Stockbridge Planning Board Unanimously Backs Cluster Subdivision Concept for Interlaken Road

STOCKBRIDGE — March 17, 2026 — Stockbridge Planning Board unanimously advances cluster subdivision concept for Interlaken Crossroad Lot 33. The board voted to direct engineer and property owner Jim Scalise of SK Design Group to proceed with a preliminary cluster plan that groups homes around a cul-de-sac while preserving open space on the surrounding perimeter — a layout the board unanimously preferred over a standard subdivision alternative. Member Eric Houston said the cluster approach is "appropriate for this location," though he flagged narrow frontages on lots five and six and a 16-foot road width as issues for the definitive plan. Scalise reported that Kinder Morgan confirmed no prohibition on development near a natural gas easement, and a 20-page engineering report from FR Mahoney found the existing two-inch force main adequate for the development's sewer needs. Two abutters submitted written comments favoring the cluster layout, while one, Marianne Goodell of 1A Interlaken Crossroad, urged the town to hold the developer responsible for damage to the road from heavy construction traffic. In a separate matter, the board told St. Paul's Episcopal Church Senior Warden Chris Johnson that a proposed construction sign of up to four feet by eight feet exceeds the four-square-foot permanent-sign limit for residential districts and directed the church to the Zoning Board of Appeals.