North Adams Planners OK Tiny House BuilderBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
06:27PM / Wednesday, February 15, 2017 | |
 The Planning Board on Monday approved permits for a tiny house builder and landscaping for the Redwood project. |
The newest permutation of the Redwood project that adds a restaurant and spa on the east end. The planners have asked the developers to submit permitting plans instead of updates to ensure the public also is kept abreast of the project.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Planning Board approved permits for a tiny house manufacturer that is moving into the Windsor Mill.
B&B Precision Builders has been operating out of the former Berkshire Gas building on Old Columbia St. in Adams and is expected to move into a large section of the city-owned mill in the coming months.
The locally owned company was founded as a home builder by the late Michael Bresett of Adams and was re-established by his son, Mitchell Bresett, in New York State before returning to Adams. His partners include Jason Koperniak, also of Adams.
The owners said they needed the 15,000 square feet of space in the mill to expand and could employ up to 30 people in building tiny houses for a vacation rental company and their own designs by order.
They told the Planning Board they hope to be working with a Harvard business startup. This is presumably Getaway, founded by two Harvard classmates, which proposes to expand its tiny house vacation rentals from New England and upstate New York to 30 other states. Getaway was recently featured on ABC's "Shark Tank."
"It's really exciting ... I like making things and I like businesses that make things," said Planner Brian Miksic. "It's just great to see that kind of thing there and growing."
The board also approved a landscaping plan for the Redwood Motel project but, again, expressed their concerns about how the continuing changes in the project were being presented. Developer Benjamin Svenson and project manager Eric Kerns of the Beyond Place LLC had been asked in December to provide more concrete plans when they gave a preview of the landscaping.
On Monday, in addition to asking for approval of the landscaping, they were ready with preliminary discussions of a restaurant, tavern, inn and spa addition to the renovation and rebuild of the old motor court.
"I'm still thinking we're not in synch on the process for this," said Chairman Michael Leary. "My concern, again, that I expressed at the last meeting, is that the abuttors and the public have not had a chance to look at these. You're asking for approval in your letters, I'm not ready to approve of any of this yet."
Leary said the changes were significant compared to the original plans approved more than a year ago.
"I'm not saying any of it's bad — in fact, I think it's very good — but I think in fairness of those people who live around you who went to those first meetings ... I think we need to give them an opportunity to see the plans," he said.
Planner Kyle Hanlon questioned how the permitting process should move forward: as an amendment, as a new permit?
"I don't think I've ever come across a situation like this where we've had a special permit morph so greatly, so far into it," he said, wonder if the board should check with the city solicitor. "In my mind I'm confused."
Building Inspector William Meranti said the "answer elude" him but thought either way would be proper. He was, however, sure that the changes, particularly on the eastern end of the property concerning the farmhouse, warranted a public hearing.
Kerns and Svenson said they were trying to keep the board abreast of any modifications as updates, a "soft process."
"It's got to a hard process, maybe we should stick to that?" said Svenson.
Leary agreed that would be the best interpretation. While the landscaping was a smaller modification, the inclusion of the farmhouse marked a major change, and one that had to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals before the planners could even contemplate it.
Plus presenting such significant plan changes as updates could create an element of prejudice in the board deliberations, he said, when it should be posing objective questions and taking in public input.
"I think the board needs to see that the same time the public does," he said, otherwise, "we'd just be redoing the public hearing."
In other business:
• The board approved signage changes for Greylock Animal Hospital and Time Warner Cable, which is switching to the Spectrum name; and a sandwich board sign for the Empire Café located at 59 Main St.
• An application by Paul McMullan and Lynn Richardson to operate a gallery at 44 Eagle St. was continued at the request of the applicant because they were unable to attend because of the weather.
• The board voted to maintain the same slate of officers as last year, with Leary continuing as chairman and Paul Hopkins as vice chairman.
• Prior to Monday's Planning Board meeting, the Redevelopment Authority approved request of Renee Tassone of Eat to Health to open a second storefront on Ashland Street. Tassone plans to use 20 Ashland as a client meeting space.
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