City Council Approves Controversial Hotel Height Increase

During the latest city council meeting, members revisited a proposal for a new 107-room residence hotel, spanning 61,496 square feet, located just east of the intersection of Fitzport Boulevard and FM Corporate Crossing. The council had previously postponed the discussion to allow for an updated concept plan that would address parking requirements.

The proposed hotel site is currently zoned for commercial use and falls within the FM 549 overlay district. While the hotel meets all conditional land use requirements, it seeks a height increase from the standard maximum of 60 feet to 65 feet, which is permissible through a specific use permit granted by the council.

The initial concept plan presented to the council indicated a shortfall of 25 parking spaces, which included 13 spaces designated for the hotel and an additional 12 spaces removed from a neighboring property to facilitate cross-access. However, the updated plan now includes the necessary 25 parking spaces and adds an additional surplus of 7 spaces. This improvement was achieved by modifying the drainage ditch on the property to accommodate more parking.

The council noted that while the updated plan complies with all requirements for the specific use permit, the final decision remains at their discretion.