Restauranteur Luke Marion owns Otto’s Kitchen & Comfort, a popular eatery in the heart of downtown Pittsfield. He told the city council that he was surprised to learn last week that telecommunications repairs happening next to the East Street restaurant on Wendell Avenue Extension had eaten up parking for his business.
“Verizon is the second largest telecom company in the United States and the third largest in the world," said Marion. "Our revenues at Otto’s in our best year are only four ten-thousandths of 1% of Verizon’s annual revenue. Over the past week, there has been little to no movement from the work crews on the street as Wendell Ave Extension is only being used as equipment storage. We were informed that the entire street would be shut down this week on quote, either Thursday or Friday, an approximation that doesn't really jive with one's ability to run a business.”
Marion, who unsuccessfully ran for city council as an at-large candidate last year, was baffled that neither the city nor Verizon had communicated with neighbors or considered the impact on nearby businesses.
“There's a tangible, measurable negative effect on our business with the work going on," he told the council. "That negative effect will likely continue for the duration of this incredibly invasive work, which is hopefully only a month, but could end up being three months during the season when we can't afford to miss out on business going into the lean Berkshire winter.”
Reached by WAMC Wednesday, Commissioner of Public Works Ricardo Morales confirmed that the city had approved Verizon’s request to use parking spots by the project and admitted that it hadn’t done full outreach to surrounding businesses before it started.
While he praised Morales’s quick response to his concerns once he reached out to the city, Marion said approval of the project without notice to its neighbors felt like Pittsfield had favored the corporate titan over its own community.
“I am required to notify my abutters before I'm allowed to sell a beer, and this permit was issued with what happens, or appears to be, complete disregard for the projects of abutters," said Marion. "This when a company with a $186 billion market cap possibly could have done more to mitigate the effects of the project on neighbors. I would have even settled for a certified letter and a heads up.”
While WAMC reached the company Wednesday, Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another Pittsfielder, Shannon Stephens, told the council she had never attended a meeting before and thought she might never have to.
“However, today I heard the story of an unhoused individual with an eviction notice on their tent from the parks department," she said. "Where are they going to go? What are they going to do? They're unhoused. If they can't sleep peacefully in the outermost wooded parts of our city, where can they sleep? I did some digging, and when I called ServiceNet, to my surprise, the shelter was full and the waiting list was over 30 people long. So, what's the solution?”
ServiceNet is the nonprofit health and human service agency that operates Pittsfield’s shelter system.
“I personally work with these individuals every day- The unhoused individuals, people who use drugs, sex workers," Stephens continued. They're all members of our community, and yet, time and time again, they are treated less than important, not to mention stigmatized and demonized by police, by health care workers, by local business owners and by fellow citizens of Pittsfield. Why?”
Stephens offered the 11-member body some actionable suggestions to support the unhoused community.
“Some of the things that I would like the city council to think about is prioritizing housing, expanding access to rental assistance vouchers, expanding affordable housing opportunities, collaborations, maybe to reform zoning laws, ensure tenant protections so more people don't end up unhoused and on a waiting list for a shelter, because you can't get a job without an ID, and you can't get an ID without an address," she told the council. "So, it's not as simple as 'get a job.'”
City Council President Pete White told WAMC Wednesday that the body is focused on balancing Stevens’ concerns for the wellbeing of the unhoused with other city priorities, noting that it cost tens of thousands of dollars to clean up an encampment in Springside Park that sprung up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“it's illegal to, unfortunately, pitch a tent on private property on city property," said White. "We need to be, continue to be compassionate about offering services. We have housing initiatives in the works that are never going to be enough, and they're never going to happen fast enough- However, we still have to maintain the city ordinances that are out there on where you can and can't be camping, and we have to continue to passionately and compassionately work with people who are unhoused.”
During the meeting, the council voted on issues like accepting state grants including almost $100,000 to expand public Wi-Fi and digital equity programming and $50,000 to undertake a management study of Pittsfield’s municipal government.
