Reader to Reader: We Got Mail

Hi Carole,

I hope you’re doing well and haven't been swept away by the incessant rain!

SU is a community gem, and you deserve much credit for keeping it lustrous. I have one small beef. You state that "SU is a public service with a simple purpose: to inform the voters….”

That well-intended line manages to exclude all of us second-homeowners, since second homeowners do not have the right to vote!

I don’t really think you intended this. Assuming I am right, you may want to amend the statement to read “to inform the citizens…” or something more inclusive.

Thanks,

Larry Ackerman

Dear Larry,

Thank you for the “catch”, Larry, and you are right. Your sentiment is reflected in SU's Statement of Purpose below.

Best wishes as always,

Carole

Dear Carole,

Regarding Marie Raftery’s letter to Stockbridge Updates in the last issue, please — I urge everyone in town to see the video of the meeting in question. My letter was read in part and referred to at that Planning Board meeting and is actually on the CTSB recording. My name as the author is heard in the recording.

This makes the letter a matter of public record and this was how Stockbridge Updates became aware of it. Stating that the letter was not part of the meeting is not true.

The Planning Board minutes do not constitute a complete record of Board proceedings, nor are they required to. It has been impossible, in my opinion, to use these minutes to understand the scope and purpose of the Chair’s agenda over the past year. The town’s meeting minutes are often incomplete. The town’s website is not a comprehensive resource.

I respectfully disagree that the points in my letter have been addressed. I believe residents would benefit if the Board would document its contentions that we are losing population, and that our taxes will go down if we develop housing clusters. Can the Board document projected infrastructure impacts and costs that the town would incur? Has the Board considered public sentiment in promoting such a massive change in our bylaws? What will Stockbridge look like after this kind of development takes hold?

Transparency in government is good thing. Stockbridge Updates plays an important role in helping this happen. The First Amendment comes first for a reason!

Sincerely,

Bruce Blair

Dear Bruce,

Thank you for your kind words about SU. To touch on your other points: according to the 2020 census, Stockbridge is one of the few towns in Berkshire County that grew in population 2010 - 2020. Moreover, in 2020, its LACK of density attracted the biggest growth in sales and prices in decades. In their “flight to safety” during the pandemic, city-folks were searching for small town USA. For those who wanted more real estate tax income — they just got it by NOT developing.

Best wishes,

Carole

Endnotes: Amphibian and Reptilian

Editor's Note: To all of the Stockbridge Updates photographers, thank you! You keep our readers scrolling and make every issue stand out.

Photo: Joan Gallos

Photo: Patrick White

Photo: Patrick White