Hotel Ordinance Amendment to Come Before City Council September 10th

The former State Ports Authority Building on Concord Street, next to Waterfront Park, is currently being demolished to make way for a new 225-room hotel. Photo: The Post and Courier 

The Hotel Task Force last convened on August 27th and the discussion was focused on several key parts of the revised ordinance:

• The prohibition of rooftop bars
• The proposed cap of four additional “full service” hotels on the peninsula
• The details of the affordable housing fee
• The establishment of a minimum room limit for all accommodations uses

After significant discussion, consensus was reached on the sections of the ordinance that had received the most attention from both Council and the Planning Commission. Instead of an outright prohibition of rooftop bars just for hotels, it was decided that a separate, more comprehensive rooftop use ordinance would be drafted by the Planning staff for City Council review at its September 24th meeting. The focus of this rooftop ordinance would be to mitigate the adverse impacts of outdoor uses on residential neighborhoods, and the rules would extend to all uses, including event spaces, offices and apartment buildings.

Also, the minimum room limit for hotels, which previously had been set at 20, was reduced to 10 in order to bring the ordinance in line with the recommendation of the Short Term Rental Task Force. Some examples of smaller historic buildings that needed significant rehabilitation were discussed, and the group felt that the revised room limit could incentivize adaptive use of these properties.

Major elements of the proposed ordinance include:

• Stricter regulations discouraging the removal of existing residential units and prohibiting the displacement of office uses
• Stronger language to prevent the overconcentration of hotels in any one area, with added emphasis on land use diversity
• Ensuring that all hotels that qualify as “full service” include meeting space and amenities for the general public, including retail, restaurants, spas, etc.
• The addition of an fee for affordable housing
• Stronger requirements for the addition of drop-off/pick-up space to minimize traffic impacts

We need you to lend your voice in support of the Hotel Task Force recommendations at the City Council meeting, on Tuesday, September 10th, 5pm in Council Chambers, 80 Broad Street. This revised ordinance will give the Board of Zoning Appeals the proper regulatory tools to rein in hotel development downtown!

If you cannot attend in person, we urge you to contact members of City Council to voice your support: