PITTSFIELD â A new set of zoning policies will guide development in downtown Pittsfield, allowing entrepreneurs to seek permits faster, with less hassle.
The City Council backed the new Downtown Creative District in a 9-1 vote Tuesday, but not before one councilor questioned whether it was giving developers a pass on efforts to provide more affordable housing in Pittsfield.
City Planner C.J. Hoss told councilors that the new zoning, sent to the council by the Community Development Board, replaces rules in place since 2004, when the city took steps to steer the kind of development it wanted to see downtown through what became known as the Downtown Arts Overlay District.