Page 13 - BusinessWest February 7, 2022

An artist’s rendering of the Eagle Mill redevelopment project in Lee.
Lee
Continued from page 11
Right now, Lee’s public-safety departments are in several buildings. The police operate out of two floors in Town Hall, the Fire Department is in an historic firehouse, and the town ambulance is located in a separate building.
“We are doing a study to see if we can consoli- date public safety in one new building,” Brittain said. “Whether we replace or renovate, we have to do something because the police are running out of space, and the ambulance building needs work.”
While the study won’t happen for a while, he noted, thanks to the cannabis revenue, the town can explore its options for whether to invest in what it has or move forward with a new facility.
Before the Omicron variant of COVID hit, busi- nesses in Lee were having a strong fall season. Henry said business was brisk. “We had lots of people come to Lee who were eating in our restaurants, staying in our hotels, and shopping in our stores, so we were pretty happy about the fall.”
Despite new variants of COVID and other disrup- tions to business, Henry noted that, because restau- rants have developed strong takeout systems, they can quickly adapt and keep serving their customers.
“I’ve heard from people in Lee how grateful they were to still be able to get good food and how the restaurants worked to accommodate everyone,” she said, adding that the quick adaptation to takeout kept people employed “even though everyone still needs more workers.”
Looking ahead to other projects in town, plans are moving forward for a bike path that would run along the Housatonic River. The mile-long path would extend approximately from Big Y to Lee Bank. Brittain said it’s not certain if construction will begin this year, but the town is working with MassDOT to keep the project moving.
Lee has also applied to become an Appalachian Trail Community. According to the Appalachian Trail
Seeking a Return to Normalcy
For the past two years, Lee had to cancel its annu- al Founders Weekend celebration — which recog- nizes the founding of the town back in 1777 — due to COVID concerns. Henry said people in town treat it as a fun birthday celebration, and in 2022, the town will be 245 years old.
Held on the third weekend in September, the com- munity-wide event takes place on Main Street, which
“We had lots of people come to Lee who were eating in our restaurants, staying in our hotels, and shopping in our stores, so we were pretty happy about the fall.”
Conservancy website, when a town along the trail receives designated community status, it is consid- ered a support asset for all who use the trail, and the conservancy encourages people to explore these communities. If accepted, Lee looks to join Western Mass. communities of Cheshire, Dalton, Great Bar- rington, and North Adams with the designation.
“We’ve been working with the Appalachian Trail folks, and we’re hoping Lee receives its designation by the end of the year,” Brittain said.
is closed to traffic to allow restaurants and other ven- dors to set up in the middle of the street.
“Founders Weekend always draws a huge crowd, and that’s why we were not able to hold it the last two years. It was too difficult to keep such a large gather- ing safe,” Henry said.
While there is no guarantee Founders Weekend will happen this year, she has it listed in her event calendar, and both she and Brittain are hopeful the event will take place in September.
“I think people are ready for a fun blowout week- end,” Henry said. “We’re all looking forward to it.” u
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FEBRUARY 7, 2022 13