The Francis City Council last week rejected the architectural design for a proposed hotel in the town center zone, citing concerns about the developers’ intentions with a supposed attic above the third floor.The unfranchised hotel, which is slated for the corner of S.R. 35 and Spring Hollow Road, previously presented plans to the City Council that included a four-story building with commercial space for retail businesses and restaurants in addition to the actual hotel. At the time, the City Council was considering an ordinance that would have increased the maximum allowed number of stories in the town center from three to four.But the City Council was ultimately against the change and declined to adopt the ordinance in a 3-1 vote last month, a decision the hotel’s developers said would not affect their proposal because they had a backup plan for the design — a three-story building with the fourth story converted into an attic instead of another floor for hotel rooms.However, when developers appeared before the City Council again last week for final design approval, councilors declared they were worried the building was not actually a three-story structure. The updated plans submitted to the Council showed balconies on the fourth floor, and the interior plan showed walls and doors, similar to the lower floors intended for hotel rooms.“Some of the Council also felt that the hotel design was not in harmony with surrounding structures and in the rest of the town center development as required by code,” explained City Planner Katie Henneuse.The City Council denied the design in a 3-2 vote with councilors Clint Summers, Clayton Querry and Sam Hunter in favor of the denial while City Councilor Shana Fryer and Mayor Jeremie Forman were in opposition.Earlier in the same meeting, though, the City Council approved the hotel’s conditional-use permit in a 4-1 vote. That means the project is still in progress and being considered by city officials, even though developers will need to redesign the building and present updated plans to the council for approval at a future date.Only Summers voted against the conditional-use permit, which gives the land owner permission to use the property as a hotel.The City Council also approved a shared parking agreement that will allow the hotel to use nearby city property for parking if the hotel’s lot becomes too full. However, the council added a condition that the developers and city need to agree on an “updated revocation section” that clarifies “the grounds both parties have to revoke the agreement,” said Henneuse.If attempts to reach an agreement regarding the revocation section fails, then the parking agreement will automatically revert to what Henneuse referred to as “Option 2,” which does not allow any shared parking between the hotel and the city.Additionally, the parking plan includes a condition mandating the developer work with a nearby residential homeowner who lives across from the hotel’s Spring Hollow entrance to add landscaping buffers.The City Council also approved conditional-use permits for two drive-thru restaurants.The Spring Hollow hotel is one of two hotel proposals that Francis officials are considering. The other development — a Best Western on the northwest corner of Lambert Lane and S.R. 32 — has already received approval for its conditional-use permit.The hotels have been controversial projects for nearby residents, though. The East Side community overwhelmingly expressed their displeasure with the town center project at a public hearing in December, citing concerns about privacy, traffic and noise.Demonstrators then gathered in front of City Hall last month to protest the Best Western proposal, the same night the City Council granted its conditional-use permit.The post Francis City Council rejects architectural plans for town center hotel appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less