LEE — Residents who oppose the proposed four-story hotel in downtown Lee are concerned not only about its height, but also whether the project fits Lee's character.

On Monday, representatives for Garden Management Inc. presented an application for several special permits to build a Marriott Fairfield at 165 Housatonic St., where The Pilgrim Inn currently stands. Abutters of the property spoke against the hotel, pointing to issues with the height, lighting and privacy.

However, Vice Chair Peter Bluhm ended the meeting with a warning about standing in complete opposition as a default position.

"I'd like to have some idea of what people in this town, this area want it to look like, especially if we're gonna have hotels that were discussed, and that may be needed," he said.

Garden Management, run by Muhammad Zia and Ibrahim Zia, bought The Pilgrim Inn in 2020 for $655,000. The current hotel has 24 rooms and an outdoor pool, and it sits on a split-zoned lot; the front half is in the Commercial Business Corridor and the back half is a Residential-20 zone.

The proposed Marriott hotel would have 75 rooms, with the building being solely in the commercial portion of the parcel, said Jeffrey Lynch, the attorney for Garden Management. "We are actually becoming more compliant with the zoning requirements of the town."

The proposed hotel would stand 50 feet tall — roughly three times the size of the existing inn — and Lynch said a 2025 zoning bylaw amendment allows that height without a special permit.

Town Planner Brooke Healey said the board has reached out to the town's counsel for clarification as to whether or not a special permit is needed under the new bylaw.

Garden Management is also asking for a special permit to extend the commercial zone 50-feet further back, which is not entirely necessary but makes the hotel more compliant with zoning, Lynch said. It also applied for another special permit to build parking in a residential zone.

Residents questioned whether the owners will be good stewards of the property, as abutter Sarah Nichols said she has seen the property fall into disarray when the current owners took over.

The proposed chain hotel would not stand out in Lee, he said, as it is next to Starbucks and in the same area as a McDonalds and Dunkin' Donuts. "This is certainly complementary to all of those uses," Lynch added.

However, most residents who spoke disagreed, with many saying the chain didn't support the vision of the commercial district and Lee's image as the gateway to the Berkshires.

"We have a small-town feel, we try to attract people to come to the Berkshires," said Bill Gates. "This Marriott doesn't have that feel."

Multiple residents also mentioned that Route 102 could be a viable location for the hotel, but Buck Donovan, the board chair, mentioned that road is also a split-zone and that Route 20 is more traveled.

The building's height also poses privacy issues for abutters, said Marilyn Wyatt, of 150 Maple St.

Bryan Siter presents the site plan of the proposed Marriott Fairfield where the current Pilgrim Inn is. The plan would triple the number of rooms, and the building would be four stories, or 50-feet, tall.

Sarah Nichols, who owns 22 Fuller St., questioned the commitment the new owners have to the town.

"This isn't one of those, 'Not in my backyard kind of projects,' because we currently have The Pilgrim Inn in our backyards," she said.
"It's not being taken care of and hasn't been since the current owner purchased it. It rapidly declined over the last five years."

Garden Management hasn't been "conscious and respectful of the community," Nichols said.
"That's why we're — why I'm adamantly opposed."

Two residents spoke in favor of the hotel, Alex Heddinger and Holly Jones, and both said they had to recommend or put people up in hotels outside of Lee because of the lack of a comparable option.

Garden Management Inc. is requesting special permits from the town of Lee to turn the Pilgrim Inn into a four-story Marriott hotel.

The Planning Board heavily questioned the proposal, with Conrad Decker, a board member, posing four pages' worth. He asked that the representatives come with responses to those questions for the next board meeting.

Bluhm wanted more care given in making the architectural design match the town, like the Community Development Corp. of South Berkshire did for its West Canal Street project. A resident echoed Bluhm's call, pointing to the Marriott Fairfield in Great Barrington that has sloped roofs and fencing.

As Bluhm made his final remarks, he asked residents to send letters to the town planner about what they want the Commercial Business Corridor to look like.

The meeting will be continued on Monday, July 13, during which Lynch said he will return with answers to the questions posed and a plan for a site visit for the board. The hotel application will also come in front of the Conservation Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, on July 1 and July 8, respectively.