Council sends proposed Fitzport hotel back to Planning & Zoning amid extended-stay concerns

Rockwall City Council remanded a specific-use permit for a residence-hotel proposed near Fitzport Boulevard back to the Planning & Zoning Commission Sept. 15 after members raised questions about branding, kitchen/room layouts and whether the project should include extended-stay units.

Project background and council concerns
Applicant Q Cam of Triangle Engineering presented a 96‑room, 56,816‑square-foot, four‑story residence hotel with a proposed 3,100‑square-foot restaurant on-site. The proposal follows a previously approved but unbuilt residence‑hotel project for the same parcel, which the applicant said had expired. The new submission included elevations that initially exceeded the city’s 60-foot review threshold, but the applicant later adjusted elevations to meet the limit; staff said final elevations and overlay compliance will be reviewed during site plan.

Council asked for clarity on operational details
Council members pressed the applicant to clarify whether the project would be a conventional nightly‑stay hotel or include extended‑stay units (kitchenettes or refrigerators in rooms). The presence of cooking or food-preparation facilities in rooms is the defining characteristic of extended‑stay residences and affects community expectations and management. Council also asked whether the developer had a firm hotel operator or brand agreement — the applicant said the concept was for a La Quinta/Hawthorne combination but could not confirm final brand paperwork that night.

Next steps
Because of operational and community-concern issues related to kitchenettes and extended-stay usage, the council voted unanimously to send the case back to Planning & Zoning for additional review, asking the applicant to provide room/kitchen layouts and to consider removing the extended‑stay component if the developer prefers a conventional hotel product. Planning & Zoning will re-evaluate and return a recommendation to council.

Ending
Staff will work with the applicant to collect the requested interior layouts and brand documentation. The council took no final action on the SUP Sept. 15.