Stockbridge Select Board Approves Red Lion Inn Permit, Hires Highway Worker, Advances Solar Grant

Select Board · Meeting of July 16, 2026

Stockbridge Select Board grants Red Lion Inn a special permit, advances transit IMA talks, and approves solar and fire deals. The board unanimously approved a special permit for the Red Lion Inn to rebuild a demolished storage structure — the so-called pump house — at roughly half its original footprint, with salvaged brick and sound-dampened HVAC equipment. Tate Coleman, director of public transportation for Great Barrington and head of the seven-town South County Connector transit service, reported 1,187 Stockbridge-area rides through April, with 83 percent serving seniors or disabled residents, but said about 19.5 percent of May ride requests from Stockbridge went unmet; the service's total FY 2027 operating budget is $897,315, anchored by a $600,000 MassDOT grant, with Stockbridge paying a $15,000 annual assessment.

The board pressed Coleman on whether the forthcoming intermunicipal agreement would explicitly specify which destinations are covered after learning that service expansion to Lee and Lenox rests solely with the Great Barrington town manager. The board also approved an addendum to its fire and EMS bridge-years agreement with West Stockbridge adding four firefighter hires, with West Stockbridge covering 40 percent of two trainees' costs, and awarded a feasibility study contract to CBA Associates for a new public safety building, with results expected by December.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,501 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.