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.
January 1, 2018
Re: Nat Karns’ failed planning
I cannot stomach to read the Eagle’s praise of retiring Berkshire planning Director Nat Karns. He was horrible to those who countered his pathetic record of failed planning for Berkshire County. He would condescendingly laugh at my dad, who was a Berkshire County Commissioner, verbally spar and be obnoxiously difficult to others who questioned him, and with me, he derisively told people that if I was elected Berkshire State Senator he would resign his post in protest.
After over two decades of directing the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Nat Karns sad legacy includes:
* Large loss in population, meaning many thousands of people moved out of the beautiful Berkshires.
* Economic inequality! It has been written about locally, statewide, and nationally that Pittsfield and the Berkshires are one of the most economically unequal areas in the nation. For dummies, that means Pittsfield and the Berkshires has no real middle class anymore!
* Large loss in jobs, meaning many companies have moved out of the beautiful Berkshires.
* Top-down leadership that served the vested interests, meaning very high taxes on residents and businesses. Similar to 99% of Berkshire officials and bureaucrats, there was no room for diverse points of view with Nat Karns.
In conclusion, Nat Karns is part of the problem in government. He is a political hack who was favorable to the powerful and vested interests. He failed to plan for Berkshire County’s economic realities and the outcomes could not have been any worse for the region.
– Jonathan Melle
Would you feel the same if he was “lovely”??
Only the Lovely Linda Tyer is “lovely”!
BRPC is a joke. Karns and Mastuko presided over the fleecibgbof North Adams in a failed master plan project that burned 6 figures of taxpayer dollars.
The north adams project is a success. Stop your habitual lying
St. Mary’s is yet another tax giveaway on the backs of the citizens. Will Republlic be given the trash toter giveaway as well? Good grief….2 more years of the Tyer administration to endure! Is there an honest, experienced businessman who will run for mayor and purge the city of all its crooks and shady deals?
I could not agree more Gigi. The same pattern over and over while exhausting the taxpayers. This is the most corrupt circle ever.
Contrary to popular belief, Progressives are for the rich too. Just a different set of rich people from the Republicans.
No, there isn’t. If an honest, experienced businessman or businesswoman ran for mayor the unions and GOBs would squash them in a millisecond.
Why does a city with a declining population need more apartments?
Doesn’t increasing housing lower the value of existing housing?
Does anyone including Tyer believe that housing value actually increased in Pittsfield?
Bingo! – like the silk mill project we get a couple hundred more people we don’t need.
The tax deal makes a good project less risky for a solid developer. No heartburn here.
I enjoyed reading about North Adams’ new Mayor, Tom Bernard, and his new vision for North Adams. He sounds both promising and hard-working.
Yah. That is kind of what new mayors do. Sound promising. Until Jekyll turns into Hyde. And we all know how that can turn out.
Never EVER believe anything a politician says, ESPECIALLY if it is on the campaign trail. And ESPECIALLY if is in Pittsfield, MA.
You get apartments or you watch it crumble.lets grow pot on Peda,huge cash
If it’s OK with the Woitkowski’s and Nuciforo’s of the berkshires…have at it
Keep the welfare housing in the Berkshires (pittsfield) Keep the cops, jail, social services, and school administrators, realtors,working.
What’s the spread on tonight’s council president vote?
Ask the mayor. She gives the orders. Orders that better be adhered to.
Who’s running for it?
Word out is it’ll still be Marchetti, as the Bo-Bo’s pledged loyalty before the machine gave them they win. Let’s see who votes the GOB line
6-5
I found it telling that Tyer’s prepared remarks already had congratulations to Marchetti for President and Kroll for VP written before the vote was even taken. Just a coincidence I’m sure.
Kroll as the VP is a sin. He is not professional in any matter. Mazzeo would have brought balance to the council. Marchetti voted for John boy. I hope the residents of Pittsfield remember that.
Do people actually pay to have their company logo on his crappy Facebook show? You’d have to be pretty stupid to pay for that crap.
He took a page from the Clinton machine. Setting up a vehicle to legally take money, in this case laundering it through “advertising “.
I wonder what the return on that “advertising” is for the companies. They probably do not care as long as they get what they want from Krol.
Ed…Excellent points…It does seem sketchy as hell for companies to pay a sitting city councilor for “advertising” on his personal media. I think it raises legitimate ethics law questions. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck….
Does it really matter who’s President? Just seen a peculiar thing. On the same road, two different traffic control, one the states is in his car giving hand signals and down the road the cop is outside his vehicle with his hands in his pockets.
My property assesment went up 8 g ? In the blink of an eye.
U ain’t seen nuttin yet !!!! Taxing Tyer (ie: Dobelle, Ruberto, Doyle, via homage to Maxy) and her RAT Pack (Raise All Taxes, Pack) have just begun to strike. Over rides, special assessments and prop 2 1/2 vote are all planned.
They even propose a prop 2 1/2 I’m either heading to south berkshires, the Hilltowns or Pioneer Valley
You snooze you’ll lose
Giving a 20 year tax abatement is very generous and you are right to question this. I generally think there should be no abatement for anyone–that is the right number is ZERO. But occasionally a developer is taking on risks that a city might prefer to avoid (such as brown field development) which justifies a SHORT abatement but not 20 years. I don’t get why cities are bullied into to doing this but my friends in the Berkshires should realize it can get worse. Here in the people’s republic of Bloomington we have a tax abatement for a new hotel, plus “TIF” financing –which is the city backing the bonds — and a new 1% sales tax on prepared food and beverages which is dedicated to the hotel and a new convention center. All this in a city with a giant university that has its own hotel and many, many meeting spaces. So, we’ve got you beat on stupidity….
The rich and special interests win no matter what state or city you live in.
Did Carver get tax exemption on the Holy Family development? What about North Adams? If not, what makes this property unique? The property, up until now, was owned by the Diocese which most likely meant there was no tax revenue anyway. Whatever happens, it’s good to see these buildings reused.
Here in Taxfield Ma.1 poorly planned 121 million high.PHS falling apart,Crosby falling apart,Allendale is Toxic….Mayor Tyer of Taxfield Ma.as reality shrinks a city the Taxes are off the charts in Taxfield Ma
Premiums went way up and co pay for insurance,didn’t need that,why doesn’t municipal chip in 85 15 ain’t working.
Went by a certain business today 18 garbage pals,18. Who the hell picks that up?
Would be interesting to find out. Could be a corner office connection. You can get special treatment if you know the right folk in this town ya know.
I think the Planet used to call it a WOG,Wall of Garbage.
The Diocese has been paying taxes on the closed churches for several years now. St. Mary’s was assessed at 600K in 2010.
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/diocese-may-soon-pay-for-closed-churches,131650
Didn’t realize that churches start paying taxes once the church is no longer in use. Makes sense though. No wonder they want to rid asap.
Do they pay the full rate?
The only thing missing at the City Councillor inauguration was some no doze for Jody, a shot and beer for Gerry and an appearance by John Lennon.
Doyle looked pre stewed.
I’d get drunk too if I had to listen to Tyer’s bullshit.
Well, you have the six to five again.
Trump said he has a big button,he is so fu up.He worse than the little guy…..both need great self confidance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMRYuq4-PqI
“To council vice president John Krol, you have also been chosen by your colleagues and I congratulate you. Your progressive leadership often sharpens my thinking. I am grateful for our friendship and loyalty to purpose.”
Tyer’s words. We are in deep shit folks. Very, very deep. Why is she praising the biggest phony in Pittsfield?
What exactly does Krol do for a living?
Has a job, unlike Dustin.
I have a job and am not a lying thief like you
She didn’t mention Caccamo…
Deservedly so.
Once again the mayor has given one of her multi millionaire friends a tax break. At the same time raising taxes on fixed income seniors hanging on to their family homes by their aging finger nails. And she knows that every time she bolts the taxes more and more of these elderly people are forced out of the homes they have lived in for so long. Forced out of the homes where the memories of their children growing up were made and into the tiny cookie cutter apartments of elderly housing.
So…rich friends get tax cuts and fixed income elderly get large tax hikes. Absolutely no compassion from this woman. Just dancing merrily along with her jet set friends totally oblivious to the hardships of the commoners. What a sad state of affairs she heads up. I wonder what it is like to be able to block out of your mind, the less fortunate who exist all around you. Well good for her. Good for her.
Taxfield Ma.a failing city in westerm ma.is seeking to remove everyone over 65 from their homes through gentrification. All homes in Taxfield were just raised in value by TaxfieldTyer in an attempt to pay for bad decisions by building Taconic to small for Taxfields school population.
Its funny that they sold us on Taconic as the BerkshiresTech school attracting new students from out of town.Yet Taconic was built for 900 students maxed out.Now our senior s will be asked to rebuild PHS for 125 million.
You act as if seniors don’t get all kinds of tax breaks, free medical care, and meals on wheels.
You just don’t get it and add nothing to the conversation
Where did you ever hear such a stupid thing? Not one word of your statement is true.
There is absolutely a property tax credit in Massachusetts for the old and decrepit, medicare, and you must qualify for meals on wheels.
Grand theft auto?
Sure. Sure
SHH runs a service for old ladies called feels on wheels.
Sign me up,where?
Have you even looked at the new Taconic? It’s so huge it looks like it can hold thousands of students. Knowing this school system they probably came up with 900 by having 5 kids per classroom.
Getting sick of being force fed,higher tax,electric switch,pick pocket tax,toters. Might be time to go. Take you’re Toters and put it where the sun don’t shine.
What ever you do,don’t put a Toter addition to you’re garage, it will raise you’re property assessment..
Progressives raise taxes on the elderly while giving tax breaks to the wealthy.
I thought Trump was a conservative. Go figure.
Pat,Trump just gave the bulk of Tax breaks to corpoations and the wealthy or is that fake.He even admitted it on live tv
Yah, I guess that insignificant detail went right over her head.
So didn’t the lovely linda.. and Bianchi… and… every… democrat… mayor
Progressives are ONLY supposed to help those who can’t help themselves. That would be the elderly. Or are Progressives doing what you think Trump is doing?
Trump should ship all those dam progressives to Jupiter. The bassards! They are so bratty don’t ya think Pat? eewwwww!
Turn the channel.
Because TDS is fatal to cerebrum. The backtracking and doubletalking BS artist Democrats who are masters at accusing others of what they’re actually guilty of themselves. The truth will come out but it won’t be accepted by liberals period.
Joe, is Bannon telling the truth? He is no liberal ya know. What is the spin going to be now I wonder.
Trump raises taxes on Middle Class and gives to the rich.
Pat are you wealthy and got a private sector job or are you broke with a taxpayer funded job
The biggest question for Pittsfield in 2018 isn’t taxes, crime, or under performing schools but rather if SSH and Dustin will finally marry each other.
wow, you still don’t know me, and you still harass me with false accusations. go away, troll, you don’t help anyone here.
Dissolve PEDA let Wynn casinos know we go 50 acres and lots of parking
Had to wait for the new recruits to be assigned,Amused So won’t get her Next Year? —We have to take a closer look at the budget. The newbies already showed what their all about Voting Marchetti- Kroc.
Moon/Persip were Krooked Krol’s recruits from Dottie’s roach/coffee shop.
Persip was a barista?
He’s just a Krol crony
Here,Here. My husband said that a year ago. Casino by the rail lines.
Back on topic. Granting 25 yr tax break to a private developer in the financial condition of Pittsfield is immoral as well as just bad handling and worse management by mayor. Great analysis DV.
It is immoral. And the city council backed her and Kerwood up so they are complicit in the effort to remove the elderly from their ancestral homes. I hope it happens to them some day.
President Trump isn’t taxing the elderly out of their homes. Progressives here in Pittsfield are doing that. Trump is trying to stimulate the economy. Pittsfield politicians are doing favors for wealthy friends. Building St. Mary’s apartments will not stimulate the economy. President Trump is lowering taxes for the lower and middle classes. Businesses are already expanding and hiring.
Pat,so your moving to take advantage of those companies who are hiring.Would you name those companies.Yon and Mccandlees are about to hand over 3 or 4 million for a Teacher contract….it will never stop,1.2million for BFI totes…..Taxfield,Ma.budjet will go up another 3 million next year……Morandi is the only councilor who could cut a budget by 5 million
This area is already beyond hopeless when it comes to jobs. Trump’s plan will do little to help us here. The Progressive’s hire all their family and friends for many of the jobs and only those who share the Progressive agenda are welcomed.
Trump borrowed 1.5 to 2trillon to grow the economy from 3.5 to 5%GDP through the usual trickle down.If it does not grow enough to pay of the debt say good by to the middle class with the rich getting richer and the poor sending their money to them every week.Where are the jobs in all the blue collar cities accross this country….its been a year and there should be some rumors
Weren’t the school employees paid off with free cash few years ago, amd wasn’t it Barry that said free cashshould be an optimum savings taking the advice of the Scanlons?then they build the monsterosity,raise taxes and many giveaways to the wealthy, then assess ho E’s out of nowhere, give Covanta a half million, what a C F admiistration.
I think s certain councilor colluded with the top brass to enable the process to endure for a positive result with the Mega School
Vote. PCTV was usesd at taxpayer expense to broadcast inuendo,not only for the school but for many other entities, all which had a favorable results for the gobsig. Kiosk,School, Covanta,Beacon,Wal Mart tried to do PCTV but they bailed because one City Councilor?
What?
Has anyone here gotten the Massive Trump bonus yet,ahahaha?
Why does Tricia get a free parking sticker to use in Pittsfield?
Do you mean for her Limo driver?
Boy, is Tyred Speech Lame.
Her three minutes are up.
Pat,is Banon telling the truth
Of course Bannon isn’t telling the truth. Bannon is mad at the Trump kids for seeing him for what he is…someone just interested in his own agenda. This is why he is saying terrible things about Trump’s son. The Trump kids realized that Bannon was not to be trusted and asked their dad to get rid of him. Good for the Trump kids, but now Bannon really dislikes the Trump kids. I never liked Bannon and was so glad when Trump got rid of him.
So Don jr.did not meet with the russians for info on Clinton? Why did he not inform the FBI that Russia accessed The Emails of Clinton as Sec of Stat
The moonbats hated Bannon now they love him. Make up your minds snowflakes.
What are the benefits of these Sister Cities?, if they cost the taxpayer one dime it should be shut down.
Dump the radio show on PCTV if it costs the taxpayer one dime.
A d take back the stipends for the school committee.
They should not be paid
The conservation tax is one of the most regressive taxes I’ve ever heard. The Covanta 500g plus is another, where was the City Councilors thinking on this.
That conservation tax will rehab some special interest property I guarantee it. And then they will turn it into a money making business and laugh along with Tierney and Stanley at the foolish middle class. We are like indentured servants and there is nothing we can do because they have all the power plus one hand squeezing the gonads of the taxpayers.
Springside dusty, and they haven’t been bashful about it.
Someone wants that springside house hopping, for some reason. It’s a dump in a secluded area of the city. So, who will use it,ha.
Take it from the inside. The spring side house deal (imminent…if) is being done for one reason: $$$. Look carefully at who’s involved and follow the money. Can you say payola. Again this comes straight to you from the inner circle. DV has got himself a couple of great new sources.!!! More interesting revelations to cum. Dirt muck sleeve…soooo Pittsfield!
That was one of the selling points to make it look like the benefit would be for the many. But even so how many people in Pittsfield even know what the hell the Springside house is?
I hope none of you informed planet readers voted for that “conservation” tax!
Surprised it was voted yes.
It was a landslide Yes vote.The planet is always the minority view.Everyone on the council is a yes vote to spend money and it does not matter to these people.Not once did any of them say money is tight at home which you people keep voting for people that can afford for taxes to go much much higher……Barry and Linda pretended to care for older retired people paying their property tax….They disgust me,no moral person lives from the top down.
It took brass balls to even put that on the ballot. Thanks mayor…you suckered us again.
Fritz, If you were watching an Episode of Planet, you would have seen the presentation that Mr. Kinnas laid out concerning this nonsense of a tax. I think it was illegal to begin with,where was the scrutinty, seems like a vote was taken and wasn’t pleasantly relieved by it’s outcome.
Progressives pushing for a new police station in 2021 – Hinds is asking the state to fund the 30 mil design. Read all about it on iberkshires. Don’t we have some vacant buildings that could be repurposed in this illustrious city?
The old Taconic would be perfect. Then the students could get a close up look at all the action.
Hinds sister is a Maxymillian and works for Maxy. What construction company do you think will build the new PD station ? Perhaps the same one who gets all the lucrative city contracts.
Why not just have a Sheriffs Department.
Taxfields Linda Tyer has the power to spend your SS check
Linda eats her filet minion and snickers at those forced to eat dried cat food. She is so much like Trump I think we should do a DNA test.
Is Lacks Lunge required to protect the City Parking lot to Lanesboro, or just out back of its restaurant? What a joke,
750 pieces of equipment for the storm In Boston.
haven’t seen one piece of Equipment on my street?