The low-slung Pilgrim Inn on Housatonic Street might not be long for this world. Its owners are asking the town of Lee for permission to demolish the 24-room roadside motel and put up a four-story Fairfield by Marriott in its place, roughly tripling the number of guest rooms. Plans call for an outdoor pool and patio and a new building topping out at about 50 feet in height, which would exceed the typical two-and-a-half-story limit in the commercial corridor. The proposal has already triggered a round of local review that will bring the project to several town boards in early July.
What the plan would build
The filing describes an approximately 11,577-square-foot Fairfield by Marriott with about 75 rooms, an outdoor pool and patio, and a parking lot with around 80 spaces, including four accessible stalls, according to The Berkshire Eagle. Town Administrator Chris Brittain told the paper that "the special-permit granting authorities will have a public hearing that residents can address concerns, and we’re very sensitive to that," and the submission anticipates roughly five employees running the new hotel. The developer is also seeking approval for a roofline of about 50 feet, a height that would surpass the commercial district’s standard two-and-a-half-story cap without extra signoffs from the town.
Timeline and local review
The first stop for the project is the Conservation Commission, since the parcel borders Barnes Brook and any work near wetlands needs that board’s blessing. The commission is scheduled to take up the proposal on July 1. After conservation review, the plan heads to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a commercial-zone extension and special permits. The ZBA is set to hold a hearing on July 8, according to the Town of Lee calendar. Those two public sessions are expected to serve as the main chances for neighbors to raise concerns and for town officials to ask for tweaks before any construction can move ahead.
Who owns the parcel
The Pilgrim Inn property at 165 Housatonic Street changed hands in 2020 and is now owned by Garden Management Inc., operated by Muhammad and Ibrahim Zia, the paper reports. The previous owner was Gangama Inc., and the sale price that year was listed at $655,000, details drawn from filings and coverage by The Berkshire Eagle.
Neighbors, parking and the site layout
The lot fronts Lee’s commercial business corridor along Housatonic Street, but its rear section falls in the R-20 residential zone. The developer’s plan to put most of the parking behind the building would extend commercial activity into that residential portion, a detail that could draw scrutiny from neighbors worried about extra traffic, lighting and noise. A commercial listing highlights the Housatonic Street address and the property’s shape, while recent regional coverage notes a broader pattern of branded hotels replacing small, independent motels across the region and state, per LoopNet and reporting on a Marriott makeover in Framingham. Local boards are expected to dig into traffic circulation, landscaping buffers and how the project might affect nearby homes.
Legal and permitting path
For the hotel plan to advance, the developer must secure conservation approval for any work near Barnes Brook, obtain a zoning-district extension or variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, and win special permits related to both the added height and the commercial use in the section of the parcel zoned R-20, as outlined in town notices. All of those steps are discretionary and require public hearings where abutters can speak, suggest conditions or push for changes.
With hearings set for early July, the coming weeks will reveal whether Lee is ready to welcome a larger, branded hotel on Housatonic Street or leans toward a scaled-back version of the proposal. Residents should expect revised plans and proposed conditions as town boards weigh wetlands protections, traffic and the project’s fit with the surrounding neighborhood.
