Great Barrington Board Votes to Seize Easements Needed for Division Street Bridge Replacement

LENOX — April 13, 2026 — Great Barrington Select Board executes right-of-way takings for Division Street Bridge and defers a citizen complaint hearing. The board voted 3-0 Monday to approve an order of taking for easements across three properties needed before MassDOT can advertise construction bids for the Division Street Bridge replacement over the Housatonic River, acting under authority granted at the May 2025 Annual Town Meeting; Director of Public Works Chris Rumble said the largest of the three damage awards reflects a greater area needed for drainage infiltration and the removal of several trees MassDOT has committed to replacing, while the two smaller takings involve thin linear strips already resembling roadway. The board also adopted procedural ground rules for a citizen complaint hearing, only to immediately continue the hearing to April 27 after the complainant, community observer John Breasted, called the rules "unprecedented" and objected that he had received them less than 24 hours before the meeting. In a separate presentation, Bridge director Gwendolyn Van Sayle laid out a five-pillar annex to the town's 2017 trust policy, including a pilot Community Care Team advisory group and annual review requirements; no vote was taken because Interim Police Chief Adam Carlotto was unable to attend.