Berkshires Gets $200K in State Grants to Boost Housing, Conservation & Development

07:49AM / Tuesday, May 27, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Healey-Driscoll Administration has awarded over $2.1 million in grant funding through the Planning Assistance Grant Program, with a significant portion benefiting communities in Berkshire County.

These grants, administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), aim to improve community land use practices by promoting conservation, sustainable housing and economic development, and climate resilience. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) is the applicant for most of these local projects, providing crucial support for efficient land use, increased housing options, and climate change initiatives.

Specifically, the following Berkshire County communities and projects have received funding:

Berkshire County (200-300 locations): The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has been awarded $37,500 for a Priority Redevelopment Sites Strategy for Berkshire County.
Great Barrington: The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has received $37,500 for a Priority Redevelopment Sites Strategy for Berkshire County.
Lee: The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has been granted $41,250 for Downtown Zoning Modernization.
Pittsfield: The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has secured $41,250 for an Open Space and Recreation Plan Update.
Sheffield: The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has been awarded $32,900 for Housing Planning Implementation.
Pittsfield: The City of Pittsfield has also received a separate grant of $23,900 for a Community Food System Study.

"This funding will help our communities plan to grow, develop, and conserve," said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "We are giving local leaders the tools to work with residents and experts, helping them to develop practical plans that improve land use and increase housing options."

The Planning Assistance Grant Program will also help local governments engage the public and find expert help. This support allows municipalities to implement smart land use practices that align with Massachusetts' Sustainable Development Principles and comply with the Zoning Act.

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Dalton Considers Updating its Municipal Code

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
01:21PM / Thursday, August 27, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The town is considering updating its original 18-year municipal code to 2026 standards.

During a recent Select Board meeting, General Code New England account manager Zach Dumont outlined the 18- to-24 month process.

General Code New England is a division of the International Code Council, which writes all the statewide building codes across the United States. For the last 18 years, the organization has been the codifier for municipalities.

"We work with communities to build, maintain, and update your local municipal code. That is your collection of bylaws, ordinances, regulations, and any other legislation you've ever adopted," Dumont said.

Once the project is complete, the town would have a fully updated set of books and an improved eCode360 site, he said.

"The way the process would work is we would put together a scope of work, a timeline, a price point, and everything that we would want to touch or do as a part of the code project," Dumont said.

When a municipal code is built, it has a general lifespan of about 15 to 20 years, and although that is a long time, it goes by very quickly, he said.

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