Foster Goodrich, left, and Keenan Chenail explain their resort plans to the Planning Board on Monday.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Planning Board delayed a vote on a proposed "glamping" project at the base of Mount Greylock until it can get more concrete answer to its questions.
A group led by Foster Goodrich is proposing to develop some 120 acres at 976 Notch Road in the rural residential zone into an outdoor recreation resort.
"We looked at a thousand sites across the country. I've been traveling all over the U.S. our focus has been our geographies whose economies rely on outdoor recreation — or could," he said, later adding, "everybody told me to do something local that makes sense."
Goodrich said he would like to open the first phase of the project — the tenting portion — for the summer of this year. He does not own the property but has a purchase-and-sales agreement with owner Brian O'Neil.
His plans, however, were met with objections by neighbors and abuttors who raised issues about noise, traffic and runoff.
The Planning Board, as well, asked for more details and plans a site visit to the property.
Goodrich and one of the partners, Keenan Chenail, gave the board an illustrated presentation of their proposal, touching on the economic aspects, the condition of the property and their plans for going forward.
They expect to develop at least 30 tent structures on raised platforms, the siting of a number of tiny houses and possibly Airstreams and treehouses, and the use of the current two-bedroom, single-family structure into something of a lodge with the potential for use as a bed & breakfast during the winter when the rest of the resort is closed.
Goodrich, the son of retired local attorney Donald Goodrich and the late Sally Goodrich, says he plans to move to North Adams to occupy another small home on the property.
The Mount Greylock Regional School graduate said he's been passionate about outdoor recreation and activities his whole life and spent time right graduation helping build what was the first glamping or "glamorous camping" resort in Alaska. He's had a varied career and most recently was president of School Guard Glass, a partner with LTI Smart Glass that manufactures safety glass.
He's spent the last year and a half consulting with classmates from Middlebury College to develop his yet unnamed resort.
But where Goodrich sees the potential for a getaway into the tranquil outdoors for like-minded patrons with disposable cash, many of the neighbors surround the property were concerned with how it would affect their peace and quiet.
"If this place is successful, your life becomes hell," said one neighboring property owner. "You can have the best people in the world and they'll be drinking and having their fires up there."
Another said she understood what he wanted to do but didn't think it conducive to the area.
Joshua Field said sound is magnified because of the topography along the ravine and it's easy to hear people just talking on the property.
"It's nothing for me to call Brian in the middle of supper and ask for the tractor to be turned off," he said. "We can hear each other's kids."
Field called for surveys on sound, runoff and traffic before any permit was approved.
Goodrich said there would be no campfires — just a single "event" campfire — and no regular concerts.
"We are trying to figure out how to do that, and manage that and be respectful," he said of the noise issues. He anticipated wedding events would be the most challenging because noise and traffic could be issues.
The house has a full but unfinished basement that could be used, a commercial kitchen and a large master bedroom suite that would be used for the B&B or the wedding suite. An ancillary retail store would also be on site and provisioned by local outlets. Goodrich also expected to partner with local restaurants that could use the kitchen or that glampers would go to local venues.
Goodrich said he would be working James Scalise of Scalise Associates to develop more detailed schematics that the Planning Board is looking for.
The board voted to continue the matter to the April meeting and scheduled a site visit at 5 p.m. the same day, pending Goodrich getting permission from the owner.
In other business, the board approved an application of Kycro Plastics LLC located at 456 Ashland St. for a special permit to operate a manufacturing machine shop in an I-1 zone. Owner Jeffrey Crosier said he and his son would be making small plastic parts for the electronics and textile industry.
In response to questions from neighbors about smells, noise and plastics production, Crosier said there should be no smells and the machines aren't noisy. The plastic comes in beads that are then loaded into the injection molding machines.
He had asked for operating hours of 6 to 7 but agreed to 8 to 6 to reduce neighbor concerns about early noise.
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North Adams Council to Take Up Sullivan School Sale
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council will be asked Tuesday to authorize the sale of Sullivan School to Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Foundation for $50,000.
The nonprofit plans to turn the long vacant school into affordable artists' housing and use classrooms on the lower level for music education in the summer. The proposal will create short-term rental spaces and condominiums catering to artists, designers and production personnel along with single-family modular housing on the 12-acre property.
"Through a carefully planned redevelopment process, we aim to create a multi-use space that serves the needs of residents, uplifts the neighborhood, and upholds the property as a beneficial community asset," according to the foundation's proposal, along with the wooded parcel. "Our vision will reimagine this landscape as a community amenity, extending existing pathways and responding to Kemp Park to create an activated and accessible neighborhood green space."
Mayor Jennifer Macksey is asking the council to OK the plans on Tuesday to allow the foundation's 120-due diligence to begin immediately.
Michael Murphy Studio and Creative Development Partners are listed as the designers and developers of the $15 million project.
Sullivan School, built as East School in 1965, has been closed since Colegrove Park Elementary School opened in 2016. The property — valued at $2.6 million in 2024 — has been put out to bid several times in the last decade and twice the City Council has rejected proposals for reuse.
Dr. Roger Landry served his country from 1973 to 1995 in the Air Force with honor and distinction as a chief flight surgeon, and retiring as a colonel.
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The long-awaited Steeple City Social is in "soft open" mode at the moment. Last weekend, Meghan Daly and Andrew Fitch opened the doors for people to see the new spot and try some of their items.
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The bronzed cast aluminum sign was purchased by the town's Historical Society, said Jeanne Moulthrop, a member and chair of the Historical Commission.
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School districts are planning as if things are status quo based on the governor's budget but with the knowledge matters may be in flux as state and federal leaders move through the budget process.
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