Great Barrington Parks Panel Moves Toward Charging Field-Use Fees
Other Committee · Meeting of April 6, 2026
Great Barrington parks panel moves toward charging fees for field and park use, including nonprofits. The Parks and Recreation Commission approved field requests from Great Barrington Little League (12 teams, 143 kids), girls' softball, the Housatonic Improvement Committee and several nonprofits, while member Kevin pressed staff on why the Mahaiwe Theater, which reported over $5.5 million in revenue and more than $12 million in assets, has never paid to use Memorial Field for its annual gala. "They don't contribute anything to the town in the form of property taxes or a pilot," Kevin said.
Chair Karen agreed to place a field-use fee proposal on the commission's next agenda, noting the farmer's market already pays $250 a day for the Hoosie Dome. The commission also heard that Housatonic the Beautiful Fund has raised $300,000 to plant 28 trees this spring.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 1,034 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of April 6, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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