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Ollie's sign will be on the bright yellow painted below the roof's apex. The building had formerly housed Big Lots and, before that, a Price Rite. It had first opened in the 1950s as an Adams Super Market.

Pittsfield ZBA OKs Sign For Ollie's Discount Store

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is closer to having another bargain store to shop at. 

On Wednesday, the Zoning Board of Appeals granted a sign exemption for 457 Dalton Ave., the former Big Lots. The store will now be an Ollie's Bargain Basement, a company based in Harrisburg, Pa. 

The store requested an exemption from sign ordinance requirements for a 114.2 square foot wall sign on a painted yellow wall in the front of the store. It is located on the top level of the Dalton Avenue Plaza.

Up to 100 square feet of signage is allowed in the business commercial zoning district and the ZBA can grant up to 150 square feet.

"We appreciate that," Jeff Rives, owner of East West Sign Group, said on behalf of the company after the approval. 

"It will help the store be successful, and I think you'll find that your constituents will really enjoy it. It's a wonderful business model." 


Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2024, and Ollie's has been acquiring its former stores. Ollie's will now operate 63 former Big Lots, including the one in Pittsfield and another in Rutland, Vt. It operates about 568 stores in 31 states.

In terms of signage, Rives explained, "My client is not requesting anything more than what was there." 

He described the "unique" entrance where the sign will be placed, which has a triangle overhang that blocks sunlight. The store will use yellow paint and an illuminated sign that says "Ollie’s, Good Stuff Cheap," for visibility, similar to Big Lots. 

Rives said his Maryland-based company has done work for more than 250 Ollie’s stores over the last nine years. 

The store is set back more than 400 feet from Dalton Avenue. ZBA members agreed that this was an appropriate request. 


Tags: ZBA,   discount store,   signage,   

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Hinsdale OKs Police Department Audit After Fatal Shooting

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

HINSDALE, Mass. — The town has approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the police department, more than two months after police fatally shot 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis. 

Town Administrator Robert Graves said the shooting on Jan. 7 is not the only focus of the audit, and it will be several months before the Select Board receives a final report. 

During a special town meeting on March 11, an article appropriating $25,000 from free cash for an independent consultant to conduct a professional evaluation and audit of the Town's Police Department was approved. The audit includes a review of the department's policies, protocols, operations, and procedures, and concludes with a written report. 

"The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the shooting, and we await their conclusions.  As we look to move forward, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, our insurance company (MIIA/Cabot Risk), and our legal counsel have recommended that the town hire an independent law enforcement consultant or firm to conduct a comprehensive administrative review of our police operation," Graves wrote in an email to iBerkshires on Friday. 

"This event is not their focus; they will assess the overall operation. We want a written assessment of our police operation's strengths and weaknesses to help Hinsdale make future changes and improvements." 

He said after completing the procurement process and signing a contract with a reputable consultant or business, it will most likely be several months before the Select Board receives the final report. 

"Still, it will help the town and police department move forward," Graves wrote. 

Last weekend, family and friends of Kauvil stood in Park Square asking for justice. A flier for the standout reads "Biagio was killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, over seven weeks later, authorities have not yet provided any updates.

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