SHELBURNE — Through a $15,000 state grant, the town will commission a parking study to help town better plan for parking that would allow for the growth of both village businesses and apartment housing without undermining the historic character of the village.
Selectboard Chairman Joseph Judd announced the award, saying that, unlike earlier parking studies, the new one is to factor in the parking needs of apartment dwellers within the village.
Current zoning requires developers to furnish two off-street parking spaces for every apartment, although this requirement can be negotiated through the permitting process. However, town officials are concerned that parking restrictions are hindering the redevelopment of older vacant properties, especially along Bridge Street and Deerfield Avenue.
One idea for creating more parking, while keeping the sense of a “walkable village” with its tight cluster of buildings and storefronts, is to transform an underused gravel parking area below Deerfield Street into a two-story garage, with a walkway leading to Bridge Street. Another option would be to set a two-hour parking limit on the parking spaces behind the Bridge Street stores, between Main and Water streets.
Some new Bridge Street property owners would like to create second-floor apartments, but do not have enough land on those properties to create more parking.
SHELBURNE — Dr. Stefan Topolski of Bridge Street is now a member of the town’s Recreation Committee. He was appointed this week by the Selectboard and will fill a vacant seat through June. If he wishes, Topolski could run as a write-in candidate for a full five-year term on that committee, which has no candidates on the May 15 ballot.
Mohawk OKs new high school lights
BUCKLAND — The Mohawk Trail Regional School will be getting new, LED lights, ballasts and fixtures next fall that will save the school about 147,000 kilowatt hours of energy and about $25,000 per year in utility bills.
The school has signed on for an energy-efficient lighting upgrade in partnership with Eversource, which will be installed during summer school break. The lighting upgrade was developed for Mohawk by JK Energy Solutions. The total cost is $153,913. But Eversource is to pay $34,211, as an incentive, while Mohawk pays $119,702.
According to JK Energy’s financial analysis, Mohawk will save about $2,100 monthly on its lighting costs, with a payback of roughly five years.
Besides the reduction in operating costs and lowering of the school’s carbon footprint, the new lights will improve the quality of light in the school, reduce maintenance costs and improve the overall working environment.