Lenox Select Board Closes Evidence Phase in Vanderbilt Resort Permit Case

LENOX — March 26, 2026 — Lenox Select Board closes evidence in Vanderbilt Berkshire Estate resort permit case, sets April 9 vote. The board voted unanimously Thursday to end the evidentiary phase of the hearing on Vanderbilt Berkshire Estate LLC's application to redevelop the former Elm Court mansion at 310 Old Stockbridge Road as a luxury resort, continuing deliberations to April 9 at 6:30 p.m. The central dispute — whether the project may include 38 single-family residential home sites — remained unresolved, with board members expressing preferred ceilings of 19, 28, and 38 respectively. General partner Rick Pizer told the board "the 38 number is absolutely crucial" and that any reduction "makes it unviable," citing the home sales as the financial engine for an extensive mansion restoration and Olmstead landscape rehabilitation. The board reached tentative agreement on a two-part safeguard: a financial surety posted when the first residential building permit is pulled, and a prohibition on certificates of occupancy for any single-family home until the historic manor receives its own occupancy certificate — a framework town counsel called "a pretty solid foundation." More than a dozen speakers offered public comment, with the majority citing density, traffic, wildlife corridor disruption, and skepticism about the applicant's development timeline.