Once Upon A Table outside dining approved.
Boston Symphany Orchestra (BSO) offered “alcohol service at seats” at 3 events last year and want to expand to 14 events this year. All popular concert series events and no matter where the seats are (presumably in Shed or on lawn). Approved
BSO wishes to extend the closing time from 11pm to 1am for weddings on May 25, August 24, December 7. After 11pm there will be a silent disco. Approved
AHT presentation of HPP by Jan Ackerman:
1638 houses — 80% built before 1980 and 45% before WWII.
Of the 1638 houses, 811, or 49.5%, are occupied by full-time residents.
Stockbridge exceeds the 10% required affordable housing (Heaton Court, Pinewoods, and Riverbrook)
Fewer people 30 — 50 years. The median age in Stockbridge is 60 years old
Median income $46,000
Annual growth 3%
Goal — 25 new homes in 5 years and more money to repair older homes.
Cardillo believes 2-4-acre zoning prohibits affordable housing; Ackerman explained 40b allows builders of affordable housing to circumvent local zoning so there was little need for zoning changes.
Minacci went through page by page pointing out blank spaces and spelling mistakes.
Public input focused on character of village, for example, it is a village of single-family homes — multi-family units would be inconsistent.
Folks wanted everyone to keep in mind the cost of infrastructure necessary to support new builds.
PB Chair wanted to know if extant buildings like old firehouses could be used.
Someone offered that they favored ADUs and was reminded the state is proposing an ADU bylaw and if passed, it will override any local bylaw so best to wait and see.
Other items on the agenda were paving the roads including Old Meetinghouse Road.
Allen Wilken — who lives on Old Meeting House Road — opposed paving as it would destroy the historic character of a very old town road. Hugh Page explained they are trying to pave the road to strengthen the structure and finish it with historically correct materials. Wilken approved of the finish or topcoat but was not sure it had to be asphalt-paved underneath.
White introduced the “Emerald Necklace” a system of sidewalks around Tanglewood creating a safe walking trail from Lenox to Stockbridge. It was approved by Lenox SB.
Fletcher opposed it as she doesn’t like sidewalks. Minacci stated her anger at “not being told” and hearing about this proposal for first time at SB meeting.
Editor’s note: The Open Meeting Law in Mass, “requires that most meetings of public bodies be held in public.” It forbids deliberation by a quorum outside of a public meeting. Stockbridge has a three-member SB, therefore, no two can meet and discuss. What two of the SB members do is check in routinely with Town Administrator to ask about items on the upcoming agenda. In that way, members of a three-member SB “are told” about items before the meeting. Another way for it to be legal for at least two to meet and discuss, is for Stockbridge to enlarge the SB from 3 — 5 members as Great Barrington did. There is no other legal solution. Everyone is told in public session by law.
