Editorial

The Appeal and Peril of a Community of Like-Minded People

It is so comfortable to be among like-minded people. So pleasant to state a point of view and have those around us nod.

Once it was less uncomfortable if those around us disagreed. Once there was a town square. At a town meeting, in the meeting house or the square, folks felt free to voice differing opinions. In the end, the majority ruled; the minority acquiesced. What made it possible was that in the beginning, before the first opinion was uttered, there was agreement that comity was the underpinning of civilized discourse. That is, there was a communal demand for courtesy and considerate behavior. A commonly held belief that the relationship was more important than winning the point.

Today we can select our online town square. We can wallow in like-minded expression. We can avoid all disagreement. We can determine that winning is better than getting along; that like-mindedness is better than likelihood.

It may feel good, but it is not a good strategy. Perspective comes from testing our beliefs; the best solutions come from melding diverse opinions. Learning to build consensus is rewarding and learning how to do it is a skill. Being nodded at is pleasant but there it ends. It does not build strength or skill.

In the town square, freedom of speech was tempered by comity. The rules were simple: disagree without disparaging; before articulating an opposing argument, state a point of consensus, a positive quality and contribution of an opponent.

Probably it is wrong to believe locals are woodchucks — too dumb to run a village. Probably it is not true that all second homeowners are ignorant of where they are and uninterested in learning. Stop. Attack the problems, not each other.

When Rick Wilcox was our Police Chief, he wanted to convince us to lock our doors. In Stockbridge, that was a hard sell. We trusted each other. It hurt not to. We acknowledged that there was evil, just not in our village. His argument was, “Everything out there comes here — it just takes longer”.

Don’t let it.

When Mary Flynn was on the Select Board, she led from love and logic and called that “The Stockbridge Way”. It served Stockbridge for 282 years. It guided Stockbridge to create and preserve a beautiful, financially sound, and highly desirable place to live. The village did okay. It ought to carry on — “The Stockbridge Way”.

by Carole Owens, Managing Editor

News

Local Elections 2021

Stockbridge Updates will publish “Stockbridge Candidates Q & A” before election day in May 2021. We will videotape the candidates’ answers or print them, whichever the candidate prefers. We invite all running to retain their seats and to those challenging them to please contact Stockbridge Updates and schedule an interview. To assure fairness, we will collect statements and answers whenever the candidate is ready and publish them all in the same issue. SU will provide space/time for an opening statement and then ask three questions of each. The “Stockbridge Candidates Q & A” will appear in the May 1 issue of Stockbridge Updates. Thank you. An informed electorate is the first priority of Stockbridge Updates.

Carole Owens, Managing Editor

Open seats in 2021

3-year terms: Moderator, Selectman, Board of Assessors, Board of Health, Tree Warden, Sewer and Water Commission

5-year terms: Planning Board, Planning Board, Housing Authority

Appointments: Finance Committee, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission — alternate

The current occupants of the seats are:

1. Gary Johnston, Moderator
2. Ernest (Chuckie) Cardillo, Selectman
3. Gary Pitney, Chair, Board of Assessors
4. Charles Kenny, Chair, Board of Health
5. Peter Curtin, Tree Warden
6. Donald Schneyer, Chair, Sewer and Water Commission
7. Christine Rasmussen, Planning Board
8. Gary Pitney, Planning Board
9. James Welch, Housing Authority
10. Jay Bikofsky, Chair, Finance Committee

Thank you all for your service. Good luck to you and to the contenders.

Open positions will appear on your ballot. The people currently in the seats may choose to run again or decline to run. All those wishing to run will submit nomination papers by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday March 30, 2021 with the requisite signatures. That earns them a place on the printed ballot.

Stockbridge votes for candidates at the voting booth and on the issues at Town Meeting.

Editor’s note: In the last issue, the date for submission of nomination papers was incorrect. We regret the error; please see the correction printed above in bold.

News

Town Boards and Committees

Notes from the Stockbridge Community Preservation Committee

All grant applications for CPC funds were due in the Select Board’s office by noon on January 22, 2021. The following applicants met the deadline.

1. On behalf of Naumkeag, Mark Wilson submitted an application for $7,270 to restore and install a statue by Frederick MacMonnies given to Joseph Hodges Choate by architect Stanford White.
2. Arthur Dutil, on behalf of the Friends of Gould Meadows, submitted an application for $11,950 (part of a $26,775 project) to continue work on the 80-acre Gould Meadows. Tasks will include building a raised walkway, removal of invasive species and trees (including stump grinding).
3. Bonnie Hartley, on behalf of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, requested $20,000 for the “Mohican Survey of the Field Arboretum”, using the Geographic Information System (GIS is ground penetrating; it gathers and analyzes data, which it converts into maps and 3D images).
4. Michael Canales, on behalf of the Select Board, submitted a proposal for restoration of the Civil War Monument. Of the estimated $135,000 cost, the Town requests $60,000, $35,000 remains from the $50,000 granted by CPC last year, the Town will fund $25,000.
5. On behalf of the Stockbridge Library, India Sparkz submitted a request for $20,000, a fraction of the estimated $300,000 total cost to replace the HVAC system in the Stockbridge Library Museum & Archives.
6. Ellen Spear, on behalf of the Norman Rockwell Museum, submitted a request for $20,000 for an Historic Structure Report of Linwood — an administrative building on the grounds of the museum.
7. On behalf of Riverbrook, Rebecca Amuso Wendell requested $50,000 of a total $350,000 project for a handicapped accessible bathroom, an elevator, and a sprinkler system.
8. On behalf of Heaton Hall, Andrea Lindsay requested $5,000 to repair or replace the historic sign blown away during a storm.
9. The Stockbridge Housing Authority requested $34,000 this year and an anticipated $33,000 next year to repair or replace the siding of several buildings at Heaton Hall damaged by water seeping under the boards.
10. Kate Fletcher, on behalf of the Fountains Committee, requested $5,000 for the Water Trough and $25,000 for the Cat and Dog Fountain repairs.
11. The Berkshire Theater Group requested $15,000 to begin restoration of the Mellon Barn (the red barn on Rte. 7 North)
12. On behalf of Pinewood, Construct Inc. requested $75,000 this year and $45,000 next year of the estimated $220,000 necessary to repair or replace the driveway.
13. Kathryn Whitney of 17 Willard Hill requested $15,000 to repair her roof. The house is an historic structure built in 1833 and originally used as a Stagecoach Inn.
14. Jay Bikofsky requested $300,000 over five years — $100,000 this year and $50,000 for each of the following four years — to establish a Housing Trust Fund. It would provide funds to off-set the cost of a down payment to first-time home buyers purchasing a primary residence.

Editor’s note: CPC will meet February 19 — 5pm to discuss and vote on the grants. It is estimated that the requested funds are twice the estimated funds available.

Notes from the Planning Board

Board Members:

William Vogt, Chair
Marie Raftery
Christine Rasmussen
Katherine Fletcher
Gary Pitney
Nancy Socha
Wayne Slosek
Jennifer Carmichael, secretary
Consultants: Jeff Lacey and Philip Arnold

Conservation Commission (Con Com):

Sally Underwood-Miller, secretary
Ron Brouker, Chair

On behalf of the special permit applicant: Attorney Lori Robbins, engineer Brent White, and prospective buyers David and Cheryl Brause.

1. Chairman Vogt introduced the members of Con Com and the reason for their visit to PB. Citizens seeking Special Permits may be required to present their plans to both Con Com and PB for approval. A discussion followed about whether there was a way to streamline and/or simplify the process. Whether there are overlapping or differing regulations for the applicants to consider. Whether a representative from each (PB and Con Com) attend the meetings of the other; whether site visits can be joint. There was no formal conclusion; discussions will continue.
2. The next item was a special permit request for 82 Interlaken. Brent White presented the project plans and its compliance with regulations. However, there were concerns expressed by PB members; the permit was not granted, and the matter was continued.
3. Chairman Vogt took exception to an Editor’s note posted in Stockbridge Updates. Vogt said he had consulted with SB Chair Chuck Cardillo who expressed support for the idea of shifting obligations from the SB to the PB. The Editor’s note in question is reprinted here:

Editor’s note:

If an approval function is to be moved from under the purview of the Select Board to the PB, then there is a formal process to follow. What a Select Board does is a matter of law. Under the Mass General Laws: “The select board performs three functions: legislative (enacts local ordinances, regulations and policies); administrative (prepares and presents the budget, oversees all town expenditures, supervises personnel and controls town buildings and property); and has a quasi-judicial role determining private rights in certain areas.” Read more under the General Laws available online.

A formal process requires all Select Board members to be present in a public meeting and a vote to be taken; it precludes private conversations.

4. PB then considered reports from two consultants. Philip Arnold presented his recommendations for sign, driveway and parking bylaws. The approval process for the proposed bylaw changes is: PB sends proposed bylaw change to the SB. SB holds public hearing. SB either accepts or modifies the proposal sent by PB. SB places bylaw as presented by PB or as amended by SB on the warrant for approval at Town Meeting. Some changes to bylaws require a 2/3 vote while others require a simple majority to pass. If approved, the changes are sent to the Attorney General of the Commonwealth for review and approval and returned to the Town for adoption. The process begins with forwarding by PB to SB; PB postponed sending until next meeting.
5. Jeff Lacey discussed Cottage Era and Open Space Bylaws. Working from Joel Russell’s review and report, he recommended a plan he did in Franklin County six years ago which he referred to as NRPZ.

Editor’s Note: NRPZ stands for Natural Resource Protection Zoning.

Notes from Board of Selectmen

Select Board meeting January 14, 2021, 6:30pm via Zoom

Present:

Chuck Cardillo, Select Board Chair
Roxanne McCaffrey, Select Board Member
Patrick White, Select Board Member
Michael Canales, Town Administrator

Also present, Maria Rafferty, Elizabeth and Ned Hazen, Bill Vogt, J.A. Lyons, Susan and Will Laidlaw

1. In lieu of taxes, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church donated $500 and Berkshire Taconic made a contribution of $1,000.
2. To fix the HVAC in Town Hall, the SB transferred $39,500 from the Reserve Fund. Apparently, the Finance Committee approved this transfer, which prompted a discussion about the importance of the SB maintaining its prerogative as the only body that raises and appropriates funds.
3. Balance in the Reserve Fund: $10,500.
4. The Hazens requested a special permit to demolish and rebuild a garage. It is not on the same footprint. The matter was continued because permits can only be granted to property owners. A portion of the proposed garage will be on neighboring property. There was an easement for the former garage, but the question is: Since the original garage was torn down, is the easement still valid?
5. There was a complaint about the clearing of the sidewalks on East Main Street. It was decided that even though that walkway is state property, Stockbridge will clear it.
6. Brief discussion of potential submission by Town to CPC.
7. White suggested it was a good time to borrow money as interest on debt is so low. Possible areas to fund through borrowing: Children’s Chime Tower, monuments, and bridges.
8. There was a brief discussion of Police budget with attention to overtime.

Select Board meeting January 21, 8:30am via Zoom

Present:

Roxanne McCaffrey, Select Board Member
Patrick White, Select Board Member
Michael Canales, Town Administrator

Michael Canales reported progress on the following:

1. The maintenance garage has received a CO (certificate of occupancy) and is now in use.
2. Larrywaug Bridge — the grant is secured, and the contract is going out to bid. The anticipated completion date is August 2021.
3. Averic Road Bridge—grant secured — out for bid.
4. Curtisville utility contract was granted for a new structure to house pipes.
5. MVP (Municipal Vulnerability Program) is an ongoing project led by Laura Dubester, chair, and Green Communities Committee, Patrick White, and Michael Canales. (See below)
6. Talks are underway with Natural Heritage to determine what they will approve for weed harvesting on Stockbridge Bowl in 2021.
7. Laura Dubester and the Green Communities Committee have upgraded lighting in the Water Treatment plant.
8. The Town completed the roof on Proctor Hall.
9. Discussions underway with Mass DOT about what paving will be done this spring.
10. Chime Tower repairs were deemed too expensive to submit to CPC. It is likely the SB will place funding for the repairs ($550,000) on the Town Meeting warrant.
11. The repairs for the Civil War Memorial are estimated at $120,000. Half the amount ($60,000) will be requested from CPC.
12. There was public comment about the Red Lion Inn intersection. McCaffrey explained that the proposed “test” was the least expensive and invasive option. When the intersection was described as dangerous, McCaffrey responded, “The intersection was not even on the Commonwealth’s radar”– it was so comparatively safe.
13. Patrick White was named to CPC joining Carole Owens as the two SB representatives.

About the Stockbridge Green Communities Committee

The Stockbridge Green Communities Committee helps the Town reduce its energy consumption through participation in the MA Department of Energy Resources Green Communities program. Stockbridge was designated a MA Green Community in 2015 so it can apply for grants to help achieve its 5-year goal of 20% reduction in energy consumption. The Committee assists the Town in preparing grant applications offered by the MA Department of Energy Resources Green Communities Division. The Committee helps the Town comply with reporting requirements. The Committee meets infrequently as needed.

Contact: lauradubester@gmail.com

Committee Members:

Laura Dubester, Chair
Mike Buffoni
Pat Flinn
Chris Marsden
Miles Moffatt
Pam Sandler
Starbuck Smith
Tom Stokes
Police Chief Darrell Fennelly
Michael Canales, Town Administrator

In a prior meeting, the Select Board approved the process to qualify for the MVP program. MVP is the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant program. MVP offers funding to municipalities that wish to assess their vulnerability to and prepare for climate change impacts, build community resilience, and receive designation from the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) as certified MVP communities that are eligible for MVP Action Grant funding and other opportunities.

The program helps communities to:

• Define climate related hazards
• Understand how they may be impacted by climate change utilizing the latest science and data at http://www.resilientma.org/
• Identify existing and future climate vulnerabilities and strengths
• Identify opportunities to take action to reduce risk and build resilience
• Implement priority actions identified through the planning process

The Select Board hired a consultant, BSC Group, Boston. BSC posted information. To read more about MVP, go to: https://stockbridgemvp.wordpress.com/mvp-program/

Laura Dubester of The Green Communities Committee has volunteered to lead this process along with Michael Canales and Patrick White.

About Residential Tax Exemption (RTE)

RTE is a state initiative. Enacted in 1979, a part of RTE is an option under the property tax classification that shifts the tax burden within the residential class from owners of moderately valued residential properties to the owners of higher-valued properties, vacation homes, and residential properties not occupied by the owner including vacant land and apartment buildings. It is in Mass General Law: C 59, sec. 5C, and grants the Select Board the ability to enact this exception without input from the pubic or any committee, commission or board. However, the SB may choose to bring it to Town Meeting for comment (binding or non-binding).

RTE does require knowing who is and who is not a resident. The definition of a resident is not determined locally; it is state law: “A resident is a person who maintains a permanent place of abode in Massachusetts and spends more than 183 days of the taxable year in Massachusetts. Whether a person maintains a permanent place of abode in Massachusetts is a factual determination.” (Mass General Law: TIR 95 — 7)

News

COVID Updates

Berkshire County has been complimented by the state for its efficient delivery of vaccinations

1. New vaccination Hotline 413-449-5575.
2. The W.E.B. DuBois Middle School is now a vaccination location for South County. People must be pre-approved and pre-registered.
3. If you are 75+ go to www.maimmunizations.org to pre-register or www.getvaccinatedberkshires.org or local pharmacy web sites.
4. Phase One: Health care workers (December to Feb); Phase Two: over 75+, and then teachers, and 65+ (February — April) Phase Three: general public.
5. Massachusetts eases some restrictions. The stay-at-home order from 10pm to 5am will be rescinded January 25.
6. The mandatory early closing (9:30pm) will be rescinded January 25th. Effective with rescinding early closing, liquor stores and retail establishments that sell liquor can sell it after 9:30pm.
7. All gatherings and events will also be permitted to continue past 9:30pm.
8. All gatherings and events will remain subject to current capacity limits of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.

More information available at Mass.gov

COVID 19

Town Hall Providing COVID Vaccine Support

A Message from Michael Canales/Town Administrator

Massachusetts has started Phase 2 vaccinations for those 75 years of age and over. You may make an appointment at clinics held in Berkshire County. Information is on the Town’s website.

1. To register for a vaccination appointment, you can go to www.maimmunizations.org and search for a clinic.
2. The following town employees can assist seniors in enrolling by calling Stockbridge Town Hall at 413-298-4170:
   • Tammy: ext. 106
   • Terri: ext. 251
   • Theresa: ext. 101
3. These clinics are for those who live or work in Massachusetts, and you must bring proof of age or other eligibility with you to the clinic. Those who cannot prove eligibility or residence will not be vaccinated.
4. Part-time and temporary residents are eligible.
5. Please note: There are currently more individuals than there is vaccine. As the state allocates more vaccine to Berkshire County, new appointments will become available.

New Website, More Vaccine Coming Soon

Tri-Town reports a new Berkshire County vaccination site, and more vaccine available shortly

by Jim Wilusz

Get Vaccinated Berkshires | COVID-19 Vaccine

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative is administering the COVID-19 vaccine to our community as quickly as possible: safely, effectively, and efficiently. Phase 2 vaccinations begin February 1 for individuals 75 years or older. Registration is open now. You can make an appointment once more vaccine is delivered so keep checking back!

www.getvaccinatedberkshires.org

by by Michael Canales

COVID 19

Stockbridge Updates Statement of Purpose

To inform the electorate without opinion or pressure and give readers the facts they need to make their own decisions.

To provide space for opinion, but since facts and opinions are different, to clearly mark opinion pieces, and clearly identify the opinion holder.

Stockbridge Updates is a periodic newsletter delivered through email.

Carole Owens, Managing Editor

Opinion

Discourse

We have collectively allowed negativity and ill-mannered discourse into our town and our lives. Stockbridge is now a microcosm of the world that surrounds us.

This one topic would be a great opportunity to have open discussions. The issue starts with understanding the opposite point of view, digging into roots of disagreement. This is an investment in time and knowledge… not sound-bites.

You can only kill the lie or disagreement by both sides investing in stripping it down to the bone, and understanding the points of commonality to coalesce around, and in turn, the points to comprise over… for the benefit of all.

by Gary Pitney

Opinion

Planning Board Concerns

Jeff Lacy, the latest consultant hired to write a new subdivision bylaw for Stockbridge, discussed the parameters of his work with the Stockbridge Planning Board. The meeting also included a review of plans for a large-scale lake-side house with a 20×40 ft saltwater swimming pool on the Stockbridge Bowl. (See the 1/19 Planning Board meeting: https://ctsbtv.org/government-channel-1303/ for more on this permit application.)

Planning Consultant Lacy, from Shutesbury, gave an overview of the Board’s plan to produce an “Open Space” bylaw which would give housing and resort developers flexibility regarding designs, density, dimensions, access and land use in return for preserving part of their developments as “open space.” This trade-off is at the heart of concerns being expressed by a growing number of residents who see “Open Space” and “Natural Resource Protection” as code words to help such developers build high density cluster housing projects in outlying areas of town.

Mr. Lacy did express his desire to “produce something that meets Stockbridge’s needs” and to “make use of what’s already done,” referring to the work of previous consultant Joel Russell. Board Member Wayne Slosek commented that the Board seemed to have “gotten away from the focus of what started the discussion,” a reference to the Board’s original mandate to review the Cottage Era Estate Bylaw, and that somehow the Board had “migrated into a broader review of what started the discussion.” He said that “somehow we got into an open space bylaw” and that he was “embarrassed” by the cost of consultants.

Mr. Lacy felt that including the Cottage Era Bylaw in a single new “open space” bylaw would be too cumbersome and suggested that there be two bylaws, one for subdivisions and one for cottage-era properties, which could be linked. PB Chair Vogt said that he does not favor this approach but would consider it.

Board Member Rasmussen is on record saying, “People who have looked at what we produced, professional planners that I know, not from here, have said that they feel that the bylaw is going to be impossible to work with” in relation to Joel Russell’s Cottage Era Estate by-law work. Lacy’s position does not appear to align with this.

The PB has not responded to residents’ questions about whether the PB has compiled data and documentation of the need for increased development in Stockbridge to justify a new “Open Space” subdivision by-law.

by Bruce Blair

Perspective

About Stockbridge Cemetery Commission

The Cemetery Commission, led by new commission chair Karen Marshall, toured the cemetery on November 20, 2020. We reviewed maintenance, headstone damage and repair, and discussed green burials.

In attendance were Select Board members Patrick White and Roxanne McCaffrey, Town Clerk Terri Iemolini, Lionel Delevingne of Laurel Hill Association, and town resident member Candace Currie. Also: town manager Mike Canales, historical commission member Peter Williams, and Hugh Page from the highway department. The highway department performs all routine maintenance.

We started our discussions in the oldest part of the cemetery, at the corner of Main and Church streets. Over the course of 90 minutes, we time-travelled 270 years.

We reviewed the oldest marble headstones, some of which are in need of cleaning and repair. We need professionals to advise us on this. We also discussed reducing lawn mowing and string trimming to limit damaging the oldest headstones. We talked using low ground covers — like Thyme — in place of grass in the old section. We looked over the hedges on the border learned crumbling the fence posts on the border are being replaced this spring.

We then moved to the stone vault, built in 1850. Originally, it was constructed to hold those who died when the ground was too frozen to dig a grave. Today backhoes are used throughout the year.

We found that the stone was in relatively good shape, but the wooden parts are down to bare wood, and need repair.

Moving onto the newest section of the cemetery, we talked about the need to map out the remaining space to determine how much room we have for future burials. And we talked about green burials.

A green burial is one in which everything (body, clothing, and casket) going into the ground is biodegradable. All burials were green until the mid-1800s. However, because of a cemetery bylaw requiring vaults, green burial is not currently allowed in the Stockbridge Cemetery. Stay tuned for more information about green burial in the next Stockbridge Update.

For a list of all the Commission members, and Stockbridge’s Article V Cemetery Regulations are online at the Town of Stockbridge/public works.

by Karen Marshall

Perspective

Stockbridge History: Glendale Post Office 1851-2021

The Glendale Post Office was established in 1851 with John Strong as postmaster. It operated out of a Federal Style brick building, known as the Cook or Glendale Store at the northeast corner of Route 183 and Glendale Middle Road. The Post Office operated there until the late 1950s. Peter I. Adams, Sr. was made postmaster in 1923 passing it on to his daughter Mrs. Helen A. Miller. During her tenure, the office was moved further north to her house on Route 183, tucked between the Fire House and the Glendale Chapel. Mrs. Miller’s daughter-in-law, Dorothea Miller, succeeded her. Other postmasters of recent memory include Clifford “Skip” Skowron and Lois Miller Hall. Hall was the last postmaster in the traditional sense of the word, completing four generations of postal service. The Glendale Post Office will close on February 20, 2021, after 170 years of service to the village of Glendale.

Editor’s note: This is a salute to the Glendale Post Office as it closes its doors. There is a suggestion that while the building, owned privately, is no longer available to rent, outdoor P.O. boxes may be placed on nearby land owned by the Town.

by Rick Wilcox

The Last Word

Reader to Reader — We Got Mail

Hi Carole,

Great issue as usual. One correction…India Spartz…last letter a ‘z’ not ‘s’. One request…Please use “Town Offices” instead of “Town Hall”, so it doesn’t get confused with the old offices building across from the cemetery. “TOWN OFFICES” is over the front door.

One suggestion…keep the COVID vaccine rollout info coming…the links were helpful. As a 75+-er, I’m anxious to get the shot, and the uncertainty of how/where/when to sign up is frustrating.

Thanks!

— Pat Flinn

Hi Pat,

Nice to hear from you. The spelling correction appears online at www.stockbridgeupdates.com. Let me weigh the Town Hall/Town Offices issue. You and I are in Stockbridge long enough to remember; many are not. Indeed, yes, as we get information about COVID, we will post it in a regular issue or send a news alert if necessary.

Stay well,

— Carole

Dear Carole,

Wonderful Newsletters!!!

I live in Lenox and don’t necessarily have a dog in the hunt regarding Stockbridge Community events, although it seems in my 38 years managing the former Shadowbrook Estate grounds for Kripalu, I’ve established an affinity for your community. I am Kripalu’s historian of sorts, not ever close to your historian capacities. I manage Bullard Woods property for the SBA as well, I am a groundskeeper without borders.

I love the sense of community you are currying with the newsletter. It’s no easy feat to publish it in a world of polarities, and I like its simplicity. I am sending pictures of the landscape from Olivia’s Overlook to the lake taken in a Fall morning. I call it, “Hope on the Horizon.” Also, a picture of Old Man Winter taken one snowy night at Kripalu.

I hope you can use them or at least enjoy,

— Kevin Foran aka Moose

Dear Kevin,

Thank you for the well-wishing and the photos. Will use one or both with gratitude.

— Carole

Dear Carole,

Thank you for letting the community know that the town has hired Jeff Lacy to help with finishing a Cottage Era Estate/Open Space Design bylaw. Randall Arendt was also hired. They are both renowned creators of bylaws/developments that maintain quality open space and important land features while respecting an owner’s equity. Randall presented to the town via Zoom on November 5 how his concepts are used to keep the town’s character when facing development pressures.

Your recent newsletter also pointed out that the Planning Board should be more aware of explaining procedures that we must follow during our deliberations. The PB wants to hear from the public. We need to make that clear and we hope that an overview of the process will encourage participation.

The PB received a request to change the sign bylaw to allow The Lost Lamb on Main Street to install signs over the building’s door and window. That started a discussion on issues, including the impact on the entire business district, as well as limits on the size and number of signs permitted. A recommendation was made that based on their experience in reviewing Special Permits, the PB instead of the Board of Selectmen should grant approval for signs. The members of the Board of Selectmen have told the PB that they agree with this change.

Informal discussions are occurring on a proposed change in parking requirements downtown and a change requiring new residential construction to have off-street parking. These discussions are occurring during regular Zoom meetings open to the public. A public hearing notice will soon appear in The Eagle and on the town’s website announcing the formal public hearing on the proposals. This will be a time to ask questions, express opinions, and offer alternative amendments to the bylaws. Once the hearing is closed the PB is required to evaluate what they have heard and, if they wish, make a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen.

The language will then appear as a bylaw amendment on the Town Meeting warrant. At that meeting residents may vote to support, amend, or reject the proposals. If a proposed amendment substantially changes the original, proposed language, or if an amendment radically differs from the original, a new notice and hearing will be required for the PB to consider any alternatives.

Once the town passes a zoning bylaw, the process continues. The town clerk must submit the bylaw to the Commonwealth Attorney General. That office reviews municipal bylaws for consistency with existing law and for procedural defects. Once AG approval is secured, posting requirements must be met. The bylaw then becomes part of the town’s zoning bylaws.

This is a brief summary. More detailed information is available by reading the zoning bylaws on the town’s website, by reviewing Mass. General Law Chapter 40A S. 5, or by contacting a PB member.

— Bill Vogt and Christine Rasmussen, writing in their individual capacities

Thank you, Bill and Christine,

— Carole

Good afternoon Carole,

I am enclosing a selection of recent winter photographs I took when we were at our house in Stockbridge over this most recent Christmas and New Year’s.

My wife Marilyn and I find your information to be very beneficial. I am currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chair of the Tanglewood Buildings and Grounds Committee, and both my wife Marilyn and I are active BSO participants at Tanglewood. I am also a life member of the Trustees’ and serve as an emeritus Life Member of their Board. Marilyn is a steadfast member of the Berkshire Botanical Garden and I have been a major supporter of the Stockbridge Bowl Association. Our President there, Richard Seltzer, and I were college classmates (1965) at Harvard (small world). I never knew him when we were undergraduates (he studied hard and I didn’t), but the Berkshires has serendipitously brought us together.

While Delaware is our legal address, our emotional home is definitely in Stockbridge. Having first rented and now owning a house on Prospect Hill Road for a decade, we have gotten to know, and become close friends, with many of our Berkshire neighbors. It is a very inspiring and stimulating place in which we spend an increasing percentage of the year.

With all best wishes and fervent hopes for a peaceful transition in Washington (Joe Biden has been a close friend and collaborator for nearly 50 years) and we trust that his leadership will help promote a speedy and effective national effort to conquer this deadly pandemic.

With best wishes and fingers crossed,

— Nathan Hayward III

Dear Mr. Hayward,

Thank you for your kindness to Stockbridge Updates and your contributions to the community. Thank you, as well, for your lovely photos.

— Carole

Editor’s note: I received many more emails “in appreciation and praise for the quality of the written content and the photography…for filling a gap at a time when many other news organizations are cutting staff and their ability to cover local news…for being simple and straightforward.”I appreciate hearing from all of you. I value comments positive and negative. I am indebted for corrections, and deeply moved by encouraging words.Thank you, one and all,— Carole

by Carole Owens