CONSULTANT HIGHLIGHTS PITTSFIELD’S POLITICAL COWARDICE & ANTI-BUSINESS ATTITUDE
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2016) — This is Pittsfield.
Instead of developing a site with a proven business that will pay taxes where none are not being paid, let’s oppose it.
This is Pittsfield.
Instead of allowing a company to build on a site to provide jobs to produce much-in-demand products and services, let’s stud the way with obstacles.
This is Pittsfield.
Instead of seeing a gleaming new building of a national brand where there now stand boarded up wrecks, let’s hire a consultant to say what we are afraid to say ourselves.
The company is Dunkin Donuts. The product is a line of baked goods, food products, and, mostly, the best coffee on THE PLANET. The location is the former St. Mary’s campus on Tyler Street. DD wants to extend commercial zoning on Tyler Street a lousy 50 feet to put a driveway in a postage-stamp speck now zoned residential. The consultant is John Mullen Associates, a privately-held company based in Pelham, MA. Web sites list the company as employing “a staff of approximately 1 to 4.” The president is John R. Mullin. Annual revenue: Unknown. It has no website. Perfect, eh?
Mullin is a professor of landscape architecture at UMass Amherst and a retired brigadier general in the National Guard. You don’t get that high up in the chain of command by being independent. Generally speaking (pun intended) you get there by polishing the boots of your superior officer. In other words, he’s an academic with a side business selling assenting opinions to municipalities too chicken to decide for themselves. It’s legal of course, but so is prostitution in Vegas.
And Now It’s Time for — The Consultant Game!!
The consultant game, hosted by Bob Ewbanks, works like this. A city wants to oppose a measure. That opposition that will be unpopular with citizens except for a small portion of NIMBY types. It doesn’t want the political flack of taking a stand. Therefore — despite a plethora of resources from the Office of Community Development, Planning Board, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, and a host of “job-type” enterprises — it commissions a consultant. For a fee of $65,000, someone like Mullin comes in, sniffs the ground, kisses up the mayor and finance director, then writes a report just as the city dictated to him beforehand.
Cafua Management, a company with a track record of corporate responsibility, wants to build a 2,100-sq. ft. Dunkin Donuts “hub” restaurant at the location. The .8-acre facility on Tyler and Plunkett streets would feature parking, walkways, landscaping, outdoor seating, a drive-through, and an ambience that would improve a seedy area.
No brainer, right?
Nah. For odd reasons, Important Someones don’t want this to happen. And thus is came to pass that miraculously, the city required Cafua to provide money for what it called “third-party research into the impacts of the proposal.”
Dumb de-dumb-dumb.
Traipsing into the Porcelain Commode
Enter Mullin Associates.
Mullin produced a “report” bashing Cafua’s plan. He said this facility would ruin the character of Tyler Street. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Tyler Street, a street with its hair so mussed that a psychic couldn’t foresee that she couldn’t make a living there. Tyler Street, where countless long-established businesses have succumbed to the influx of the vermin and scum that have moved in and taken the once-lovely City of Pittsfield into the porcelain commode.
Mullin declared Cafua’s use would be “detrimental to the neighborhood” of drug pushers, addicts, welfare cheats, murderers, and gang members. The use, he said, “is not consistent with the specific goals of the Master Plan” — as if there are such goals and there is such a plan.
Our Right Honorable Good Friend Mike Ward even got in the act, calling Cafua’s zoning alteration request “troubling.” Our guess is that Ward is a Starbucks guy.
With all due respect to the winner of THE PLANET’s first Orbit Award, what’s “troubling” is the provincial, anti-business attitude that prevails in a city with a ruined economy. Pittsfield should welcome the additional commitment of Cafua, a firm that provides goods and services much in demand — quite unlike a money-losing theater owned by a multimillionaire that can only stay in business with hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax breaks. Ward spoke out publicly in favor of that, too. Just another of those Pittsfield coincidences, we’re sure.
No one should wonder why Pittsfield is fast approaching its Dark Ages. It won’t be pretty.
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“The incestuous relationship between government and business thrives in the dark.” — Jack Anderson
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Concerning the Beacon STIF,Councilor AMUSO SAYS SHE HAS TALKED TO PEOPLE who do not want to pay another DOLLAR, yet SHE? supports it. SHE, being the PEOPLE ??? She talked to? Faux Pas by the Councilor?
On the STIF, it doesn’t make Cents that Twenty Thousand Ollors a year would make or break STIF Stanley’s Beacon. Maybe these Bottom Feeders are in need of help, if you know what I mean? it’s as though they reval on raping the taxpayer at this point.
I can agree with much of this but DD coffee sorta sucks.
Really 12? What a foolish statement.
If you need a cup on the go McDonald’s is much better if you doing your coffee black as I do.
drink
Well, it woiks fah me.
any port in a storm
Sorry Dan, thought I was on previous blog. Yeah, maybe Orbit 1 needs to re entry. As it is now, I don’t even know if Blessing myself Evertime I go by Saint Mary’s even works anymore?
One other thing, listen to the Conversation between White and on Donna Todd. She made him look ridiculous.
Come on Pittsfield, get out and vote next time, these Councilors need to go.
I mostly make my own coffee, Dan 🙂
DD is free to set up shop on one of the many available commercially zoned sites in town. There is no need to bend the zoning laws for them.
The drive-through is another story. Experience with DD drive-throughs in Pittsfield has taught us where they work and where they don’t work. The South Street site works fine. Nobody lives there. The First Street DD routinely causes a traffic jam. The DD at 84 Dalton Ave has generated ongoing complaints from Dartmouth Ave residents. The drive-through keeps people awake, especially in the summer when windows are open. Police are continually being called in to deal with loitering crowds late at night. And this is basically the same neighborhood as the Plunkett Ave site. Plunkett Ave is a residential street and a bad location for a DD drive-through. We have plenty of history to know this.
Are there more Berkshire Bank offices than DDs in Pittsfield?
Police are never called to deal with loitering crowds on Tyler at DD. I worked on Tyler St. for years.
Were you there around the clock?
And by the way DD is on Dalton Ave…..not Tyler.
With all due respect to Mike Ward theres no way you can compare First Street, where there never should havebeen a drive through, to Tyler, which has the space and footprint to deal with the traffic. I saw the DD plan. Its no way even close to the mess on First St.
Felix, please read my post again. I didn’t compare First Street to Tyler Street. I compared Dalton Ave to Tyler Street.
And the Tyler street design is actually worse than the Dalton Ave site because it has a curb cut on Plunkett Street.
I am familiar, and Dalton Ave, my bad, never had loitering crowds, and yes, I can say I was there close enough that “loitering crowds” would have been noticeable. or police being called for the same matter. I appreciate your proofreading.
Actually, the curb cut on Plunkett street better controls access to Tyler, limiting conflict points on the main road, reducing crashes and maintaining reasonable speed.
This does not bend laws. This changes them through due process
Due process really refers to an individuals or an organizations rights not changing laws.
Zoning is actually a right to use property as it is intended to be used. So if the ZBA grants a variance, it is because it feels the proposed use conforms to the intended use. In this case – most of the property is zoned the way DD needs it, the variance is to put the balance of the parcel into the right zone.
I think due process is that the decisions need to be made in accordance with the laws – which is why, if you watch the hearings, they always need to come up with “findings” that support their decision.
I’m torn as to whether or not more drive thru donut shops make the City better. I certainly doubt these are benefitted, full time jobs. But as long as our National leaders keep sending our jobs to China and the like, our economy will be what it is.
I agree with the premise of today’s post though: You can always find a consultant who will whore their opinion to match your desired outcome. In the traffic study world, it’s Fuss & O’Neil.
Isn’t the franchisee more or less moving the Dalton Ave location to here, or are they keeping both open? To my knowledge there are two different franchisees in Pittsfield.
Any entity with standing is entitled to due process. In this case the property owners or agents have a right to request the zoning revision, In its recommendation/finding, the community development board will look at things like the master plan and the neighborhood context, subjectively. When the legislative body of a community makes a decision it should be supported with fact. And that decision is appealable. The 14th amendment guarantees a process. Zoning changes over time, therefore it is not “bending”.
It’s bending
How quick we forget. S+J Variety and Luncheonette was right across the street from the proposed DD on Tyler. In their heyday had cars lined up on both sides of the street when the GE was in town. People actually got out of their cars and crossed the street to get there. Imagine that. S+J’s would have never been able to exist going by Mr. Mullins report.
THE PLANET is spot on here. Ward’s relatives are ardent activists with the ‘Save St. Mary’s’ group. There is nothing historic about that church and the school epitomizes the neighborhood. Not one of that gang was the least interested when the truly historic Methodist church at the corner of Woodlawn, Dalton and Tyler was demolished to make way for a dentist office.
A self immersed and self proclaimed community activiist and limp polititician, who is a viscreal pencil neck geek continues to subscribe to the wavering wind from the corner office.
Firstly, an outspoken oppontent of aTyler St./Morningside/Peda big box store development. Now in concert with the change of city administration, he favors it. Flips like a freshly caught trout. No real credibility.
I also have poor posture, a big nose, and a discolored front tooth. But I never flipped on the big box thing.
:Probably a Yankee fan too
where were the consultants when Wendys wanted to open up their fast food chains in Pittsfield? Somehow they were able to get a curb cut on East street where no average citizen would have been given the time of day. Then they moved to Hubbard ave and their location, and the modified traffic pattern, cause a very scary traffic blend coming from the other side.
But if you are connected you get your zoning change no matter how ridiculous it is. It is kind of an all in the family game in Pittsfield.
By the way, what was the final story on the DD Plunkett school site? I thought that went through.
DD lost their appeal on the First St. drive thru. They can still put up their building if they so desire, but a DD without a drive thru is like a convenience store without lottery or cigarette sales – a no go.
I think being part of a Judge’s family gets you a curb cut wherever you need it….
Yes yes and yes. The Wendys at Berkshire Crossing is one of the worst places for vehiclesin town. It leads right into Coltsville intersection. Wendys had no problem with a site way worse than the DD plan on Tyler St.
DD should ask for a 10 year TIF…then it all would get approved
St. Mary’s is no longer a church.Its a fire hazzard and unsafe unused buidling.Dunkin donuts will provide jobs unlike Hancock Shaker Village.
Almost every Dunkin Donuts I have been to are built on a similar busy street like Tyler with residention neighborhood s around it.
Mike,this neighborhood needs jobs and Tyler street is the perfect street to put a Dunkin Dounuts.I would like someone to explain what the character of Tyler is….theres a bar…gas station….liquor store….used furniture…used cars sales…..ice cream ….DD sell s coffee and crosiont s with fruity drinks.
Maybe Allergrone or Tierney can buy the property, get 20 yr tifs and open Hotel on Tyler. One of those two companies may end up with the property is my speculation.
If DD does end up there changes to the street and it’s traffic patterns should not favor DD over the existing businesses on that section of Tyler St.
Maybe D D could move in and name it D D at St. Mary’s Field.
We could add ten more DD”s, but would their low paying jobs SAVE this city?
Mayor Tyer said during her campaign that there were over 1700 jobs available in Berkshire County.
http://www.iberkshires.com/story/52108/Graduating-Taconic-High-Class-Told-To-Accept-Adventures.html
Congratulations to the THS class of 2016. I’m sure they are thrilled to be awarded their diplomas by a former teacher who was fired for incompetency. (then forced back by the unions)
Now she’s at BCC raking in 77,000 g. washingtons.
There were only 370 high school graduates total in 2 high schools .Pittsfield Ma.needs 1 high school….the 1 high school combined is less than 1600 students.This is about the size of PHS after Taconic was built in 1970s and that was for 3 grades and this new 1 high school is for 4 grades.A huge money saver as southeast Pittsfield is choosing Lenox and or anywhere else.
WHY the powers that be in Pittsfield want to continue with the “land that time forgot” image is beyond me.
Tear it down. Out with the old. In with the new. The new, modern, caffeinated, non-trans fat Pittsfield. I cannot understand it. WHY is Pittsfield so against development, modernization, business? Will they provide $75K salaries? No, but it’ll employ some people, it’ll freshen up an area dogged by age, deterioration and darkness.
And why do the residents of one street dictate business development for the city? The majority of which are probably renters anyway….This town can’t get out of its own way.
Any parcel with on-going commercial/business activity is better than an abandoned parcel. Neighborhoods attract the energy they project. You want life and vibrancy, holding on to vacant, dormant properties doesn’t do it…
the decision to keep two high schools was made almost 12 years ago. We all know that in our personal lives, we make every decision based on 12 year old conditions.
The amount of time it takes to “study” things and the State’s unwillingness to assist with major repairs to existing facilities have put communities across the State in this position.
It seems that an upgrade and expansion at Taconic and repurposing PHS was a no-brainer. But then I forget, the committee was full of people lacking brains.
That describes all of our current crop of politicians…lacking brains….except when it comes to raking in money for themselves.
Someone said they should have torn down crosby and built a new high school on that gorgeous 40 acres of all usable land.It could have been built on the hill looking south into lenox and with a mountain view of downtown pittsfield and north all the way to mt greylock…..120 million for the worst propert in town on ledge and swamp
Did the city buy land from Petricca for the existing THS years ago or was it city owned land.
I don’t know why I seem to remember that Petricca was involved.
Anyone know?
Pittsfield taxpayers may also be paying big bucks to Petricca to park their school buses on Merrill rd… at least that was the case in the past. Don’t ask if this is still the case…city hall probably does not want to talk about it.
Petricca owned it and used it as a dump for PCBs and other junk.
Petricca owned land on Valentine Road so I guess it sold to the city twice first for THs1 in 1970 and second for THS2 in 2016. Petricca rents Merril Road property for city buses. Cost? Priceless. Petricca also got a land deal no one else could have gotten when it needed more space for the concrete forms next to county lockup by the mall. Must be nice. Mayor Tyer has made the Have v Have Nots worse with her big spending and big taxes.
Where does CC and MM sit on this issue? Pretty vocal about having whatever businesses in town to close the tax gap. Doesn’t matter if they sell cigs, coffee, or junk. They have been pretty silent.
The certain someone’s are the people. Pittsfield residents are disgusted of another dunkin donuts or another chain resurrected and it hurts tearing down a building of that nature. Look I could careless. You could burn down all of Tyler Street (Except for Dairy Cone) for all I care. Just what it is.
You should spend more time in Pittsfield.
As Jonathan points our regularly, 70% of the population in Pittsfield gets some sort of assistance or are at or near the poverty line. Trust me, these people couldn’t give a flying F&%$ where Dunks is.
You know that Pittsfield is business friendly Dan all new business is welcome we just make the jump through hoops and make it as difficult as we can.
Even the carousel had a hard time getting situated. Somebody played hard ball with them. And it was “for the kids”.
If Stanley had gotten control of it it would have been declared an economic engine and grants and tax payer money would have come out of the woodwork to assist it.
What this city lacks more than anything is a moral compass.
So true. They don’t know what a moral compass is and they could care less. Very sad.
Petrica sold the worst piece of land they had to pittsfield 40 years ago for a high school and we will now double down….school choice has ruined the public schools…there is no allegiance to anthing.Miss Halls or Lenox or BCD southeast pittsfield is now northeast Lenox.
Are you kidding? A detriment to Tyler street? Get your heads out of the sand, Tyler street has more abandoned or empty storefronts than any street in Pittsfield. It looks like a hodgepodge of undercapitolized and struggling businesses aside from the pizza shops and oh yeah, the dairy cone which hasn’t done any exterior improvements in… Well… Never.
Also say “no” to additional taxes!??? Hello? Give them to Stanley only to not bend one bit for a business that people actually want? Must not be anyone who a favor is owed. It is disgusting. It is embarrassing and short sighted.
The addition of any well funded business to Tyler street would be a catalyst for further investment in top of being a generator of tax income for the city and possibly save homeowners some money on their taxes someday. Doubtful but maybe.
I am so tired of his from Pittsfield. Let me guess… No to the big box in the William Stanley business park too? Will that hurt Tyler too? Maybe too many states will drive bye??? You wish. Too many cars creating traffic? Good, maybe they will stop and spend money while they wait for the thousands of new people that will travel to Pittsfield for kohls. Again. Sarcasm. It will not bring additional people but maybe spur investment and weed out businesses that have not invested and kept up with the times. Maybe they need to be weeded out.
Pleas Pittsfield, make it easy to do business here… He’ll make it out motto. Do radio ads and make it happen. Be positive. Be inviting. Be aggressive and help business.
People of influence and money dont want their childten in a middle or high school in Pittsfield.
And who can blame them? But the fact that they make every effort to get their kids out of the Pittsfield system says all you need to know on the subject. They want their kids get a decent education and apparently they know it won’t happen in Pittsfield. God bless them for caring about their kids enough to move them to a better school.
Mayor Tyer was right it was inconceivable that she would be mayor and thanks to everyone over 55 years old she won and she owes us….she thinks she did it with her talent ….we wont be fooled again…shes a one hit wonder…1 and done.Next candidate for mayor please step forward…if your not a moron your the next mayor of Pittsfield Massachusetts 120,000 maybe one of todays high school graduates…I will vote for anybody not named tyer…just draw up a 5 year plan for our city….focus on student trends in the schools…put additions on to elementary if needed but just have a resonsble plan to shrink the brick and mortar.
No need for any expansion to any elementary school. Already did that, still paying for it. Time to consolidate, and close a couple elementary schools. K-4 elementary, 5-7 middle and 8-12 high school.
Mike, if you’re on the Council ever again take advantage of the Dental Insurance. Why haven’t you seen Tom on that tooth?
I thought school choice was a random application to lenox high and there was a lottery for spaces in their public school …who knew they interview you then let you in and take the money from pittsfield….that does not sound like a public school process which would be a lottery with a equal chance….could our superintendent or Mayor Yon. clear up the process done in Lenox
Wow, I’m shocked as well TSC. Sounds like elietes gone wild.
Really? They can pick and choose which kids they want? Can they take just the smart ones or the rich ones? Or the ones with influence?
Lenox and others get the T I F…Tyer’s Insolvent Fund..
Thanks to all those who confirmed the Petricca property was bought by Pittsfield.
Why else would they build a school way out there instead of closer to the center of the city……because of a money deal with one of the GOBs. And the deal goes on.
If DD desires a store in the heavily trafficked Tyler St./ Dalton Ave. corridor, why don’t they take over the Hess jungle? Seems like a no brainer to me.
Good idea! Maybe the land is polluted. That may explain why nobody wants it.
It can be cleaned. My brother cleans up sites like the Hess all over the Cape. They cleaned Otis Air Force base after the plumes were discovered. The Hess location likely is contaminated, but, hey, isn’t most of Pittsfield? Jesting aside, it is cleanable, and doing so by DD would create goodwill…well, has the potential to create goodwill, especially if there were to be a plume or two at the Hess site, heading towards Morningside School…the children!!!
Letter: “Don’t cut funding for most vulnerable city residents”
The Berkshire Eagle, 6/13/2016
To the editor:
As a 30-year resident, taxpayer, and registered voter in the city of Pittsfield, I was shocked and outraged to read in The Eagle that the mayor has proposed cutting over $100,000 from the human services budget. For a city the size of Pittsfield to put a mere $15,000 toward human services (the block grant funds come from the federal government) is not only outrageous, but self-defeating.
While it is important to fund the police department in order to address the problem of crime, we have to address the overall condition of the entire community with special emphasis on its most vulnerable residents, if we really want to have an impact.
It is urgent that the City Council work with the mayor to rectify this egregious error. It is their responsibility to do so because for many residents, it is a matter of life and death.
Dr. Susan Birns, Pittsfield
The writer is a resident of Ward 3.
I guess that the Eagle no longer requires an address
Dr. Susan Birns of Ward 3 in Pittsfield is right about advocating for the poorest and most needy residents of her community. The lovely Linda Tyer eliminated all of the municipal funding for human service agencies in Pittsfield.
Yet, the lovely Linda Tyer gave away tens of thousands of dollars to the multimillionaire Beacon Cinema owner Richard Stanley, who is not a resident of Pittsfield!
What a double standard!
The poor and needy of Pittsfield get nothing, while the wealthy Mr. Stanley of Great Barrington gets everything he asked for.
The lovely Linda Tyer is no Democrat! She would even make Republicans look bad! She is a poor leader who is proposing increasing municipal spending by over $18 million dollars in fiscal year 2017, which begins in a little over 2 weeks from now on July 1st, 2016.
so you want retired tax payers to fund this?
I feel the financial pain of retired taxpayers in Pittsfield. They are paying for Richard Stanley’s tax breaks for Beacon Cinema. Mr. Stanley is a wealthy millionaire who does not live in Pittsfield. But the lovely Linda Tyer eliminated the human services funding that benefits the poorest and neediest residents of Pittsfield. It is a total double standard! The millionaire non-resident of Pittsfield gets tens of thousands of dollars in tax breaks, while the poor and needy residents of Pittsfield get nothing but sand to pound.
The mayor is not for anyone who is poor or middle class and know she has gone to a new low and is cutting human services how can she look at her self in the mirror in the morning.
Just learned Tyer started Administrative Services at step three. W T F?? Didn’t know that? She has to go.
Why are the city councilors arguing about protocol, just cut the damn budget, these workers aren’tgoing to quit, (Dews)and while you’re at it,cut the cIty ouncil pay ten percen, not two, because they’re not even worth that.
Didn’t know the License Board got a stipend?
What exactly does the bleach blonde sitting next to Jesse Cubin do? Beside texting and twirling her hair?
I never realized we had so many agencies doing exactly the same thing for the same people. One by one, they appeared before the CC…..same scripts.
If they are all doing their jobs, we shouldn’t have any endangered youths.