Lenox Conservation Commission continues hotel floodplain hearing, orders fuel tank permitting

Conservation · Meeting of July 15, 2026

Lenox Conservation Commission continues disputed hotel floodplain hearing and orders after-the-fact fuel tank permitting. The commission voted unanimously at its July 15 meeting to continue to August 5 a notice of intent for a hotel redevelopment at 165 Housatonic Street, where engineer Brian Sider presented revised plans showing a net gain of 158 cubic yards of floodplain compensatory storage and a reduction of 1,052 square feet of impervious surface within 100 feet of Barnes Brook — but an overall increase of 4,100 square feet of impervious surface across the full 200-foot riverfront protection zone. Abutter Marilyn Wyatt of 150 Maple Street called the net increase "an important clarification" and questioned whether the project truly meets the betterment standard of the Riverfront Protection Act.

On a separate violation at 100 Taringham Road, where a fuel tank company identified as Murabeta installed an above-ground tank in the floodplain without permits, the commission directed the property owner to file a request for determination of applicability before August 5 and voted to send a notice letter to Murabeta warning that future work in floodplains requires Conservation Commission permitting.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,871 words

Source: the Conservation meeting of July 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.