Copyright berkshireeagle
PITTSFIELD — Bousquet Mountain could soon offer year-round overnight lodging in the form of 16 “microcabins,” following the city’s approval of a new site plan for the project. The Community Development Board voted 3–1 recently to approve plans submitted by Blue Chair Properties, which owns the ski area. “The goal of the project is to provide a non-premises accommodation for overnight stay, really on a year-round basis,” said Brent White, a civil engineer with White Engineering, who presented the plans. The cabins would be built on a gravel lot near the base of the ski area along Dan Fox Drive, an area currently used as a staging area for equipment. They will be manufactured by B&B Micro Manufacturing in Adams and managed by Bousquet. The plan calls for 12 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom cabins, all on wheels, available for short-term stays. White said the project will be built in phases, beginning with three or four cabins as early as 2026 to test demand and operations before expanding further. “We’re looking out several years before a further phase would be in the conversation,” added Tim Burke, CEO and managing director of Mill Town Capital, which owns and operates Bousquet Mountain. Each cabin would connect to city water and sewer lines, use permeable gravel surfaces, and feature solar-powered downcast lighting that dims to 30 percent brightness after 11 p.m. and turns back on only when motion is detected. To reduce visual impact, plans include a row of arborvitae trees along Tamarack Road to screen the project from nearby homes. White said the team intends to preserve all mature trees on the site and improve stormwater drainage by installing stone drip edges and planting additional grass. “Even though it's an existing gravel parking lot we're promoting any roof runoff directly back into the ground,” White said. “So ultimately, it's our opinion that the net result of this product will improve storm water management conditions from those existing on site today.” The cabins are planned in rows of two to four, facing the Bousquet Sports building and stepping up the slope of the mountain. Board members discussed whether the layout could be refined for a more natural appearance from Tamarack Road. White said the design was shaped by existing site constraints — including a gas pipeline and access roads — but that the team is open to minor adjustments once construction begins. Not everyone supported the plan. Aaron Altshuler, who lives next to the proposed site, said he was in “complete objection,” citing concerns about traffic, lighting and environmental impact. “What if that pilot program doesn’t work?” he asked. “How do you clean up the landscape?” Board members acknowledged those concerns but noted that their role was limited to site plan review. The Zoning Board of Appeals will take up the required special permit for the project. The board approved the plan with several conditions, including that all site improvements be completed before any cabins are installed and that all lighting remain downcast and shielded from neighboring properties. Community Development Board member Matthew Herzberg cast the lone vote against the project due to the site arrangement and potential impact on neighbors.
