Who Benefits?

More astute questions, as posed in a letter to the Stockbridge Selectboard from another Old Stockbridge Road resident with a long history of service on behalf of the community, Barney Edmonds:

I would like to share some thoughts and raise some questions about the new Elm Court proposal you are now reviewing.

1. As you know, Beals Associates’ peer review called the proposal “excellent” and praised the “professionalism” of the team presenting it. But that’s not why they were hired. They were tasked with deciding whether the old building permit should stand as is or would a new amended permit be required.

After a thorough review of both the original and new proposals, Beals recommended that a new permit was necessary.

The old permit was for a four-story hotel annexed to the mansion. This new proposal calls for twelve separate lodges with four hotel rooms each along with 38 stand-alone condos. The original proposal was for one structure; this new one calls for fifty. Both propose to renovate a number of rooms in the mansion and provide a spa and restaurant. The old proposal took full advantage of the current landscape; this new one wants to change it. Beals reported that the new proposal would alter 40 acres of Olmstead’s landscape; the original one would disrupt only four acres … a ten-fold change.

2. We may live at the northern edge of town but Stockbridge has been our only home for 28 years. My wife was on the Laurel Hill Association board for seven years and served on the Parks and Recreation Commission for a couple of years and I have been on the Housing Authority for fourteen years. We feel part of Stockbridge and care about its future and worry about the loss of open space, a huge increase in transients, and the impact on the environment and the character of our neighborhood with a project of this scope and size.

None of the Select board, nor the Town Administrator, nor the town’s attorney lives near us on Old Stockbridge Road. No one on the developer’s team, as far as can be determined, lives in Stockbridge. Most of them don’t even live in the Berkshires. Yet you all feel qualified to determine the future character of our neighborhood.

3. We went through the same situation more than a dozen years ago with Denver-based Amstar/Travaasa. In Clarence Fanto’s recent article, he mentioned that the original developer “eventually abandoned the project following years of litigation and the Covid pandemic.” That is not the whole truth. Amstar was unable to attract investors and raise the necessary tens of millions of dollars to proceed. They took a loss and sold the property to this new developer who estimates they’ll need 70 to 80 million dollars to proceed.

What evidence is offered in their 730 page proposal that their company, an LLC, has the resources and/or the access to these tens of millions of dollars? When Amstar bought Elm Court they already owned a 3.5 billion dollar real estate portfolio which included over a dozen resorts. This developer, as far as can be known, owns and manages no other resorts or commercial real estate. What if, after razing existing buildings and tearing up the landscape, they fail to raise the necessary money?

4. While the development team has shown enormous respect and admiration for the historic role of Elm Court, they have already dropped its name. It’s now Vanderbilt Berkshires Estates. Although the team presents itself as deeply committed to being good shepherds and conservationists, they have done little in the years they’ve owned the property to repair/replace the front border stone wall which, in places, is falling apart. They have also ignored many of the stumps around the mansion and the old maples which need an arborist’s attention. And, like the previous owners, they have deferred maintenance on most of Elm Court’s outbuildings. I have no idea regarding the condition of the interior and basement.

5. Has the Select Board had an opportunity to ask Linda Law about Blantyre, her previous Berkshire resort? I remember, in 2017, reading about her passion for revitalizing Blantyre which she had just bought for almost $7 million. Then, in 2020, she won a special permit to add many hotel lodges and stand-alone condos to expand Blantyre. In 2021, according to The Berkshire Eagle, she sold the property including the permit for about $15 million. Some people might call that flipping, others might see it as smart dealing. Either way, Blantyre hasn’t been open for the past two years and looks partially boarded up and abandoned.

As the Berkshires continues to promote itself as a tourist attraction, Blantyre and now Wheatleigh — two luxury resort properties built around beautiful “cottages” — are shuttered. At the same time, the number of short-term rentals from companies like Airbnb are proliferating and attracting customers who previously went to these now-empty resorts. What will happen when our economy enters another recession and disposable income drops? Is this proposed project exactly what our town needs? Who will benefit? Prudence is called for, not greed.

A proposal of such magnitude, with potentially negative consequences for both the environment and the neighborhood, requires a thorough review that provides answers to all of the above questions.

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Refuting a False Statement

In a report published by the Berkshire Eagle on January 26, 2026, the attorney for the developers, Jonathan Silverstein, is quoted as follows:

“The clear intent of project opponents, who continue to urge the Board to require a ‘new’ special permit, is to defeat the project by making the review process prohibitively expensive and lengthy,”

That statement is categorically false.

Below, a letter from one near-abutter to Elm Court, who has advocated for the preservation of Stockbridge’s historic & environmental resources across several decades. As submitted to the Board of Selectmen on January 31, her letter provides accurate background for where we find ourselves today:

My husband and I are full time Stockbridge residents who have lived on Old Stockbridge Road near the Elm Court estate since 1998. We have watched the estate transition from an abandoned, vandalized mansion to a family home – and now to a proposed massive resort hotel.

Twenty years ago, Robert Berle, the great-great grandson of the original owner, and his wife, Sonya, asked the town to change the bylaw to permit a 18-room boutique hotel. We, along with most others, voted at Town Meeting to allow this use. We were thankful that the Berles were renovating the mansion, and we enjoyed some of the events that they graciously hosted.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t make a go of it. In 2012 Amstar, AKA Front Yard, the new owner, met with the Stockbridge selectboard to write an amendment to the existing Cottage Era Estate bylaw that would allow for a larger resort hotel.

This proposal included an Annex and Spa connected to the mansion by a corridor thereby increasing the total size of the hotel to 110,000 square feet. No other buildings were proposed. Most people thought the plan would entail just the one building. At Town Meeting, when I asked the developer’s lawyer, if negotiation to reduce the scope of their project is possible, he promised that there would be “plenty of time” to address the size and scale. Sadly, there was never an opportunity for that discussion.

The amendment passed but a special permit was still required. There was plenty of vocal and written opposition. A letter objecting to the size of the project and its impact on our residential neighborhood, and signed by 110 residents, was submitted. After three hearings, the Stockbridge selectboard voted for the proposal. Next came special hearings in Lenox town boards. The proposal passed the by one vote. But a group of abutters and neighbors, incensed by the lack of communication between them and the town boards, brought a lawsuit to Land Court. The suit was dismissed. But the developers, unable to secure financing, never broke ground.

Fast forward to 2025. The current owners have proposed a plan actually much larger than the original. Instead of disturbing 10 acres under the old plan, 40 acres would be disrupted under the new. Instead of a single structure they propose building 12 hotel buildings and 38 individual houses – 50 separate structures requiring hundreds of feet of extra roads and driveways.

Before 2002, the Elm Court 89-acre property was subject to four-acre zoning which meant only 17 new houses would have been permitted. The purpose of 4-acre zoning was, and is, to help preserve the rural character of the town while conserving open space. Similarly, the purpose of the Bylaw was to preserve the historic architecture and landscape of our great estates by allowing for adaptive reuse. The loss of habitat required to build 50 buildings is immense. It is ironic that the new owners claim to be conserving nature (mostly wetlands) while in fact aiding its destruction by earmarking for development 25 acres of currently pristine land.

This oversized development might be appropriate in a suburban setting, but it will not enhance the landscape; and it will most certainly change the rural character of our town.

It is now over 11 years since the special permit was passed. A lot has changed. This new proposal needs to be carefully discussed by town residents and neighbors as well as reviewed by our town boards and commissions.

Julie Edmonds

Obviously, it is in the public interest that such a massive development proposal situated in such an environmentally sensitive location, while also being surrounded by established residential neighborhoods, receive maximum attention, with careful, thorough review by all qualified boards and commissions, including the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Rushing half-baked plans past a small number of individuals who simply do not have the expertise nor experience to evaluate them would represent willful & capricious indifference to everyone except the developers.

That is their “clear intent”!

And that is NOT in the public interest.

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Quietly & Carefully?

We suppose our title offers one interpretation of the preceding two years; “secretly and with zero neighborhood input ” might be another way of putting it.

The below invite was sent only to direct abutters, revealing that unlike Mr. Shapiro farther to the south, the Elm Court team still does not grasp the closely knit character of the surrounding neighborhood, an established residential community where everyone knows and watches out for each other; a neighborhood that reached out to Ms. Law numerous times following her purchase, inviting mutually respectful dialogue.

The aspiration “to secure Elm Court’s future in perpetuity” seems a little grandiose under prevailing environmental circumstances; let’s hope that this present ownership, unlike Amstar, understands that such a future must not be secured at the expense of the neighborhood nor the surrounding environment, with all its abundant wildlife.

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A Tale of Two Projects

Remember all that exciting chatter from Linda S. Law about wanting Elm Court to “shine a bright light globally, and be a beacon for Lenox, Stockbridge and the entire Berkshire region.”

Elsewhere she promised, “It is something that will be remarkable for the community. It’s something that is very special and no one else has thought of. I think that we don’t need another wellness and health spa, I can tell you that. Even though everyone wants to do health and wellness, we’ve got plenty in the community. We’re looking at some interesting alternatives. My background has always been in public-private partnerships, always. It has to make everyone happy. But of course, that never happens. But I want both sides happy, not just one.” Law added, ‘I think what we’re cooking up is going to be a killer.’ “ On and on the hype machine churned, while Ms. Law lowered a thick cone of silence between the rotting mansion and the neighborhood in which she intends to do business.

That statement was made in the winter of 2023; yet now, a mere two and a half years later, Ms. Law is singing a rather more familiar song, as recorded in the pages of Town & Country magazine:

“The historic Vanderbilt Berkshires Estate, also known as Elm Court, will soon be a five-star resort. The great-grandson of George Vanderbilt, John Cecil, and real estate developer Linda Law plan to transform the 55,000-square-foot mansion and its 89-acre grounds into a luxury destination with 78 guest suites, 48 individual lodges, and 38 cottages. The project, they say, will preserve the Gilded Age property’s architectural character while introducing more wellness-focused hospitality.”

Wow, what a killer idea! A luxury wellness resort! Who would ever have thought of that? Well, for those with somewhat longer memories, such was the Travaasa vision, as well. Alas, they were unable to find investors willing to add yet another wellness resort to an already saturated Berkshires market. We will save further comment on the market for wellness resorts for another day. We would love to type out the headline:

Elm Court Owner Finally Reaches Out To Neighborhood

We won’t hold our breath.

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In stark contrast, farther south on Old Stockbridge Road, the former Lenox Hunt Club at Overlee, now the Hillcrest Center, has changed hands. The first action (at least from our perspective) from new owner Joseph Shapiro? He reached out to the neighborhood, inviting input and dialogue regarding his plans for a small resort. He listened carefully and with respect.

Whatever doubts we might have about longterm economic viability for the plan, we welcomed Mr. Shapiro’s open, transparent and sincere efforts to be a good member of our shared neighborhood, in harmony with our distinctive & historic character. He was attentive to concerns about lighting, traffic and noise and will work with neighbors to find the best possible way forward.

Since Mr. Shapiro has committed to support and respect our right to the free & peaceful enjoyment of our properties, we will support his vision for a rejuvenated mansion, with renovated dorms providing quality onsite housing for staff. Welcome to Old Stockbridge Road, Joe!

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Let Them Eat Cake

As of today, Linda S. Law and her “team” have still not made any effort to reach out to the neighborhood for open, honest dialogue regarding her “killer” plan to build a large number of luxury villas & condos on the grounds of Elm Court.

She is, however, reaching out to those she apparently feels are more consequential than mere neighbors. As relayed from the website of the Harvard Club of Western Massachusetts:

Alas, there appears to be no such thing as a Free High Tea; tickets are for sale, thus designating the event as a commercial activity:

We note that a cease & desist order issued in 2012 by the Stockbridge Building Inspector remains in effect.

Has Ms. Law received all the relevant permits for her commercial fundraising event, including a one-day liquor license for the “champagne punch”?

Has she made the requisite repairs to assure that members of the public (or at least paying customers with tickets!) are safe & sound while enjoying their “sweet & savory delectables”?

We know for sure that at least some direct abutters have not been properly and respectfully notified. We also know that her preference for secrecy and arrogant disregard for the neighborhood is bound to breed suspicion and distrust.

As we have maintained for over a decade, maximum honesty and transparency are always in the public interest. An owner who cranks up the fog machine, obscured ever more darkly through PR campaigns, does not bode well for this “next chapter”.

Sour Ethers Among the Falling Leaves

What is it about Elm Court (now rebranded as Vanderbilt Berkshires Estate) that seems to bring out lack of transparency from its owners? Is it moldy air inside the mansion, or what?

Primary among our concerns: why, given the acrimony, misinformation and outright hostility that marred the previous chapter of ownership, has Linda S. Law not reached out to the neighborhood, despite several open invitations, made in good faith? Would such dialogue not be in her best interests? Might she not actually learn something about the character of Old Stockbridge Road, and its longtime residents, including those who live on former Gilded Age estates?

First, we relay a Letter to the Editor published in the Berkshire Eagle, written by neighborhood resident, Mr. Wayne Lemanski:

To the editor: As a neighbor of Elm Court, I read with interest Linda Law’s plan to bring a “bright light shining over Lenox.” (“Historic Elm Court has been rebranded Vanderbilt Berkshires Estate. What’s next for the Gilded Age mansion?” Eagle, Oct. 3.)

After purchasing a property that will have a significant impact on a neighborhood, you would think a successful real estate entrepreneur would touch base with the neighbors: introduce yourselves, let neighbors know you plans, how it will effect them and most important to the developer, begin to gain support for the project.

Having owned the property for close to 10 months, the owners have failed to reach out. Lack of neighborhood support killed the Travaasa project, and I would predict Vanderbilt in the Berkshires would face the same outcome. So maybe Linda Law is right to have an extremely pessimistic nature.

Then comes Linda S. Law’s response:

To the editor: As the community recognizes, Elm Court is steeped in a magnificent history over the course of the last 130-plus years.

It has both risen and fallen throughout the decades as a product of both care and neglect. Most recently, Travaasa proposed a plan over the course of 10-plus years that became mired in cost and time and created a groundswell of discontent on Old Stockbridge Road. This discontent was so contentious that emotions became the fuel for litigation that served no one productively.

Our efforts to date have been to carefully and calmly complete a substantive due diligence review on Elm Court’s current conditions while keeping a keen eye on it’s future. (“Historic Elm Court has been rebranded Vanderbilt Berkshires Estate. What’s next for the Gilded Age mansion?” Eagle, Oct. 3.) It remains abundantly clear to those of us who have the courage to rescue such an iconic property that it is essential to first fully understand all of the pressures that face any entity that accepts this responsibility. This process is time consuming.

I appreciate Wayne Lemanski’s point of view and agree that the neighborhood support is an integral component to its success. (“Letter: Elm Court’s new owners should do more community outreach,” Eagle, Oct. 5.) Elm Court’s success will also be ensured if the broader communities of Stockbridge and Lenox continue to be supportive and to partner with us at every opportunity to save this exceptional property. This combined commitment will ensure a pathway forward amidst astronomical costs and hurdles. I promise you, Mr. Lemanski, that your name is on our list when the invitations are extended.

We note there is no longer any pie-flying-through-sky talk of “bright lights” and “global beacons”. No, now there is the harsh reality of “astronomical costs and hurdles.”

Far from something “nobody has thought of before” nor something that is “accretive to the community,” to quote Ms. Law from an earlier sales talk, we are now anticipating a typical intensive residential and rental-unit development designed to squeeze every last dollar from those eighty nine acres and from the rotting manse.

As she also said recently, ‘’I think what we’re cooking up is going to be a killer.” Here we go again.

Something Stirring

Amidst ongoing speculation regarding the future use of Elm Court following the failure of the illusory “Travaasa” scheme to attract a single dollar of investment, and subsequent sale to Linda S. Law, we read the recent report in the Berkshire Edge with interest, particularly the closing paragraph:

“In the press release by Lefkowitz, she wrote that both Law and Peiser were considering opening a luxury resort. During their interview, however, both Law and Lefkowitz would not say what their plans for the property would be. “We have something stirring up that I think is going to happen, but I can’t talk about it yet,” Law said. “It is something that will be remarkable for the community. It’s something that is very special and no one else has thought of. I think that we don’t need another wellness and health spa, I can tell you that. Even though everyone wants to do health and wellness, we’ve got plenty in the community. We’re looking at some interesting alternatives. My background has always been in public-private partnerships, always. It has to make everyone happy. But of course, that never happens. But I want both sides happy, not just one.” Law added, ‘I think what we’re cooking up is going to be a killer.’ “

We agree that the last thing Lenox/Stockbridge needs is yet another luxury “wellness” resort, given that all of the existing options are operating way below capacity. The neighborhood would wholeheartedly welcome and support the sort of creative public/private (and possibly non-profit?) use Ms. Law seems to be hinting at.

As we have noted before, there is precedent for such creative, transformative use of previous Gilded Age Vanderbilt mansions, north on Route 7: Shelburne Farms.

A Sudden Change of Tune

Just a few short weeks ago, new Elm Court owner Linda S. Law, having relieved “Front Yard LLC” of the property, used rather exalted language to describe her plans.

In response to questions from a Berkshire Eagle reporter, she exclaimed that she wanted Elm Court, a sprawling Vanderbilt trophy house dating from the Gilded Age, to “shine a bright light globally, and be a beacon for Lenox, Stockbridge and the entire Berkshire region.”

Here in the neighborhood, having been through the Front Yard (Amstar) chapter marked by years of cynical misrepresentations of their true agenda, we were skeptical, while remaining open to the possibility that Ms. Law might be serious about shining light, through the establishment of some sort of non-profit use, contributing to the public good within the Berkshires and beyond.

In fact, within the very same Vanderbilt family, there is a visionary, thriving precedent for such benevolent use on the shores of Lake Champlain: Shelburne Farms, now a globally recognized center for place-based, sustainable education and regenerative agriculture. Possibly, Elm Court might shine a similar sort of bright light here in the Berkshires?

Alas, according to recent reporting in the New York Post, Ms. Law appears to have changed her tune. She now claims to be “talking with three different resort companies about managing the property,” and wants ” to add more amenities,” such as “a speakeasy, a movie theater and a place for gardening classes to honor the gardening legacy.” The basement will also offer a variety of pampering services within a 15,000-square-foot spa. In other words: same old, same old.

To be sure, we take any story published in the New York Post with a boulder-sized grain of salt. Yet according to our own sources, the new owner has yet to reach out to the Stockbridge Board of Selectman nor to the surrounding neighborhood. Not good signs, regarding attention to the public interest. Not good signs at all. Here we go again?

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Fresh Vision

As reported recently in the Berkshire Eagle, “Front Yard LLC” (Amstar) has finally managed to attract a buyer for its distressed Elm Court property, for the exact amount of the promissory note (0% APR!) that had been held by Elm Court Realty LLC (Robert and Sonya Berle) since 2012: $8,000,000.

So ends the sad chapter of “cradle to grave” (their term, not ours) real estate speculators, and their ill-fated attempt to steamroll a neighborhood while bamboozling local boards with the tantalizing promise of joining a lucrative “world class wellness resort brand” that sounds like a spin-off from The White Lotus: Travaasa.

Where is Travaasa now? Maui, sold. Austin, sold. Berkshires, finally sold. Their tacky plan to attract investors for what was essentially a generic four-story motel using the disintegrating mansion as a Gilded Age fig leaf finally fades to black. It seems that sometimes you get the cradle, and sometimes the grave.

Now comes Linda Law, a new owner with a fresh & promising vision, an investor with experience in restoration and renovation (Blantyre), one who clearly treasures the historic character and cultural legacy of the Berkshires. She speaks of conducting extensive architectural research, and of a deeply felt duty of care. She also expresses the aspiration to recover “vibrancy,” and suggests a use that is “accretive to the community”. As a primary goal, she wants Elm Court to “shine a bright light globally, and be a beacon for Lenox, Stockbridge and the entire Berkshire region.”

Following the grim saga of Amstar, we welcome such a vivid and positive vision, and hope that she sees our neighborhood (her new neighbors) as potential sources of creativity, collaboration and support. Nobody cares about the distinctive character and rich history of Old Stockbridge Road more than the people who live here.

As for beacons of light during our deepening climate emergency, for further inspiration she may want to research the extraordinary non-profit Shelburne Farms, sited along the shores of Lake Champlain, once owned by a different set of heirs to the same Robber Baron fortune, and now the highly respected global leader in place-based, farm-based and sustainability education .

As relayed from their website:

Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We believe that transformative learning experiences sow the seeds for a thriving and more just world. Our work seeks to create the space, spark the conversations, and share the stories to inspire educators, students, and learners of all ages to build a better future for everyone.

Sounds eminently “Berkshires” to us!

THE INN AT SHELBURNE FARMS

A New Chapter

As we have long predicted, “Front Yard LLC” has not been able to find investment capital for the implementation of a resort plan that made no sense from day one; a plan unsupported by market research and hospitality industry trends, even before the pandemic. Thus it has now been put up for sale as a private residence.

To recapitulate for new readers of this blog, including potential buyers:

Front Yard LLC is an investment shell within private equity real estate corporation Amstar. Amstar has never been a resort developer; they are a self-described “cradle to grave” fund that generates most of its return on exit.

The Travaasa brand was simply “feel good” smoke generated to enhance value in the short term and maximize profit on exit. Where is Travaasa now? Sold.

And what about the President of Travaasa Adam Hawthorne, who assured local boards during countless meetings of his firm commitment to build a global upscale wellness brand that would thrive for decades to come? Well, at least he is still at Amstar, though no longer any mention of Travaasa.

Also of interest: According to the Registry of Deeds, Elm Court LLC (the previous owners) still holds a promissory note for $8 million at 0% APR; the note has not been discharged.

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The neighborhood would of course extend a warm and grateful welcome to a new owner willing to undertake a responsible and environmentally sensitive renovation and restoration of the estate. If that is only feasible/sustainable within a vastly reduced footprint for the rambling pile at its heart, so be it! As we have stated from day one, we would also welcome and support a limited residential development such as Winden Hill or Bishop Estate.

We urge any potential buyer or investor to approach the neighborhood in a spirit of open and respectful dialogue, keeping in mind that we are an established & closely-knit neighborhood looking to retain the special qualities and historic character of Old Stockbridge Road.

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