Great Barrington — A public hearing on a special permit application to convert a former nursing home on 148 Maple Avenue to an apartment building has been continued by the Planning Board to Thursday, January 12 at 6 p.m.
The building was previously the Kindred Nursing and Rehabilitation Center facility. According to the town’s property database, the building was built on four acres of land in 1969 as a retirement home.
Previously, back in 2020, Jon Halpern of Great Barrington Development LLC proposed a project that would have turned the building into 48 market-rate apartments. After residents issued their concerns, the plans fell apart.
Previous building owners Bear Mountain Properties 148 LLC of Skokie, Ill., turned the building into a COVID recovery center back in mid-2020. In August, the property was sold to 148 Maple Avenue LLC. for $1,450,000. The total property valuation, as of 2021, is $1,399,600, with the building valued at $1,130,900, land at $246,000, and extra features valued at $22,700.
The new plans for the building were presented at the December 8 Planning Board meeting by Great Barrington attorney Nicholas Arienti of Hellman, Shearn & Arienti LLP, representing 148 Maple Avenue LLC. According to its Notice of Exempt Offering of Securities filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, 148 Maple Avenue LLC was formed this year by members of The Goldman Group of Boston.
As described on its website, The Goldman Group is a real estate investment, development, and management company. The principals of 148 Maple Avenue LLC, as listed on its filing, are Charles Goldman, Ari Goldman, and Rafael Goldman, all of Walpole, Mass. Charles Goldman was present at the December 8 meeting.
The special permit application has been filed as per sections 8.10 and 10.4 of the town’s zoning bylaws. Section 8.10 of the bylaws covers property conversion and requires a special permit for former nursing home properties for multifamily use. Section 10.4 of the bylaws covers special permit criteria and conditions.
“The property itself has not been subject to very much change over the course of its history,” Arienti told the board. “It consists of a basement and two floors above ground, and it will remain that way.” Arienti said that the plans for the building will include 30 units, including 12 one-bedroom units, 16 two-bedroom units, and two three-bedroom units. “The structure itself will be maintained really in its current form,” Arienti said. “There will be no significant additions or modifications to the exterior blueprint of the building. The really minor exception to this is the front entry which will include a facade piece. But other than that, the footprint of the building will remain the same.”
Arienti said that the property’s current parking layout of 47 spaces, which he said exceeds the requirements of section eight of the zoning bylaws, will not change.
Planning Board member Malcolm Fick asked company representatives what the target market will be for the apartments. “It’s really hard to predict what the market will look like when these units will be ready for sale,” Goldman said. “They will be newer units, and it will be more of a 2022 build. I’d rather not say our target price.”
During the hearing, board members issued their concerns with a certain lack of details in the proposed plan, including specifics of a design for the proposed facade for the front of the building, lighting and landscaping plans, and a plan for handicapped parking and accessibility. The applicants are expected to bring these details to the next public hearing.
