{"id":29739,"date":"2017-04-18T15:56:16","date_gmt":"2017-04-18T19:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=29739"},"modified":"2017-04-18T16:05:30","modified_gmt":"2017-04-18T20:05:30","slug":"new-92-room-hotel-proposed-for-commerce-park-huntsville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/new-92-room-hotel-proposed-for-commerce-park-huntsville\/","title":{"rendered":"New 92-room hotel proposed for Huntsville’s Commerce Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite opposition from a number of local hotel operators, the Town\u2019s planning committee is recommending exemptions to the height restriction and parking bylaw for a new hotel development at Commerce Park.<\/p>\n

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The developer is proposing a 92-room hotel be built behind Wendy\u2019s restaurant for Home2 Suites by Hilton. According to planning documents, the lot has 160 metres of frontage on Highway 60 and 40 metres of frontage on Centre Street North.<\/p>\n

The planning committee agreed to recommend a zoning amendment that would permit an increase in the height of the building from 11 metres to 15.65 metres, a reduction in the number of parking spaces required from 94 to 85, a reduction in the number of loading spaces from five to one, and a reduction in the width of the drive aisle from seven metres to six.<\/p>\n

The exemptions don\u2019t sit well with a number of area hotel operators who feel strongly that given the need for exemptions on height and parking for the proposed hotel, the building is too big for the lot.<\/p>\n

Matthew Phillips, Executive Director of Operations for the Aurora Hotel Group (Holiday Inn Express), echoed the concerns of the hoteliers in a letter to council saying that the building “will act as a visual distraction, being five times as tall as its neighbouring building (Wendy\u2019s) and also right along the most picturesque entrance into the town of Huntsville”. Phillips suggested that council look at the impact of the height of the five-storey hotel from various vantage points.<\/p>\n

Also of concern to the hoteliers is the reduction in the number of parking spaces required.<\/p>\n

They are trying to fit a building into a space that is not large enough. If we were to stick to the bylaws, the bylaws clearly state that you have to have x amount of parking. The reason for that is on those nights when the hotels are full, 35 times a year, they would be short 14 parking spaces. Where are those 14 cars going to go? So they are anticipating that they are going to use overflow parking. My question to that would be, what happens when they want to develop that site?Matthew Phillips, Executive Director of Operations for the Aurora Hotel Group (Holiday Inn Express)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Town’s Manager of Development Process, Kirstin Maxwell, does not share those concerns. In her report to council she wrote, \u201cUpon review of the architectural renderings and attending the site, it would appear that the visual impacts of the building would be minimal, as it will be nestled at the bottom of the substantial hill adjacent to Centre St N and Highway 60, and no breaks in the naturally treed skyline will occur \u2026 the reduction in provision of loading spaces, as the hotel is not proposing any food or banquet services and a small amount of meeting space does not seem unreasonable \u2026 As to the reduction in parking spaces for hotel units, the applicant has provided a letter from the owner of the lands noting that overflow parking could be accommodated on the vacant lands to the south, with a formally documented agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t