By Angela Walker, contributor
Decatur, GA — The Decatur Planning Commission approved special exceptions for a 240-room hotel at 213 Swanton Way during the commission’s regular meeting on Sept. 12.
The hotel will feature two different brands: Tempo and Homewood Suites, both owned by Hilton. The developers are seeking to have 100% of the parking off-site.
Michael Lynch, who is the applicant, representing Vision Hospitality Group, requested a special exception to increase the building height from 80 feet to 82 feet, mainly due to the grade dropping of more than six feet across the entire site. Additionally, the hotel will boast a rooftop restaurant with views called the Bluestone, an Australian restaurant chain.
The other requested exception would be to allow for 100% percent off-site parking. A hotel of this size requires a total of 181 total parking spaces. Lynch’s client currently has a letter of intent with a parking deck for this needed parking. The hotel plans to offer full-service valet parking along with on-street pickup and drop-off.
In working with the Decatur City staff, it was agreed that the Hotel would also have on-street parking, a six-foot landscape zone around the hotel, a four-foot bicycle lane, and a 10-foot sidewalk zone for pedestrians.
The Downtown Decatur Neighbors spoke in opposition.
“As you know, when a plan comes in requesting variances, it generally means that the building is too big for the land, and it doesn’t fit into the ideas of a small-town feel with more outdoor dining, wider sidewalks, more landscaping, and more trees,” the representative of Downtown Decatur Neighbors said.
Decatur’s Downtown Development Authority supported the project.
After hearing Lynch and opposition comments, the Commission approved the application to move forward to the City Commission with certain conditions:
— Additional street trees shall be accommodated to the east and west of the proposed drop-off lane or as an alternative, larger tree pits or landscape strips shall be provided, as deemed appropriate by the city arborist or as required by the city streetscape standards
— Outdoor site lighting shall be shielded from and oriented away from nearby residential uses
— A copy of a written, legally binding permanent access easement providing for the shared use of the alley for off-street loading space and sanitation dumpster services shall be filed with the UDO Administrator before issuance of a land disturbance permit
— A copy of a written, legally binding agreement providing for the shared use of parking (guaranteeing access to, use of, and management of shared parking spaces), shall be filed with the UDO Administrator before issuance of a land disturbance permit
— A copy of any amended, renewed, replacement, or successor agreement shall be filed with the UDO Administrator within a reasonable amount of time following execution
— Shared parking privileges are conditioned upon and shall continue in effect only as long as the use for which shared parking is utilized has legally enforceable access to the required amount of shared parking
— Requiring a dumpster screening
In other Decatur Planning Commission news, Commission Vice Chair, Mike Travis, who has been serving on this board is no longer a resident of the city of Decatur, and Rachel Cogburn was approved to fill this position.
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