Great Barrington Select Board Meeting — June 15, 2026

The Great Barrington Select Board met on Monday, June 15, 2026, beginning at 6 p.m. The board heard the town manager’s report, approved several temporary licenses and liquor-license amendments, recommended a zoning variance, continued a contested driveway permit application, endorsed the draft Open Space and Recreation Plan, discussed the Ramsdale Library designer selection process, approved a bond anticipation note sale, and confirmed appointments. Votes were unanimous except where noted.

Town Manager’s Report and Announcements

• Select Board member Bill announced that B and Old Maids will hold an open house/informational conversation Thursday, June 18 at the Unitarian Church in Housatonic; free childcare and dinner are available with registration at the B news website.
• The board thanked organizers, sponsors, volunteers, Sarah Parker, and Housatonic Beautiful for the fourth successful Party in the Park.
• 2026–27 transfer station decals are on sale now through the town clerk or online; the new permit year begins July 1.
• Design documents for the Brookside Bridge project have been submitted to MassDOT. MassDOT recommended designing the bridge for a larger vehicle than originally proposed; the town is evaluating options with MassDOT and coordinating with Division Street Bridge and a possible future Kellogg Bridge TIP project without significant expected schedule or cost changes.
• Town staff are monitoring a resident-raised safety concern near the bridge and are working with Tighe & Bond to assess it; residents are encouraged to report potential safety concerns directly to Town Hall.
• The town received many creative submissions for decorative crosswalk art for the July 4th/250th celebration; selected designs will be installed downtown. Garfield and Betsy Sherman volunteered on the review committee.
• The GB Gratitude program recognized town employees Kathy Couch, Town Clerk Joshua, and highway employee Darrell Austin, and volunteers Bill Meyer, Marilyn Bessewitz, and Nadine Foster.

Consent Calendar and Routine Approvals

• Minutes of May 13, 2026, and May 18, 2026, were approved unanimously as written.
• Steve McAllister was confirmed as the architect/design professional member of the Design Advisory Committee, unanimously.
• A temporary beer and wine license for the GB Fish and Game Association’s Father’s Day event, Sunday, June 21, 2026, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., at 338 Long Pond Road, was approved unanimously.
• A temporary entertainment license for Bernay Fine Arts at 296 Main Street on Saturday, July 11, 2026, 3:45–6 p.m., with indoor backup if weather is poor, was approved unanimously.
• A temporary entertainment license for the Virtual Arts Festival at 380 State Road on July 3–4, 12–4 p.m., and July 5, 12–3 p.m., was approved unanimously for its 26th annual event.
• Temporary entertainment licenses for WSBS Radio’s free Tuesday concert series at the Great Barrington VFW, 800 South Main Street, July 7–August 18, 2026, 6–8 p.m., were approved unanimously.
• A temporary entertainment license for VFW Post 8348’s July 4th community celebration and picnic at 800 South Main Street, 12–7 p.m., was approved unanimously, with the proposed 3-by-8-foot banner moved from Castanova Park to in front of Town Hall.
• A change-of-manager and corporate-name amendment to the all-alcoholic beverages on-premises license for the Common Pub, 425 Park Street, proposed manager Eric Goulange, was approved unanimously.
• A new common victual license for the Common Pub, formerly Common or Garden, at 425 Park Street, Monday–Sunday 9 a.m.–2 a.m., was approved unanimously; the discussion noted this license covers food service and a nearby resident supported late-night food availability.
• The new common victual license application for Riverside Cafe, Brenda Romero, 4014 Stockford Road, proposed hours Monday–Sunday 7:30 a.m.–8 p.m., was called, but no applicant representative was present and the transcript records no vote on the application.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Fredrika Siegel, 27 Round Hill Road, said she and her husband have owned a Great Barrington home since 1992 and pay a special personal property tax because the town is not their primary residence. She argued that adopting the proposed residential tax exemption would raise their taxes further and that seasonal residents could face a property-tax increase of up to 50%. She urged the board to value seasonal residents’ experience, diversity, enthusiasm, and volunteerism and to re-examine rules for who can run for and be appointed to local bodies.
• A resident named Paul expressed concern and fear about how he and his property were treated in connection with the Open Space and Recreation Plan, said planning board agenda/minutes related to the plan are blank, and stated he has stopped attending planning board meetings and wants to disassociate himself and his property from the plan.

Zoning Variance Recommendation to the ZBA

• Max Ritt of Shelter Farm LLC, representing homeowner James Penrose, requested a positive recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a front-yard garage at 150 Herbert Road that does not meet the 30-foot setback under sections 5.4 and 10.4 of the zoning bylaw. The lot is non-conforming and predates current bylaws; Ritt said the Planning Board supported the plan and that existing neighboring conditions, including a grandfathered garage and a commercial property, made the proposal consistent with the area’s vernacular.
• One board member said he was not making a negative recommendation but did not want to weigh in because the garage would sit farther forward than existing abutting structures; he abstained. The motion for a positive recommendation passed with one abstention.

Driveway Permit Application — 172 Division Street

• Aaron B. Admin of White Engineering, on behalf of Greg Nevins and Dana Foster Nevins, presented a revised driveway design for 172 Division Street. The original driveway had a 12–12.5% grade and was not approved by the Fire Chief; the new S-shaped design meets the 10% threshold, meets fire-truck turning radii, and includes rain gardens, stone swales, and detention basins to manage stormwater.
• The Fire Chief still commented that he could not guarantee fire apparatus access in severe weather. The board discussed alternatives, including moving the house farther back into the scenic mountain area; the conservation commission had recently approved the current design, which placed the roof peak about six feet below the ridgeline and reduced tree clearing.
• Board members expressed concern about liability, public safety, and ensuring future owners know about the Fire Chief’s concern. A motion to continue the application to the board’s next meeting on July 6, 2026, at Town Hall, so the homeowners could respond on a potential sprinkler system and the Fire Chief could be asked to attend, passed unanimously.

Draft Open Space and Recreation Plan Endorsement

• The board considered a draft endorsement letter for the Open Space and Recreation Plan. Regional planning consultant Seth Jenkins said the public comment period runs through June 20, the state planning grant ends June 30, and the plan has been uploaded to the state to start eligibility for grant programs.
• The Planning Board had not yet voted on its endorsement letter; the Agricultural Commission, through Vivian, raised concerns about Goal 1 regarding agricultural heritage and planned to submit follow-up comments.
• Board member Phil flagged language on page 48 saying that mixed-use redevelopment schemes at the fairgrounds are "currently being considered" as inaccurate and asked that it be removed. The board voted unanimously to endorse the draft plan and the letter, while noting suggested edits.

Ramsdale Library Designer Selection Process

• The town manager presented a memo about the next phase of the Ramsdale Library project. The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has put the project in line for state funding contingent on completion of the historic review, but design and funding votes remain ahead. The existing Ramsdale Building Committee, the owner’s project manager, and the architect contracts currently take the project through feasibility, design, and cost estimates up to a Town Meeting vote; they do not cover construction documents, contractor selection, or construction oversight.
• The town manager outlined possible future options: a project-specific construction/design-review committee, a standing design-review or capital-planning committee, or continuation of current practice. Some board members favored minimizing new committees because of existing vacancies and volunteer bandwidth; one board member suggested the Select Board may need to take on more oversight itself.
• Laura Morris, co-chair of the Library Trustees, asked for clarification; the town manager confirmed the current committee remains in place through the Town Meeting vote unless members choose not to continue. Frederica Siegel, a Ramsdale Building Committee member, argued the committee’s mission statement refers to the entire MBLC grant process; the town manager disagreed. The board agreed to request comments from the trustees and to continue the conversation, possibly jointly.

Bond Anticipation Note Sale

• The board voted unanimously to approve the sale of $1,539,933 of 4.03% general obligation bond anticipation notes dated June 26, 2026, and payable November 20, 2026, to BankESB at par plus accrued interest, if any, plus a premium of $5,389.77. The vote ratified official statements dated June 4 and June 11, 2026, and authorized disclosures, tax-compliance procedures, electronic execution, and related documents.
• Town Treasurer Alicia explained that the town received two competitive bids and awarded the notes to BankESB at the lowest net interest cost of 3.15%. The borrowing covers three projects approved at Town Meetings in 2024 or 2025, and the notes will be paid off in November with a permanent bond.

FY27 Board, Committee, and Commission Reappointments

• The board approved the FY27 Select Board reappointments, with one abstention; one member said he did not have enough information about the original appointments to vote.
• A board member noted that several appointees had the same term dates and suggested staggering terms to avoid losing institutional knowledge all at once. The board encouraged residents interested in serving to visit the town website for open appointed and elected positions.

Select Board Comments

• Board member Garfield said a for-sale sign near the lake made him concerned about future houses across from the lake; he said he did not like that prospect.

Key Outcomes

• Approved multiple temporary licenses, Common Pub license/name changes, the OSRP endorsement, the BAN sale, and routine reappointments; all passed unanimously except the variance recommendation and reappointments, each with one abstention.
• Recommended the Herbert Road garage variance to the ZBA with one abstention.
• Continued the 172 Division Street driveway permit to July 6, 2026, at Town Hall.
• Moved the VFW July 4th banner location from Castanova Park to in front of Town Hall.
• Set next steps for Ramsdale Library design-selection discussions, including trustee comments and possible joint meetings.