NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — One of Tourists' new model cabins was approved for construction on the Blackinton Mansion property this week. 

 

Tourists had pivoted to a cabin production facility in the Blackinton Mill when financing to transform it into a hotel fell through. The Planning Board approved permitting for the venture in January and the development of the "working" model on Monday. 

 

Partner Eric Kerns said the company's received more than 160 inquiries on cabins, signed up three buyers and is negotiating with six more. 

 

"What we had done back then was take a prototype cabin and put it out on our property," he said. "Just as kind of like a model that people could come and see. ...

 

"But what we're discovering is that as we get into these negotiations with getting to the next stage of this, like we need one where people can come and stay in it, give it a road test."

 

The Tourists partnership, which operates under a number of limited liability companies, purchased the historic mansion last year and has been renovating the longtime bed-and-breakfast.

 

"There's a pool that is well beyond its useful life that we're taking out on the side of the property, and we'd like to put in one of our Robin model cabins," Kerns said. 

 

The two-bedroom unit would be hooked up to water, sewer and electrical and be operated as a professionally managed short-term rental, which requires Planning Board approval. Kerns said he has already discussed this with the building inspector.

 

The B&B property was chosed because of the ease of access to the utlities. 

 

Tourists also did not want run lines to the current model because it is located in a natural space between the river and Massachusetts Avenue that is open to the public.

 

People walk their dogs there and it's not something you can just take away once you open it, said Kerns. "We want something that's a place where people can stay, that has an element of security. So this was seemed to be optimal site."

 

The Robin model was designed by JZJN Architecture and is comprised of two wings connected by a 37-foot long deck. It offers a bedroom, full size daybed and bathroom in one wing and kitchen, living room with a sofa bed and a half-bath in the other.

 

There were a few questions from the board and a letter of support was provided by the B&B's neighbors, Dr. Oscar Rodriguez and Martha Rodriguez, who wrote "The Blackinton Manor is a historic gem in North Adams and we cannot imagine better caretakers than the Tourists team." 

 

They saw Tourists vision as enhancing the neighborhood and creating jobs and tax revenue. 

 

In other business, the Planning Board voted to recommend an amended cannabis ordinance with the exception of a ban on outdoor cultivation. The current ordinance allows for outdoor growth in industrial and agricultural zones. 

 

Chair Brian Miksic had made his disapproval of the language known at last December's joint public hearing and reiterated it on Monday. 

 

"This ordinance basically removes all abilities to for an outdoor growth facility," he said. "My comment at the time is this city calls themselves a right to grow community, right to farm community. ... that doesn't really jive with not being able to grow."

 

Planner Lisa Blackmer agreed, saying "I move that we recommend it as is, except for all of the references to outdoor grow and leave them as they were."

 

"We are right to farm community," she said. "I think there's a limited enough space to do this anyway, so we, when it comes before us, we can put some stipulations in as needed."

 

Planner Robert Burdick expressed his concern that the board might again be "left in the lurch without representation" because the mayor had filed suit against the board for approving a permit in an industrial zone, as laid out in the ordinance.

 

"If you remember, the city was using the city solicitor's office to sue the Planning Board and and the mayor said that the city wasn't going to pay for representing us legally," Burdick said. "They're legally required to so far as I'm so far as I know."

 

He also had a problem with allowing for outdoor growth without expanding the zone for abuttors to be notified. The main complaints over a permit in 2022 that sparked the lawsuit came from residents outside the abuttor zone. The applicant for the permit dropped out. 

 

"I think people need to take an ounce of time and pay attention to what's going on in their city," said Miksic, rather than trying to expand the zone, and noted there is an appeals process. 

 

The other changes to the ordinance would allow for a fourth retail dispensary, tightened up some defination and clarified the distance from a school entrance.