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.