Ventfort Hall needs documented five-year plan
While a proposed elevator for Ventfort Hall seems an unnecessary item for this historic mansion once owned by George L. and Sarah Morgan, given the fact there are two exit staircases, it has opened up Pandora’s box to town officials and the community-at-large.
No one wants to see the building shut down until permits are taken and the work completed.
The proposed elevator has been proposed to go to all floors, when in reality the public may be only allowed access to the first two floors. Why the added expense? And, perhaps there is an alternative plan that could be proposed?
| Historically, most buildings and landscapes were not designed to be readily accessible for people with disabilities. In recent years, however, emphasis has been placed on preserving historically significant properties, and on making these properties-and the activities within them-more accessible to people with disabilities. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, access to properties open to the public is now a civil right. |
Today, the building inspector and the fire chief have pointed to a number of irregularities that may force them to shut down the building until the issues are fixed.
The Berkshire Beacon has advocated that there needs to be a five-year plan (document) and there is need to address issues outlined in a proposed partnership agreement between the town and the association.
This is notwithstanding work to be done on the carriage barn to secure it from further deterioration, which includes further brick work, enclosing the back wall and coming up with a plan for usage that can pass bank or financial muster.
As to the mansion, the more work that is done, the better the presentation and thus the more valuable the building becomes.
Plans are for the installation of a four- to six-inch water line to have a fire hydrant on the property and eventually some part(s) of the building to have a fire suppression system.
Yes, it is all about money.
Money that Ventfort Hall Association claims it doesn’t have, thus has been looking for Community Preservation Funds. That committee has denied the request for an add-on elevator to comply with the ADA issues.
No one is going to make a contribution to a closed building, but they will make a more committed donation, if a plan (document) can be inked to put both the association and town on a given path with dates and times with a recognized clerk of the works.
The good people of Berkshire County and visitors like the Gilded Age Museum approach. They like the functions. It serves the town and its visitors well. It could be expanded into a Glided Age Library, a place for small classical concerts and even as a dedicated wedding destination – to be determined.
What the association also needs to look at is the future use of the carriage barn, which might be turned into a summer school for preservationists and architectural students, who would use the barn as a classroom and perhaps live in the mansion. (Students of this nature tend to walk and/or ride bicycles.)
The Beacon, in prior comments, has outlined a plan that will focus on a school much like the summer school on Nantucket that will provide a perservation model for today’s students and income for the association.
Meanwhile, there is a need for Ventfort Hall to meet in a public session with the permitting authorities to formulate a plan that both the members and the community can be a part of. The more public Ventfort Hall is, the greater response will come from the community in terms of volunteers and contributions.
Today, Sabic Innovative Plastics in Pittsfield is seeking proposals from Berkshire County non-profit organizations for collaborative projects that have community involvement and impact. Sabic men and women could clean up the property, re-discover the roadway off Kemble Street and the nearby tennis court and fine tune the landscape.
They are looking for projects that focus on environmental stewardship and/or enhance educational experiences in the areas of science, technology or innovation, i.e. the carriage barn. Sabic could help under write the mission and goals of the barn with a partnership with Mass Historic to turn it into a perservation laboratory for Berkshire County, complete with furnishings from computers/servers and software to a high speed internet (T1) to the campus.
Ventfort Hall fits the bill. And an extra $50,000 would be a good beginning to help with the issues at hand.
Posted by George C. Jordan III
on March 21, 2013. Filed under Editorials,Opinion.
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