PEDA works on developing Silver Lake walking path

PITTSFIELD – Thanks to the assistance of the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority (PEDA), a long planned for walking path along Silver Lake will continue to go forward.

The walking path was included in the consent decree General Electric (GE) entered into with the City of Pittsfield in 2000 to clean up its sites.

One of these sites in the city was Silver Lake, and GE agreed, once they finished capping the lake, they would construct a walking path from East Street to Fourth Street for the enjoyment of the public.

“That was the proposal years ago and has always been in the plan,” said Corydon L. “Cory” Thurston, executive director of PEDA, in an interview with The Beacon.

This plan hit a snag, however, when a title search determined the land in question was privately owned and not owned by the city, as was previously thought.

This presented a problem, because, without the land being in municipal hands, GE wouldn’t move forward with building the walking path.

“That’s when PEDA was asked to get involved,” said Mr. Thurston.

He said PEDA’s relationship with the EPA and its experience administering environmentally-sensitive properties made it the ideal candidate to facilitate transferring the land into public ownership.

“We were the logical choice,” he said.

PEDA first negotiated a transfer of a portion of the land in question, which was owned by the Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WEMECO), to PEDA.

“They graciously donated that parcel into PEDA’s name at no cost,” said Mr. Thurston.

Another 1,000 feet of frontage, from Silver Lake Boulevard to Fourth Street, consisted of two parcels.

One of these parcels had an owner that could not be found, while another belonged to the defunct Pittsfield Industrial Development Corporation. Because of this, PEDA used its eminent domain powers to acquire them.

The final parcel of the land in question belongs to GE and will be transferred to PEDA once the lake shoreline work has been completed.

Mr. Thurston pointed out the only money PEDA has spent to acquire these properties has been on legal expenses.

Although PEDA will always own the shoreline, the maintenance and administration of the walkway will be the responsibility of the city.

“To finish the last little crossing of the “t”…we as PEDA will enter into a formal easement with the city,” said Mr. Thurston.

He explained such an easement, which will allow the city to administer and maintain the walkway, has already been approved by the city council and will take effect once GE has completed the walking path’s construction to the city’s satisfaction.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on January 31, 2013. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry