West Stockbridge Select Board Appoints Vision Committee Member, Addresses Turnpark Parking

WEST STOCKBRIDGE -- April 3, 2023, West Stockbridge Select Board calls for stricter parking controls at Turnpark after overflow incident. Meeting Monday with only two of three members present, Chair Andrew Krouss and Member Kathleen Keresey, with Member Tobias Casey absent, the board heard Police Chief Mark Portieri report that 30 to 40 cars parked illegally along Moscow Road during an unannounced Turnpark soft-opening Saturday, leaving a single on-duty officer to manage the scene. Turnpark operator Jarrett told the board, "plain and simple, I screwed up," and agreed that police details would accompany future events involving alcohol sales. Resident Kurt Wilton, who filmed the incident, said he will appear at every future event-permit hearing to demand a written parking plan. The board also unanimously appointed Champika Fernando to the Vision Committee and tabled a farmer's market discussion to its next meeting; Portieri flagged two internal applications to fill open officer slots as the department's bridge certification program approaches its July 1 deadline, with $28,000 budgeted for academy costs and an additional $10,000 for training time.