March 30, 2001
Connections 2001
By Glenn Drohan
Berkshire Eagle Staff
NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS
Despite the booming economy of the late '90s and 2000, North Berkshire saw few major developments and virtually
no big housing projects over the past 10 years, and regional planners and local officials don't see any changes
coming soon.
Outside of Hancock, which has no zoning, and New Ashford, which recently established a resort district to cope
with the potentially massive expansion of Brodie Mountain Ski Resort, development pressure has been minimal. And
with good reason, according to Nathaniel W. Karns, executive director of the Berkshire County Regional Planning
Commission.
"For large developers, Berkshire County is the wrong choice," Karns said. "It has a large and growing
elderly population, and there's already a second-home market with Oak 'N Spruce, Jiminy Peak and others."
Beyond that, in most of the larger communities there is a lack of available land. What land can be developed either
already has been, poses environmental problems or carries a steep price. And then there's the inevitable problem
of roads. North County has no highways, and just getting from North Adams to Pittsfield can take up to an hour
some days.
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