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Orchid LLC proposes seven short-term cabins; hotel phase tabled pending Act 250 review
Summary
Orchid LLC presented a plan to renovate a farmhouse and add up to seven short-term rental cabins sited on piers to minimize excavation; the Design Advisory Board recommended approval but noted construction timing hinges on permitting, including an Act 250 review.
Stephen Drunsic, representing Orchid LLC, told the Design Advisory Board the company proposes renovating the existing farmhouse and adding seven cabins to the hotel site, with the hotel portion tabled for a later date. The cabins would be built on piers rather than full foundations to reduce excavation, erosion and runoff, and would use darker wood, earthtones and gray standing-seam roofs to blend with the site. The board voted to recommend approval of the seven cabins (motion by Mary Shoener, seconded by Ray Nevin; motion carried 4-0).
Drunsic said site lighting would be low-level, dark-sky-compliant bollard fixtures about 18 inches high spaced roughly every 20 feet along pathways, and most amenities would be tied to individual cabins rather than a centralized hotel facility. He said the developer aims to start limited excavation in fall 2026, but cautioned that the schedule is contingent on the permitting process and that an Act 250 application may extend review timelines.
The board’s approval was a recommendation in the Design Advisory Board review process; the applicant indicated additional approvals and permitting (including Act 250) remain outstanding. The board did not attach special conditions to its recommendation in the minutes. The next procedural step noted by the applicant is to pursue required permits before construction can begin.
