Conservation Board Approves Castle Hill Home, Caps Height
Conservation · Meeting of September 23, 2026
Great Barrington Conservation Commission approves new Castle Hill Avenue home near Lake Mansfield, caps roof at 22 feet. The board voted 5-0 Wednesday, with member Andrew Mankin recused, to approve a roughly 4,500-square-foot single-story home at 166 Castle Hill Avenue under the town's Scenic Mountain Act, after engineer Mike Cooley of Berkshire Engineering and landscape designer Bridget McCracken presented plans to remove 15 white pines and replant 82 native shrubs, 12 evergreens and 16 trees. More than a dozen lakefront neighbors pressed the applicant on visibility from the water, including Kathleen Train, who said she has "500 feet of frontage on the lake." Designers said the house sits over 200 feet from shore behind dense forest.
The commission also closed a related hearing on a boardwalk at 164 Castle Hill Avenue after the applicant withdrew it, and voted 6-0 to approve a scaled-back renovation plan at 139 Alford Road.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,460 words
Source: the Conservation meeting of September 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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