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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Great Barrington Planning Board Meeting - April 9, 2026

Selectboard & Town Boards — Thursday, April 9, 2026
BodyGreat Barrington, Massachusetts
SessionSelectboard & Town Boards
DateThursday, April 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:14:09

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

0:00

So shall we get started this evening?

0:02

So we'll get started with the Great Barrington Planning Board meeting for Thursday, April 9th.

0:08

Um this meeting is being recorded.

0:10

Is anyone else recording?

Speaker 2

0:12

I think the uh yeah, Berkshire Edge is reporting also.

0:16

Okay.

Speaker 1

0:17

All right.

0:18

So um we'll get started with um our roll call attendance, Jackie Kane.

0:24

There, Pedro Pachano, Jonathan Hankin.

Speaker 3

0:27

Still here,

Speaker 1

0:28

Malcolm Fick.

0:29

Brandy Nelson here.

Unassigned speaker

0:31

All

Speaker 1

0:31

right, we'll get going on our first order of regular business.

0:34

We have a form A for 206 Blue Hill Road.

0:38

Patrick, how are you?

Speaker 4

0:39

Good.

Unassigned speaker

0:40

My

Speaker 4

0:40

name is Patrick Mahold, and I'm the land surveyor representing Joe Lewis for 206 duel road.

Unassigned speaker

0:48

And

Speaker 4

0:48

all of this plan is for basically lot number two, which is a little small wedge on the southeast corner that he wants to convey to his neighbor to resolve the encroachment.

Speaker 5

1:00

We

Speaker 4

1:00

can't see the plumbing.

Speaker 2

1:10

I've got mine online on top.

Speaker 4

1:11

I'd like to see the partwood.

Speaker 2

1:16

Because they drag them in the phone.

1:24

Yep.

Speaker 4

1:26

Yes.

1:28

So uh he's creating lot number two, which is not a building lot in the southeast corner,

Unassigned speaker

1:33

uh,

Speaker 4

1:33

to be conveyed to be a butter to the south.

Speaker 1

1:36

The teeny tiny 996 square foot wedge.

Speaker 4

1:41

That's the settle.

1:43

Uh an encroachment.

1:45

So that's that's the whole thing.

1:46

Yeah, that's it.

1:47

That's the whole thing.

1:49

Yeah.

Unassigned speaker

1:50

Uh

Speaker 4

1:50

you can see how the wall takes a little band there.

1:53

So everybody's been using off to the wall.

1:55

So they kind of split the baby or whatever the way they did it in the city does

Speaker 3

2:00

instead of moving the wall, it's cheaper to just move the wall.

2:03

Yeah,

Speaker 4

2:04

well, there's some trees or something.

2:05

You have order to the south wanted,

Unassigned speaker

2:07

and

Speaker 4

2:08

so it ended up being what it is.

2:09

Is this probably Marion?

2:12

Yeah, we sold it.

2:14

You sold it.

2:14

Yeah, I want to say about a year ago.

2:16

Maybe yeah, couple years.

Speaker 1

2:19

Do we have a motion to endorse?

2:21

Thank you, Pedro.

2:22

Seconded by Malcolm.

2:24

Do we have any further discussion on the matter?

2:26

All in favor, aye.

2:28

Any opposed?

2:29

All right.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Planning And Zoning█████████████████████████████████████37%
Procedural█████████████████████21%
Parking Management██████████████14%
Tree Preservation███████████11%
Signage And Wayfinding███████7%
Environmental Protection██████6%
Site Plan Review████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Great Barrington Planning Board Meeting - April 9, 2026

The Great Barrington Planning Board met on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 4:00 PM (local time) to conduct regular business. The meeting included approvals of a lot line adjustment, withdrawal of a solar facility special permit, and site plan reviews for Fairview Hospital and a new restaurant at 105 Stockbridge Road. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

  • Form A for 206 Blue Hill Road: Approved unanimously to create a 996-square-foot non-building lot (Lot #2) to be conveyed to an abutter to resolve an encroachment. The applicant was Patrick Mahold, land surveyor representing owner Joe Lewis. Motion by Pedro Pachano, seconded by Malcolm Fick.

Discussion Items

  • Withdrawal of Special Permit for 53 Van Doosenville Road: The board accepted the applicant’s letter to withdraw the special permit application for a commercial-scale ground solar energy facility without prejudice. Motion by Malcolm Fick, seconded by Jonathan Hankin.
  • Site Plan Review – Fairview Hospital Addition: Continuation from February 12, 2026. The applicant (Berkshire Health Systems, represented by Joel Roach, VP of Facilities, and Josie Sexton of Erdman Architects) presented supplemental materials addressing previous board questions: site lighting details, wayfinding plan, cut/fill analysis (4,000 cubic yards cut, 5,500 cubic yards fill, net import of 1,500 cubic yards), erosion and sediment controls (SWPPP submitted to EPA), landscaping (including neighbor input), a viewshed analysis from Lewis Avenue showing visual separation by the preserved Andrews house, and ADA parking compliance (four additional spaces to meet 10% outpatient requirement). Signage was discussed but will be reviewed later via the building department. The board reviewed site plan criteria and found the revisions satisfactory, except for a request to avoid invasive plants (specifically Bush Honeysuckle) and to correct a typo in the light pole detail (pole base dimension erroneously listed as 30 feet; actual mounting height is 14 feet, compliant with bylaw limit of 15 feet). The ZBA’s two conditions (helipad and bed increase) were noted as not applicable. Motion to approve site plan with conditions: (1) revise plant list to exclude invasive species, (2) send revised light pole detail to the board. Motion by Jonathan Hankin, seconded by Malcolm Fick. Unanimous approval.
  • Site Plan Review – 105 Stockbridge Road: Application by Mountain View General Contractors (Jeffrey Pierce) on behalf of Jay Z Group (new owners of the former Shiro) for exterior alterations to the building, including new siding (Everlast composite, dark gray) on the parking lot side and an addition replacing the former drive-thru. The addition adds hibachi dining, sushi bar, and bar, totaling 144 seats. The board discussed parking requirements (45 spaces needed, current site has ~29 spaces plus a deeded 22 spaces from an adjacent property, totaling 49). The applicant confirmed shared parking arrangement. The board also addressed Route 7 landscaping requirements: one tree per 25 feet of frontage. The existing shrubs and a Japanese maple were deemed insufficient; the board required one additional small tree from the approved list in the front strip. The applicant agreed. The board ran through site plan criteria and found no issues beyond parking and landscaping. Motion to approve site plan with conditions: (1) ensure sufficient parking per bylaw (3 spaces per seat), (2) plant one additional small tree in the front landscape buffer. Motion by Jonathan Hankin, seconded by Malcolm Fick. Unanimous approval.

Key Outcomes

  • Form A approval for 206 Blue Hill Road: Unanimous.
  • Withdrawal of special permit for 53 Van Doosenville Road: Unanimous.
  • Fairview Hospital site plan approval: Unanimous, with conditions to revise invasive plant list and correct light pole detail.
  • 105 Stockbridge Road site plan approval: Unanimous, with conditions to confirm parking compliance and plant one additional front tree.
  • Next meeting scheduled: April 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM for an interactive session on the Open Space and Recreation Plan goals.
  • Board announcements: Malcolm Fick will not be present at the April 23 meeting due to surgery; he noted he will not seek re-election but requested continuation as associate member on BRPC. Several board members may attend a state solar siting meeting on April 23 (future Thursday).

Meeting Transcript

So shall we get started this evening? So we'll get started with the Great Barrington Planning Board meeting for Thursday, April 9th. Um this meeting is being recorded. Is anyone else recording? I think the uh yeah, Berkshire Edge is reporting also. Okay. All right. So um we'll get started with um our roll call attendance, Jackie Kane. There, Pedro Pachano, Jonathan Hankin. Still here, Malcolm Fick. Brandy Nelson here. All right, we'll get going on our first order of regular business. We have a form A for 206 Blue Hill Road. Patrick, how are you? Good. My name is Patrick Mahold, and I'm the land surveyor representing Joe Lewis for 206 duel road. And all of this plan is for basically lot number two, which is a little small wedge on the southeast corner that he wants to convey to his neighbor to resolve the encroachment. We can't see the plumbing. I've got mine online on top. I'd like to see the partwood. Because they drag them in the phone. Yep. Yes. So uh he's creating lot number two, which is not a building lot in the southeast corner, uh, to be conveyed to be a butter to the south. The teeny tiny 996 square foot wedge. That's the settle. Uh an encroachment. So that's that's the whole thing. Yeah, that's it. That's the whole thing. Yeah. Uh you can see how the wall takes a little band there. So everybody's been using off to the wall. So they kind of split the baby or whatever the way they did it in the city does instead of moving the wall, it's cheaper to just move the wall. Yeah, well, there's some trees or something. You have order to the south wanted, and so it ended up being what it is. Is this probably Marion? Yeah, we sold it.

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