Progress being made on Route 138 hotel proposal

After a series of delays and extensions, the application process for a proposed hotel project on Turnpike Street has advanced into the final stages with the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals slated to revisit the matter — and potentially vote on a site plan — at its next meeting on Thursday, March 22.

The proposal, put forward by Titanium Group LLC, calls for the construction of a hotel on the north side of the property and an automotive repair garage and collision center on the south side. The developer also owns Prestige Car Wash and Gas at 925 Turnpike Street and the new development would be constructed in the rear of the existing business. Plans for the hotel call for a four-story structure with 100 rooms and a restaurant on the main floor.

Early rendering of a Best Western location in Canton. The concept has shifted from an extended stay model to a standard hotel.

While initially expected to be wrapped up by the end of the summer, the approval process was delayed for several more months as the ZBA awaited a formal signed agreement from a major hotel brand as well as assurances that the hotel would not be built as an “extended-stay” model with kitchenettes in the rooms — a major sticking point for a number of town officials.

In November, in an effort to expedite the signing of an agreement between the developer and a hotel chain, the ZBA voted unanimously to waive the 10-acre requirement for hotels as stated in the town bylaws. Neither the existing Homewood Suites location on Royall Street nor the soon-to-be completed Hilton Garden Inn on Royall Street have met that acreage requirement, and the ZBA agreed with the applicant’s position that the requirement is outdated as the lodging industry has shifted its focus toward smaller-sized hotels with fewer rooms.

Three weeks ago, at the ZBA’s February 22 meeting, representatives for the developer submitted a formal signed commitment from Best Western to operate a hotel on the property. Best Western was the first hotel brand to express serious interest in the project and has reportedly agreed to scrap its plans for an extended-stay model at the request of the zoning board.

At the ZBA’s November meeting, acting Chairman Greg Pando had identified Best Western as one of the hotel brands that the board would deem acceptable for that location, along with some other national brands of a similar “caliber,” such as Hampton Inn and Courtyard Marriott. While acknowledging at the time that it would not be appropriate for a zoning board to select a particular hotel brand, Pando said the board preferred a hotel that met or exceeded the 50th percentile for room rates in the metro Boston area.

“Basically around $300 per room a night,” he said, “which indicates our desire that the quality of the premises be maintained at that standard, as opposed to a budget hotel chain that we do not prefer in that location.”

After a short internal deliberation at their February 22 meeting, the ZBA members thanked the applicant for supplying the signed agreement as well as some additional supporting documents and scheduled a continuance until March 22. “We will certainly take this under advisement and review the material,” said Pando.

New condo proposal at former Emerson & Cuming site

In other recent development news, the ZBA heard an initial pitch from Attorney Paul Schneiders at its February 22 meeting concerning a revised set of plans for a condominium project at the former Emerson & Cuming factory site, located at 869 Washington Street.

The applicant, JPM Development, had previously sought and obtained approval to remodel the existing factory building into a mixed-use project consisting of 58 condo units and 8,000 square feet of retail space. Plans also included a clock tower and a “green” roof with vegetative cover, as well as a new public park at the front of the property.

However, Schneiders said his clients have determined that it is not economically feasible to retain the factory building and instead they are seeking approval to raze the structure and construct four residential buildings containing a total of 53 two-bedroom units. Schneiders said the new project does not have a retail component but would offer considerably more open space.

ZBA member John McCourt, who was acting as chairman due to Pando’s involvement with the project as an architect, expressed serious concerns with the density of the new proposal, which he said looks “crowded” despite offering five fewer units. ZBA member Gary Vinciguerra echoed McCourt’s concerns about density, and both members also expressed concerns regarding access for emergency vehicles.

Mike Nemetz, a direct abutter who has been embroiled in an easement dispute with the applicant over a drainage issue, testified that the issue remains unresolved after more than two years.

George Comeau, a local historian and member of several town boards, also voiced his concerns with the new proposal and urged the ZBA to use whatever leverage it had in an attempt to save the factory building, which began as the home of the Rising Sun Stove Polish Company and is, he said, the “best example of late 19th century industrial architecture remaining in Canton.”

Comeau said he much preferred the original project, which preserved the factory structure and was approved after much deliberation and review and with extensive input from numerous parties. He also voiced his belief that the original project could in fact be accomplished if the developer was willing and characterized the current situation as a “marketing problem.”

Schneiders, however, disputed Comeau’s characterization and indicated to the board that he has personally worked to market the original project for sale but has repeatedly come up empty.

“I have talked to different builders and all have said it would be far, far too expensive to do that and maybe almost impossible to do it,” he said. “There’s so many problems with the building that they decided that they just can’t do it.”

The board agreed to continue the hearing and will take up the matter again on Thursday, April 26.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Mar 16 2018. Filed under Business. Both comments and pings are currently closed.