COLRAIN — Can the Arthur A. Smith covered bridge carry vehicular traffic? Several members of the town’s Historical Society have asked the Selectboard to consider allowing cars to go over the bridge, which was restored from 2005 to 2007, after a long absence from the North River.
Recently, town officials received a letter from the state Department of Transportation, saying the bridge will be rated, a necessary first step if the bridge were to be used by vehicles.
The bridge, on Lyonsville Road, was built around 1870 and is the only covered bridge with Burr arched trusses in the state. It was moved on to land in 1991 until it could be renovated. When it reopened, it was placed back over the North River, but has been open only to pedestrians and bicycles.
Town Coordinator Kevin Fox said it would be three to six months before the town will know if it can accommodate vehicles.
The bridge has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983 and is one of the few covered bridges left in the state.
COLRAIN — The Pitt House, another historic structure in town, needs work, and the Selectboard has voted to spend part of this year’s Pitt House budget to get design and engineering work done on the building’s foundation.
Historical Society member Phillips Sherburne said there is a dirt floor under part of the Pitt House, and did not want to see valuable artifacts in the home damaged by moisture.
The house at 8 Main Road was donated to the Historical Society by its founder, G. William Pitt, to house his collection of theater memorabilia and items of historical significance to the town. Pitt, who died in 1976, was curator of the Copley Society in Boston, a theater patron, actor and musician who brought many famous people to his summer home in Colrain. He left the town his circa-1880s home filled with art and theatrical artifacts.
SHELBURNE — The town is developing a downtown parking strategy plan that focuses on residential, employee and merchant parking, wayfinding, signage, and overall parking management in the Shelburne Falls section of Shelburne.
A “drop-in workshop” is planned for Thursday, Aug. 24, to understand about what works and doesn’t work in Shelburne’s current parking arrangement. The workshop is from noon to 4 p.m. at the former Singley Furniture site, on Bridge Street. The public is invited to stop by during this time to provide feedback. (If it is raining, you can find us at the Shelburne Town Hall/Memorial Hall, 51 Bridge St.)
This study is supported by a “MA Downtown Initiative Technical Assistance Program” competitive grant from the State of Massachusetts’ Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Feedback is essential to the study’s success. Send comments to: Townadmin@townofshelburnema.gov