Pittsfield's Department of Community Development to Hold Second Public Workshop

07:47PM / Thursday, March 19, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Department of Community Development has announced a public workshop and input session as part of the preparation of the City's Master Plan, Pathway to 2036 on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 6:00p.m.

This workshop will be held at Conte Community School located at 200 West Union Street in Pittsfield.

In collaboration with VHB, the Department has initiated a year-long planning process aimed at crafting a Master Plan that will guide the city's growth and change while preserving its unique character and reflecting shared community values. The updated Master Plan will serve as a key policy document for physical development, addressing critical areas such as land use, infrastructure, sustainability.

Input from city residents is a crucial part of the planning process. Residents are encouraged to attend to learn about the planning process and provide their feedback. The meeting will also provide a brief discussion on the development of the Westside zoning project that was undertaken by the city in 2025. This is the second public workshop to solicit community input.

For additional details about the event, please contact:

City Planner: Kevin Rayner at (413) 499-9368 or via email at krayner@pittsfieldma.gov
Luke Mitchell at lamitchell@vhb.com

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15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports11:35AM / Sunday, October 11, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive.

On Friday evening, the Pittsfield Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Dr. in about an hour.

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children. The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation. One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue.

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 ½ story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out.

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release.

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