Adams Residents Can Hear About Proposed Smart Growth Overlay District

Adams Town officials will convene a public information session at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Adams Visitors Center, 3 Hoosac St., to provide information to the community about the proposed adoption of the Smart Growth Overlay District, also known as Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40R.

The Berkshire Eagle  reports the Adams Planning Board has proposed that the town's zoning bylaws be amended to establish a Smart Growth Overlay District. The purpose of the district would be to encourage the revitalization of existing buildings through preservation, reuse, renovation and re-purposing of underused historic structures using a mixed-use concept that typically includes commercial and residential components.

Successful mixed-use projects, similar to Adams' own Berkshire Mills Apartments, might help achieve several local, community and regional goals.

By adopting a Smart Growth Overlay District, the town of Adams hopes to position itself to access state incentive payments, maintain a consistent high level of design quality for such projects, and emerge as a premier place to live, work and play in the Berkshires.

A previous hearing of this proposal, in July, deteriorated into a dramatic display by attendees of their reluctance to allow any percentage of affordable housing options as part of the overlay district.