THE GOOD AND BAD OF ST. MARY’S DEVELOPMENT
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY JAN. 2, 2018) — As THE PLANET extends a Happy Always to you, let us resume our mission of sharing the news you don’t and won’t get anywhere else. Former churches, for example.
You’ve no doubt head that local developer David Carver plans to renovate the former St. Mary’s of the Morning Star Church and outlying buildings, where he says he will build market-rate apartments. Carver paid the covetous Diocese of Springfield 11 donation baskets, meat on Friday, and two Slivers Of The True Cross. The lucre, directly or otherwise, will likely go into the diocesan molestation fund, though we could be wrong.
The Good News
a. It’s good to see grand old buildings restored to productive life.
b. The housing complex will generate property taxes.
c. It will enhance Tyler Street and environs.
d. Carver has experience with this type of development, having done Notre Dame School and its 11 units. He’s repurposing Holy Family on Seymour Street into 10 residential units. He has also completed apartments at Our Lady of Mercy in North Adams. Clearly, Carver has mastered this building-and-construction niche.
The Bad News
a. Carver wins an exemption from taxes on St. Mary’s good for five years. The logical question here is ‘Why?’ This is a for-profit enterprise designed to generate income. Why is it too much to ask a developer to put up his own risk capital, especially if he is to reap whatever profits the enterprise makes? Ordinary citizens are far more in need of tax relief than connected developers.
b. After the fifth year, taxes will be phased in at the tortuously slow rate of 5% a year. As THE PLANET understands the deal, Carver won’t be required to pay his full and fair share until an additional 20 years have passed.
c. The tax generosity comes on the heels of the city magically learning of a phantom rise in property values, a back-room loophole done behind your back to allow The Tyer Administration to raise taxes on defenseless homeowners and small businesses.
d. Tyer’s tone deafness can be seen in her clueless statement on the St. Mary’s of the Morning Star project. She said the development “will add to the vibrant energy and enthusiasm that is already part of Tyler Street.” Tyer added: “The spark will ignite a renaissance.” You know the lies are floating around like snow squalls when you hear another duplicitous Pittsfield official talking of a “renaissance.” Don’t know about you, but lately, we haven’t seen DaVinci or Raphael picking through the dumpsters on Tyler Street … or the $6,000 Trashcans for that matter.
This reinforces how badly Tyer has allowed herself to drift out of touch with the everyday citizens of the city, the ones who do the living, the dying, and the rendering of taxes that have become for a poor city nothing less than immoral. Not even one Our Father, two Hail Marys, and three Gloy Bes can touch that indiscretion.
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“One cannot use a marshmallow as a fulcrum” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The Usual Disclaimer.
Taxfield Tyer spent money we dont have
So did mcDump. But it went to a needless cause.
Roads in Pittsfield are HORRIBLE!!! Never seen them this bad. Got stuck on my own street. Had to be pushed. Main roads also horrible. Not everybody had the day off like the pampered school employees. Why aren’t they plowing??!!??
Do t know, thank gawd the toters guy ain’t working.
What will John Krol do when WTBR goes off line ? He may have to face reality and get a real J.O.B…..I really don’t understand how he
can rationalize having a family and working at a fantasy job in a High School Radio Station. Wake up and smell the coffee.
Don’t be so insensitive, there are stay at home dads, you know.
The BB says most Berkshire County residents hunkered down during the storm. NO, NOT TRUE. Many not working for the school department had to drive on terrible roads because they had to travel to work and home again. Not everybody works for the schools and gets the day off, but the city lets the roads get terrible until the following day when people head back to the schools. Very frustrating for everyone who doesn’t get the day off and needs to travel back and forth to work. I saw people needing to have their cars pushed like me and others barely making it down roadways without sliding off the road. Not at all impressed with the condition of the roads today here in Pittsfield.
Once again when you hire friends and family to do a job it ain’t always going to produce the best results. And that goes for managing a snow plow operation
I agree with you Dusty. I have a foot of snow at my house easily. It wasn’t blowing and drifting snow either because it was consistent throughout a large area. My boots are almost to my knees and the snow was spilling over the top of my boots. It was obvious that a plow had not come down my street all day.
Last year after the budget hearing the DPW came in with a 1,000,000 over budget item because snow cleanup is not budgeted for a real winter…..Fake Budget……Taxfields Tyer told him to report this item late. Taxfield Tyer spends your SS check because she can and will.3 million left in free cash…….In 1988 Taxfield had 12 million in free cash…..30 years ago…do you think these people are good with money.
Maybe the City doesn’t have the money to plow so many times a storm anymore?
The Orlando School of Dance is closed due to the weather.
Schools will be closed tomorrow
It is going to be cold.
Don’t tell me that since that means the roads will continue to be terrible if the schools are closed.
All the schools have horrible problems with heat and lack of maintaince over the last 30 years, need to hire at least 4 HV employees but maintenance is low priority…..Tyer of taxfield ma will run Taconic into the ground in 5 years….need to double the maintaince department but can not afford to take care of the buildings
Tyer needs to close old school buildings then consolidate and take care of whats left…..Looks like Morandi is the only one who can stop the madness in the budgets,Taxfield is going off a cliff with so much maintaince needed its not funny….close crosby tomorrow
Dont send your kids to school,keep them home,dangerous weather
I thought they were going to have the “Polar Express” in place tomorrow to take the kids to school. I know that Boston Schools will be closed tomorrow.
Mccandless takes orders from Behnke and she confers with her neighbors to see if they want the kids home….true
I believe you
She brings Jake a doughnut every morning and he’s happy.
Giving one company property tax break, gives that company an advantage against similar businesses.
There are many poor landlords who simply can’t compete with
new residential developments paying No taxes.