image description — This 5-year-old home has four bedrooms and is energy efficient.

Friday Front Porch Feature: An Attractive Energy-Efficient Home

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:47PM / Friday, August 08, 2025Print Story | Email Story

DALTON, Mass. — Are you looking for a house that's energy efficient and new? Then this Dalton home is the one for you.

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing a young home at 224 East St.

This 2020 home has four bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms and a two-car garage. It is 2,318 square feet on 0.35 acres.

It comes with Energy Star-rated washer, stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, and dryer, central air and solar panels.

We spoke with Patricia Molina of Century 21 Northeast about this house.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

Newly built homes make up a small percentage of Berkshire County's housing market. This home stands out because it is new with quality systems, quality materials and quality craftsmanship.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine a life in this space?

Imagine coming home to this bright home where everything just flows. The kitchen has such a clean, modern feel and opens right up to the back deck and yard. The primary bedroom is a dream with a walk-in closet and your own private bathroom with double sinks. The biggest plus? The house is new. No need to worry about the "big ticket items" like replacing the roof, heating system, electrical, or any other major updates for years to come.

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

It felt welcoming and cool, literally! Having central air is amazing. The open layout, natural lighting and the beautiful floors make the home feel bright and inviting. The kitchen island immediately grabbed my attention. I knew this was a great house as soon as I walked in.

What do the current owners love most about the home?

I would say it has to be the energy efficiency. While living here, they had multiple electronics running around the clock, and the solar panels helped curb the cost of all that energy use. I think they also loved how spacious the home is. Having a bathroom on each floor is so convenient and such a rare find these days.

Are there any standout design features or recent renovations?

Absolutely. It was just built in 2020, so everything is still very new. Beyond that, there are some fantastic design features: 1) energy efficient systems like the solar panels, underground propane tank for heating, central air, on demand hot water, high speed wiring 2) the modern kitchen and bathrooms 3) a radon mitigation system which was proactively installed 4) a partially (mostly) finished basement with the mechanicals separated from the finished area.

How would you describe the feel or atmosphere of the home?

It feels bright, clean, and modern. I really love the thoughtful touches. The home has a cozy and welcoming vibe. It's spacious, but still feels comfortable and homey.

What kind of lifestyle do you think this home naturally lends itself to?

It's such a versatile home. I think just about any lifestyle would thrive here. The amount of space throughout the home really suits a variety of needs. It will be a great home for anyone looking for comfort and functional modern home.

You can find out more about this house on its listing.

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

Tags: front porch, Real Estate,

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Restructure

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to restructure the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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