over the phone or email. If any solicitation feels suspicious just hang up the phone. Give the Stockbridge Police Department a call if you feel suspicious about any solicitation.

II Reprise

The oval in the middle of the intersection is were installed last year are intended to provide a more orderly path of direction by shrinking the vast area of the intersection. If used properly, motorist should be driving around the oval instead of cutting directly through the intersection in a direct angle line. It is a traffic calming device created there to give motorists a sense of direction.

While the intersection is unique by utilizing a three way stop formation, the same rules of the road apply to the three stop signs as would be applicable to a four way stop intersection. Motorists at the stop signs must yield the right of way to:

1. Traffic heading west on Main Street to south onto South Street
2. Another vehicle that has already come to a full stop
3. A vehicle directly to your right that has stopped at the same time as you.

Unfortunately, with the size of the intersection and the aggressive and distracted driving that we so often see it is important to proceed with extreme caution and at slow speed.

This information can be found at the Mass Gov website under Chapter 4 Rules of the Road.

III Preview

Next issue The Chief will discuss Mass Casualty Incidents. He writes, it is "a sensitive subject but one that is very, very important. I don't want to alarm anyone but...it is imperative that people are aware."

 

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Photo: Blue Moon Images/Dana Goedewaagen

 PERSPECTIVE

From the Desk of the Town Administrator

by Michael Canales with Laura Dubester, Chair, Stockbridge Green Communities Committee

In the next six to eight weeks the Town of Stockbridge will be replacing its hodgepodge of incandescent, mercury vapor, and high-pressure sodium streetlights with LEDs. This upgrade will take place in the residential areas only, not the downtown.

In addition to the reduced energy costs and lower replacement costs, LEDs result in reduced light pollution at night and improved and more uniform light quality. Although 'truer' to natural color, LEDs make colors look brighter. Police and other safety personnel prefer LEDs because objects appear brighter and sharper.

Lower energy consumption and operating costs that come with an LED street lighting retrofit result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions, making this an important choice for towns who seek environmentally sustainable solutions.

Will the new lighting be different? Yes, while the lighting levels are equivalent, the 'kelvin temperature' is lower and the new streetlights will be more "dark skies friendly." Existing fixtures tend to produce a bright spot directly underneath the fixture while LED streetlights are designed to evenly distribute light. This dispersion of light improves visibility by decreasing sudden contrast between light and dark areas. Nevertheless, the streetlights may appear brighter. We hope that the adjustment will be easy.

This project was funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), a rebate from National Grid and a contribution from the Town of Stockbridge.

For more information or any concerns after installation, such as shining in a window or onto your property or interfering with night-time activities, please call Michael Canales, Town Administrator.

 

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BBG Barn Raising. Photo courtesy Felix Carroll, Berkshire Botanical Garden

 NEWS

Notes from the Select Board (SB), January 12, Hybrid meeting

Present:

• Patrick White, Chair,
• Chuck Cardillo
• Jamie Minacci
• Michael Canales, Town administrator
• Harold French
• Michael Roisman
• Corey Sprague and Jason, School Board
• Jason St. Peter, School Board
• Peter Dillon Superintendent BHRSD
• Via Zoom (named if speak)

1. Chair called the meeting to order and invited veteran Harold French to lead the Pledge of Allegiance
2. Chair asked for any announcements from the other SB members.
   1. Minacci announced that in February, a one-year public transportation program will begin — available on Sundays only. White added there is a nominal fee and it is transportation-on-demand — call for service and tell driver where you are going (more like Uber).
   2. White announced the MA Senator Paul Mark will visit Stockbridge for "Coffee and Conversation" in SB Meeting Room and on Zoom February 13 — 10am
3. Special Permit hearing — 15 Lakeview Drive — Rob Rakroyd for the applicant. The property is 1/2 acre in a R2 zone (2 acre) so the lot is nonconforming. New owners are keeping the house with same footprint but adding deck — 10 feet wide. Because it is within Lake and Pond Overlay District this is also before the Planning Board.
   1. Marie Raftery, member PB, made a site visit and said PB will discuss at next meeting.
   2. John Hart, ConCom, asked if the deck would be enclosed? He said that is always a concern.
   3. White said he had contacted Town Counsel Donna Brewer and she drafted language for a condition on the special permit. Deck approved but there would be no further alteration.
   4. White asked for a motion to grant approval of deck with the condition. Passed.
4. White opened the meeting to public comment.
   1. Michael Roisman suggested that because of a situation unique to Stockbridge — Town has had the same moderator, Gary Johnston, for approaching 50 years and the Moderator appoints the members of the Finance Committee — perhaps Stockbridge should elect rather than appoint members to the Finance Committee. Roisman said that would require a vote at Town Meeting and asked if SB would put an article to that effect on the Warrant?
   2. White began to answer Roisman but Minacci said there was a procedural rule that members could only listen but not respond during public comments.
   3. Harold French had several concerns:
      1. He was worried that our veterans are dying out and who will arrange the Veteran's Day celebration? White asked if they could coordinate with other towns? Minacci repeated that SB members could not speak.
      2. French was concerned that the rising percentage of second homeowners (60%) to (40%) primary homeowners was a challenge for the village.
      3. French was also concerned that Town fix drainage on Church Street — doesn't drain, water backs up into yards. Trees with roots in the catch basin should be removed. French was concerned about nonprofits that own property that they rent/lease and should they pay taxes on that property/income?
      4. Finally French was concerned about high costs at dump. Canales said it was "recycling monopoly" and a "function of the marketplace".
5. SB approved 4 sets of minutes as written.
6. Through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program, Stockbridge received $1000 anonymously and $500 from St Paul's Church. White thanked them.
7. Dillon, Sprague, and St. Peter joined SB to discuss an open seat on the School Board. The person approved for the open seat will also sit on the 8-Town Committee considering the school merger. Of the three people who indicated an interest in serving, Bill Vogt was elected.
8. Rich Bradway and Rick Wilcox joined the SB to discuss a formal ceremony presenting a document formerly in Stockbridge Library to the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of the Mohican Nation and the possible ownership of the Indian Burying Ground to the Stockbridge-Munsee Band.
   1. It was agreed to have a formal ceremony.
   2. Transferring the Burying Ground is harder. It is unclear who owns it. It was "given into the keeping" of Dr. Oliver Partridge and might require a quit claim from all his descendants — a daunting task. Attorney Lori Robbins is donating her time (for legal services) but not the costs of filing etc. to transfer the property.
   3. White mentioned that his understanding is that the Stockbridge-Munsee Community wants a local agent to manage the property as they are situated in Wisconsin.
   4. White suggested creating a Town/Stockbridge-Munsee Liasson Committee

Meeting adjourned.

 

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Photo: Don Perdue

 NEWS

Notes from the Planning Board, January 17, Hybrid meeting

Present:

• Kate Fetcher, Chair
• Lis Wheeler
• Gary Pitney
• Marie Raftery
• Nancy Sosha
• Carl Sprague via Zoom

1. Minutes of a site visit approved with spelling correction but not read at meeting.
2. Minutes of January 3 meeting approved as written.
3. Special Permit Hearing — Rob Rakroyd for 15 Lakeside Drive — to add a deck.
   1. Fletcher said passed SB with condition never to enclose and make indoor room.
   2. General discussion and questions and finally continued. Chair suggested PB wait to hear what ConCom does before they decide.
4. Discussion with expert David Cameron from Fleetwood Consulting.
   1. Chair said there was money for consultants in their budget. Is it possible for PB to hire Cameron if he is already working for ConCom? No clear answer.
   2. With respect to Lake and Pond Overlay District (LPOD) and transferring the responsibility in whole or in part to ConCom, Cameron appeared to think it belonged with PB that grants special permit. He also felt the Wetlands Protection Act and LPOD were very different and correct to be reviewed by different boards not put with same board because they appear to overlap.
   3. He viewed LPOD as very specific — black and white. Change parts open to too much interpretation and subjectivity.
   4. Cameron said, "Important to be said have really different regulatory authority."
   5. Cameron added that there should be NO collaboration and NO exchange of decision- making process or coordination of conclusions between the boards. Each has authority and should exercise it blind to whatever the other did. Each board has authority over different aspects. They only seem to overlap because they may be on a single piece of property. It is the responsibility of the applicant to satisfy all conditions even when the rulings are conflicting. Cameron added that the seeming "overlap" was not regulatory but physical, (same property different regulations) so all the conditions must be met.
5. There were questions from PB members. For example, Socha asked about making determinations with respect to erosion control. Cameron said there were "erosion control field tools for the average person". PB members seemed happy to hear there was a tool kit.
6. Another question was about "maintaining character of Town". Cameron said, "by character" Stockbridge meant aesthetics. Cameron said there were adequate provisions in the current bylaws.
7. There was a question was about enforcing bylaws. Cameron said had to be done but was a tricky decision. If ConCom starts the process to enforce then ConCom has to go all the way or perceived as "paper tiger" and perhaps ignored. Enforcement measures have clear steps and ConCom must follow through. However, Cameron's experience has been that applicants want to comply.
8. Fletcher said PB needed "more expertise at the table" and moved to "work with David Cameron as needed". Motion passed.

Meeting adjourned.

 

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Photo: Blue Moon Images/Dana Goedewaagen

 NEWS

Notes from the Community Preservation Committee, January 19, Hybrid meeting

Present:

• Sally Underwood-Miller, Chair
• Jay Bikofsky
• Tom Stokes
• Gary Pitney
• Via Zoom: Carole Owens, Linda Jackson, Patrick White, Ann Rabinowitz
• Applicants named if they speak.

1. Ron Brouker, Chair Conservation Commission (ConCom), will present a request for $5200 for improvement to 27 acres donated to the Town as a bird sanctuary. The land is on the left as you enter the dump. Plan is to remove cement slab, add top soil, and plant flowering trees.
2. Kevin "Moose" Foran will apply for a $16,500 grant for the 55-acre Bullard Woods. The projects will be to remove invasives and to place plaques identifying the trees in the old growth section. The plaques will identify the medicinal uses of the trees and their value to the ecosystem.
3. India Spartz, Stockbridge Library and Archives, will apply for $5-7000 to restore and digitize daguerreotypes (photographs widely used in the 1840s and 1850s), other materials, create master reels of microfilm, and two Stockbridge newspapers — Berkshire News (1890) and another in 1895.
4. Margaret Cherin, Director Chesterwood, thanked CPC for all it has done for the site. She will request $20,000 of $130,000 needed to restore the original architectural formal garden enclosure designed by French.
5. Architect Robert Harrison described the need to restore the Playhouse at the Berkshire Theatre Group (BTG). It has been closed and cannot reopen until restored. In 2028, BTG will celebrate its 100th anniversary and would like it to open then. It will request $100,000 of "the millions" necessary to do the work.
6. Pat Flinn, on behalf of Laurel Hill Association, described the current condition of the Mary Flynn Trail and the need for capital improvements. LHA will request $20,000.
7. Teresa O'Brient, Chairman of the Board, Berkshire Waldorf High School, explained the negotiations for purchase of Town Hall and then fund-raising campaign. The School has raised $3 million of the estimated $5 million necessary for restoration of the historic structure. When completed it will also have space for the community to use as the school is only in session 4 days per week. Waldorf will request the CPC restore the $250,000 originally granted for the restoration work.
8. Ranne Warner, Chair, Affordable Housing Trust and member Lis Wheeler, Andrea Lindsey, Director Heaton Court, and Jane Ralph, Director Construct, Inc. (Pine Woods) presented jointly. The request was for capital improvements of Pine Woods including HVAC, siding, and more. The estimate was over a million dollars for all work. However, they did not submit formal estimates for work or a current condition report. There was discussion of various ways to fund it and a request for more information.

Meeting adjourned.

 

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BBG Barn Raising. Photo courtesy Felix Carroll, Berkshire Botanical Garden

 NEWS

Notes from the Conservation Commission (ConCom), January 24, Hybrid meeting

Present:

• Ron Brouker, Chair
• John Hart
• Lisa Bozzuto
• Tom LaBelle
• Jamie Minacci
• Sally Underwood-Miller
• Chuck Kohrer
• William Loutrel

1. Minutes of the last meeting approved as written.
2. Underwood-Miller reported progress at the Haan property on Stockbridge Bowl. Injunction against mowing too close to the water is a regulation under the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act. The goose fence was moved to prevent mowing too close to the water. ConCom will make site visit in June and check new growth.
3. Marc Silver, owner, 12 Mahkeenac Shores, requesting a Certificate of Compliance (COC). The outstanding issue preventing a COC is that the wall as built does not match the plans of the wall that ConCom approved. What can be done? The Chair said ConCom cannot grant COC but will not require them to tear down the wall. Brouker suggested the engineer, contractor, attorney, and owner attend the next ConCom meeting (in person or via Zoom) and try to sort out what happened and how it can be fixed.
4. Rob Rakroyd for the property at 15 Lakeview Drive. At issue: originally approved for a dry-laid patio but built a deck.
   1. SB approved with the condition that the deck can never be enclosed — condition appended to deed.
   2. LaBelle suggested the change should be submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for review. His interpretation was that DEP regulations required starting over — submitting a new Notice of Intent (NOI).
   3. Continued
5. The Performance Standards were submitted to Town Counsel. TC returned them with negative comments. ConCom members will review comments and determine next step. Bozzuto suggested a separate meeting with review the only item on agenda — agreed.
   1. Hart: frustration over ConCom having teeth and getting Performance Standards done.
   2. SB Chair White commended ConCom on taking first step in establishing a process for enforcement. Performance Standards set expectations and ConCom judges against expectations and lays groundwork for enforcement.
   3. Underwood-Miller said ConCom was sued, taken to court and lost. "Makes me gun shy".
   4. She and Hart agreed Town should have won. Hart said it was bad lawyering.
   5. White said sued as commission and then each member sued individually. The latter was "reprehensible". Now that is water under the bridge. ConCom has a good strategy — move forward and remember Town has lawyers too. We have your back.
6. White reminded ConCom to put in budget request for Town Meeting soon so any request is on the Warrant.
7. Joint Agriculture and Forestry Commission/ConCom meeting to discuss diseased hemlocks around the lake — what to do?
8. 38 Lake Drive — request is for a RDA (Request for Determination) on a nonconforming lot (.26 acre). They plan to tear down an existing house and build a new one.
9. 82 Interlaken was granted permission for a "construction" driveway of more than 500 feet. A construction driveway is temporary and requires that it be returned to original condition when construction over. Will they ask for the drive to be permanent? Is that ConCom or PB jurisdiction? The property was "blasted" and bulldozed in order to create driveway — creates substantial problem to come into compliance.
   1. LaBelle wanted bylaws tightened.
   2. Underwood-Miller said more projects should be denied based on current bylaws. She also suggested other towns ban rebuilding on nonconforming lots — even if current structure is uninhabitable no new building and no increase in footprint. In that way a permit to build on a nonconforming lot is one time only.
   3. There seemed to be a feeling that there are current bylaws that allow oversight of aesthetics and maintain character.
10. Underwood-Miller rep to Kampoosa Committee reported drones may be used to fly over and photograph Kampoosa to determine current conditions. Information stored on Cloud.

Meeting adjourned.

Editor's note: 1. Granting a COC is verification that all permit requirements, and conditions attached to permits, are satisfied. 2. An RDA decides if the work contemplated falls under the Wetlands Protection Act under the jurisdiction of ConCom. 3. In the PB meeting, consultant David Cameron concurred — there are bylaws that used correctly could maintain character

 

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Photo: Blue Moon Images/Dana Goedewaagen

 NEWS

Notes from the Select Board, January 26, Hybrid meeting.

Present:

• Patrick White, Chair
• Chuck Cardillo
• Jamie Minacci
• Michael Canales, Town Administrator
• Others identified as they speak.

1. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Report by Steve Shatz on the "Housatonic Rest of the River" (HROR) Municipal Committee
   1. Shatz joke: should be called rest of my life committee (served 10 years)
   2. EPA permit issued; permit challenged by Housatonic River Initiative (HRI).
   3. Some revision on cleanup and landfill
   4. In Court of Appeals now — oral arguments this summer and then decision — hard to estimate when ruling expected.
   5. Depends on who loses — if "they" (apparently HRI) lose only appeal is to Supreme Court.
   6. "Good" that GE agreed to planning immediately so that planning is underway even as case is in court.
   7. White called Executive Session to discuss more details and will return to open meeting.
3. Canales reported $16,000 will be deducted from American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds to pay for the Berkshire Community Action Council (BCAC) weatherization program.
4. Minacci reported that Stockbridge won an award for the Ice Glen Project — Stockbridge was one of three municipalities in Massachusetts to win the Kenneth E. Pickard Municipal Innovation Award.
5. February 13, Paul Mark and (possibly) Smitty Pignatelli will visit Stockbridge for "Coffee and Conversation." SB room in Town offices 10am
6. One-day liquor licenses for Berkshire Botanical Garden for specific dates through September 2023 approved.
7. Three candidates applied for the position of Director of the Senior Center. Two were declared strong candidates. Of the two Canales recommended Stockbridge resident Roxanne McCaffrey. Voted by SB and approved.
8. White opened meeting to public comment
   1. Michael Roisman asked for SB to place an Article on the Warrant for Town Meeting. That is: To see if the Town will vote to have the Finance Committee members elected by the voters rather than appointed by the Town Moderator.
   2. John Hart and Anita Schwerner spoke in favor. SB declined to place it on the Warrant.
   3. Roisman has opportunity to place it on the Warrant by citizens' petition.
9. Request for Special Permit for 10 Pine Street. Attorney Lori Robbins represented owner Linda Shafiroff.
   1. Tear down existing barn which is in bad shape and was built over the boundary line
   2. Build new two-story structure with garage and office on ground floor and living space above.
   3. White placed a condition that the space could not be short-term rental.
   4. Approved unanimously — White applauded decision as creating additional housing close to Town
10. There was a temporary interruption as Canales and the applicants left the room. Upon return there was a problem. Unclear if Canales, PB, or TC objected but someone thought if there was living space on second floor, then an additional permit from PB was needed. It seemed unclear. Final decision was that permit w/condition approved by SB stood and Shafiroff would get a building permit and start work while simultaneously sorting out the other issue.
11. White presented an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) bylaw to be placed on Warrant for TM approval. Passed unanimously. PB has 65 days to review and hold hearings plus 21 days to act. if PB does not meet deadline automatically on Warrant.
12. White recommended a second bylaw change called the Residential Inclusionary Development Bylaw (RID). In brief RID requires developers of 10 units to include 1 affordable housing unit (AHU); 20 units 2 AHUs; 30 units, 3AHUs etc. Passed.
13. Pine Woods — White reported deferred maintenance at Pine Woods requires "a deep dive" into current condition.

Meeting adjourned.

Editor's question: 1. HROR "was created in 2013 to advocate common Housatonic River cleanup goals for the Rest of River to the EPA. It is governed by an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) signed by each municipality." Members are appointed by their respective executive authorities. "Originally consisting of Pittsfield, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Sheffield and Stockbridge, this was the first time all the Massachusetts municipalities on the Housatonic River directly impacted by the cleanup spoke with one voice." In his report, Steve Shatz kept using "we" and "they" — who is we and who is they?

 

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Kenneth E. Pickard Municipal Innovation Award, received by Stockbridge, the first Berkshire County municipality to win this award since 2014.

 PERSPECTIVE

The Stockbridge Town Square and Meeting House

by Rick Wilcox

June 1, 1745 (Special Town Meeting) Layout of the highways in Stockbridge by Josiah Jones and David Nawnauneekaunuck, Surveyors for Highways, to be confirmed and established as follows: "A square laid out about the meeting house Twenty-Six rods each way, ten rods east of the meeting house, sixteen rods west, six rods south and twenty rods north. Stakes being set at each corner of said Square." "And a road laid out from said Square to the grist mill begins and continues to be eight rods wide a few rods east of John Konkapot's barn then narrowing gradually to the next stakes and there to be six rods wide and continuing to narrow till it comes against the house of Joseph Woodbridge and then four rods wide and to continue of the last- mentioned width til it comes to the south corner of the Woodbridge lot and then to turn northwardly to the grist mill...." The meeting house, constructed in 1739, a building used for both religious and the secular business of town government, was 40 X 30 feet, two stories high, with the front door facing south. Knowing that it rested fifty or so feet northwest of the Children's Chime Tower that south orientation may seem odd given the location of current Main Street. Apparently, the English colonists did not anticipate the need for a street at that location, and in 1750 a survey placed the burying yard north of the rear of the meetinghouse, land that is now referred to as The Old Section of the town cemetery. Main Street, later Plain Street, in that 1750 survey ended just east of the Town Square. If you wander through the Old Section of the town cemetery you will note that Rev. John Sergeant died in July 1749, his grave predated the cemetery survey by almost a year. In 2024 the current Federal Period brick Congregational Church will be 200 years old. A topic for the next Stockbridge Updates.

Author's note: A rod is 16.5 feet. Plain (Main) Street from the Town Hall to about Elm Street was 8 rods wide or 132 feet wide. Woodbridge house, later Laurel Cottage, believed to have been built about 1740, was at 50 Main Street, Bidwell Park. Woodbridge lot, and grist mill is land at the base of Yale Hill Road on the right.

 

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Greetings from Antarctica. Photo: Lionel Delevingne

 PERSPECTIVE

Character

by Bruce Blair

Zoning and conservation take it on the chin these days in Stockbridge. The market is a relentless driver of change, fueled by an almost unimaginable flow of money into the hands of a few folks who get their way via big-time help from lawyers, design engineers, developers, etc.

Overwhelmed by these well-funded teams, accused of the NIMBY defense, holding off allies of large-scale developers within their own ranks, our Town Boards and Commissions --made up of elected and appointed volunteers — struggle. They are beaten over the head by complex letter-of-the-law interpretations of zoning regulations, dense details, breezy assertions. Who wouldn't lose sight of the intent of the law sometimes?

The who-does-what dialogue going on at last among some members of the three primary governing bodies of Stockbridge — the Select Board, the Planning Board, and the Conservation Commission — is a reflection of this coupled with a desire to get it right. If we avoid our own rules and authority, institutionalize our failure to understand and enforce them, we come to a crossroads.

Our sense of scale has been challenged. People building unusually configured or enormous homes on the Bowl have helped trigger the realization that the intent of our zoning and conservation rules is about preserving the character of Stockbridge.

Watch a past public hearing for a Special Permit on video. You may hear a Chair ask the applicant what our other Boards decided about the application. Are recommendations and findings coordinated by the Boards themselves as a matter of course as they become public record? Each Board has its own regulatory purview, but all want the best outcomes for both applicants and the town. The Planning Board could approve a project permit Conservation has placed conditions on. Will the conditions be enforced? Is the permit valid? Our representatives have not always had the expertise to resolve questions and enforcement issues. They are volunteers who commit to serving Stockbridge. They are friends, neighbors, often people we know, doing increasingly difficult jobs.

The intent of our conservation and building bylaws is likely obvious to the majority of residents. We have chosen to make a life here based on the character of Stockbridge. There are some here who are asking what character means and maybe we are going to have to show them. 29% of us voted in our last election. How much do we care? We'd better start talking about it. Otherwise, the character — and ultimately the value — of living in this town may disappear.

 

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Photo: Don Perdue

 PERSPECTIVE

A Final Peg, a Wetting Bush, and the Start of a New Era

by Felix Carroll

On a chilly, wet Saturday, Jan. 21, a barn was raised! In a ceremony to mark a milestone, Berkshire Botanical Garden (BBG) staff, trustees, and friends watched as the final truss was put into place by means of an hydraulic hoist.

Board of Trustees Chairman Matthew Larkin did the honors of hammering in the final oak peg for the framed-out structure that, by summer, will serve as the new heart of BBG's popular Farm in the Garden Camp.

"This building is going to be a wonderful addition to the Garden and will be a place where we're going to be able to continue to do great work to create the next generation of environmental stewards, the next generation of gardeners, and it is going to be a wonderful, aesthetically beautiful space," said BBG's Executive Director Thaddeus Thompson

Before the final truss was hoisted, Barbara and Melissa Leonhardt, who, through New York Community Trust, donated the construction funds in honor of their late mother, Anne, were asked to take part in a traditional ceremony. They nailed a bough snipped from a nearby white pine onto the truss. The ceremony pays homage to the trees that went into a particular construction and symbolizes the establishment of the building's "roots." The bough is called a "wetting bush."

"It joins the land and the building together," explained Scott Brockway, of Berkshire Wood Products in Windsor, Mass., who serves as the project's manager and sawyer. He harvested and milled eight species of trees for the project. Most of the trees are from within a four-mile radius of his mill. Some come from the BBG's' own woods.

The building is 30-foot-by-50-foot, single-story, 18 feet tall. It will include a wing with bathrooms and a sizable root cellar. Assembled using old world post-and-beam construction with many notable innovative engineering and design elements, the building will have its official ribbon cutting this spring at BBG's annual Roy Boutard Day on Sunday May 7.

Larkin, who did the initial design for the building, and A.J. Schnopp Jr. Construction Inc. was general contractor.

Schnopp introduced Larkin to Brockway and Adam Miller who completed the plan. The 30-foot-by-50-foot portion of the Farm in the Garden Camp building will function as an unheated pavilion.

Brockway called the building "functional art." Miller added, "I consider it [what we do] a craft."

Miller and Brockway incorporated one final touch with a nod to tradition. They embedded a penny (with the date when the frame was constructed) under a post.

 

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Greetings from Antarctica. Photo: Lionel Delevingne

 HUMOR

A Modest Town Budget Proposal

by Patrick White

If you read the newspaper, you must know that one of the ways we can get out of the current US debt ceiling impasse is to mint a Trillion Dollar Coin and deposit it in the United States Treasury!

What a fantastic idea!

Why limit it to the Feds? What a wonderful way to fund Town Government! Think about it. With a Trillion Dollar Coin, we could pay for a New Intersection! And Sewer for everyone! And ADUs! And, well, a new Pavilion, and Water Slide, and our share of the New High School!

For those who care about, you know, our Climate Disaster, with a Trillion Dollar Coin, we could Dredge the entire Bowl! We could plant new Trees to replace all the Problem Trees! We could buy everyone a Tesla! Yes, a Tesla! And don't get started on how Elon Musk is a Nut Job and we shouldn't support him! That's only on Twitter, and Twitter is free so it doesn't count! Tesla still makes great cars! Just look around!

While we are at it, we could eliminate everyone's taxes! For at least a year! Now some might argue, we should only use our Trillion Dollar Coin to eliminate locals' taxes! I would never support that! A trillion is more than enough to pay Taxes for Everyone!

We may need permission to mint our Trillion Dollar Coin from like, you know, someone. Let's ask Smitty and Sen. Mark when they come to Town! How about the Governor? I wish this had come up before the trip to Boston to accept our Major Award!

Perhaps the most important question though is, who would be on the Stockbridge Trillion Dollar Coin? I have taken the liberty to present five design options. I am not a very good designer, so these are just sketches!

How about Chief Obenheim? He checks all the boxes: Law and Order! Check. Stockbridge History! Check. Arlo Guthrie Mythology! Check. I love this Idea, so I put it first.

Some may argue, we don't have enough Women on Coins! And Coins are for Politicians! So I present to you Mary Million-Million. You know, Mary Flynn! I have no jokes to make about Mary. That would be political suicide.

If no one wants to remember the 20th Century, and who could blame you, let's hark back to the 19th! Mary Hopkins Goodrich! I couldn't find a photo of the Laurel Hill Association founder on a horse, but no worries. We can Photoshop it!

Now, some might argue for a celebration of our Culture! I for one Love Culture. And it's great for Local Occupancy Taxes! And so I present to you the Tanglewood Trillion! Now, we might want to split the trillion with Lenox on this, as we all know Tanglewood exists in the netherworld "between Lenox and Stockbridge".

Finally, some might say coins are often nationalistic. We should celebrate our Adversaries! And the Outdoors! For this final coin, I give you Dumpster Bear! Dumpster Bear is formidable! And he's Green! Well he's really Black but by Green I mean Outdoors! I like Dumpster Bear. Bears are Cute! Let's go with the Bear! Bear in mind, I am not the Decider. It's entirely up to You!

Oh, wait: The Town doesn't have any Platinum. Or a Town Mint.

Finally, please remember: This is in the new Humor section for a reason.

 

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Kitchen Cabinet. Photo: Patrick White

 THE LAST WORD

Reader to Reader

To the Readers:

The people of Stockbridge have different opinions on different issues. National media says we spend too much time in echo chambers, closed email and chat groups, and only talk to the like-minded. Stockbridge Updates is open to all. You write it, SU posts it. (No exceptions except as posted in our policies)

It doesn't mean SU agrees or disagrees; our aim is to have an open forum a place for diverse opinions and different voices. Join in.

Carole Owens, Managing Editor

 

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Carole,

Thank you again for keeping us well informed through S/U.

As I reviewed the S/U article on the loss by demolition, I could not help but be drawn by the presentation of Daniel Chester French's design rendering, which appears to have been very well preserved.

It is a truly simple structure of very modest dimension. The materials to construct a faithful replica would probably be of a modest amount. I would hazard a guess that we have the local carpentry and construction talents to build the Town an excellent replica that might last at least another 100 years.

I do not wish to address the issues of culpability, crime, nor punishment. But rather I'll keep my comments to historical continuity. Clearly, the property owner of 22 Prospect Hill Road did not want the Pavilion to remain on his property. As with our sacred Mission House, a new location for the proposed French Pavilion would be appropriate.

I propose we consider the possibility of looking forward to enjoying the French designed pavilion, accept that the original is destroyed, as a fait accompli; and move on to deciding where such a faithful replica should be placed; and I propose the funding for the construction and foundation come from a grant of the Historical Preservation Committee.

Respectfully submitted,

Bob Feuer

 

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Hi Carole,

I wonder what a lovingly faithful reproduction Tea House pavilion, built to the archival photos and blueprints — and given a prominent spot in town, might cost? Perhaps a generous goodwill lead gift from the property owners, some pro bono construction from some of our gifted craftsmen, and something from the historic preservation fund and Chesterwood would do it. We need some healing on this. There are many historical buildings that have, for one reason or another, to be replicated.

Where there's a will...

Don Stevens

 

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Carole,

I want to take issue with Sally Underwood-Miller's remark that second homeowners "don't even vote". We are not permitted to.

Ira Licht

Dear Ira,

You are correct that only primary homeowners can vote. However, did you know, it is your choice? The law only allows you to be a voter in one location, but you pick the location in which to be a voter. There are a number of variables for you to weigh in making your decision, but it is your choice and your choice only. Become a Massachusetts voter or remain a voter in another place, do what pleases you.

Thank you for writing,

Carole

 

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Carole,

SU rocks!

I guess photography has a real function given the ongoing desecration of Stockbridge' s past... pictures last forever!

Looking forward to more ...

Lionel Delevingne

Lionel,

Thank you for all your photographs. Each makes SU better.

Carole

 

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Carole,

My piece in this issue is over 400 words. But when it comes to a Trillion Bucks, there are No Limits!

Patrick White

Patrick,

You got in under the wire. The text of your article is 303 words. Images captions make up the rest. Thanks for being the first contributor to SU's new Humor Section.

Carole

Editor's Note: Patrick White is Chair, Stockbridge Select Board

 

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To the Editor:

At the Jan. 26 Select Board Meeting, town resident Michael Roisman presented the select board with a request to sponsor an article on the Town Warrant that would change the way members of the Finance Committee are selected — change from being appointed by the Town Moderator to being elected by town voters. All 3 selectmen responded with their thoughts on the issue and did not support the article. Michael will move forward with a citizen's petition which I hope you will support at Town Meeting. Thank you, Michael Roisman for pursuing this. Thanks to CTSB we are able to access the meeting and replay the discussion — it begins about 18 minutes into the meeting.

There is no term limits for a Moderator. Finance is a 7 person committee with 2 alternates each with a term of 2-3 years so most years there are 3 members who are up for re-appointment to a 3 year term but it can vary. To my knowledge, there is no public announcement when there are openings on the Finance Committee. Let's show some confidence in our informed electorate being capable of checking a candidate's background and qualifications before voting for them. Let's reach out to the whole town to find interested, qualified candidates. As Chuck stated, "it's not a popularity contest".

Anita Schwerner

Editor's note: Schwerner is Chair of the Democratic Town Committee

 

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Carole,

"Article XXII does not mention size as a variable that triggers or fails to trigger the process required prior to an allowable demolition." I did read the bylaw, Consider items 2.4, "as required by the State Building Code," which does seem to tie the article to state law and 2.6-2.7, speaking to pre-identification and to 500 square feet, and thus seem unlikely to apply to this structure that I too wish had been preserved. Consider also that the owners DID "seek out alternative options to preserve, rehabilitate or restore such buildings rather than to demolish them," albeit one might have hoped for more.

Peter L. Strauss

Peter,

Thank you for the opportunity to end this issue where it began — you told me how to get to no; now tell me how to get to yes because, as you wrote, we all hoped for more.

Carole

 

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Greetings from Antarctica. Photo: Lionel Delevingne