Council holds first reading of ordinance to raise hotel height limit at I‑16 interchange to 75 feet

City staff presented Ordinance 26‑09, which would amend the city's zoning code to create an exception to the 35‑foot height limit in the B‑2 district for hotels at I‑16 interchanges, allowing those hotels to build up to 75 feet. "We currently have a height restriction of 35 feet in the B‑2, business oriented district zone," staff said. "We've had four applications for different hotels to locate out at the I‑16 interchange... all of them would be taller than 35 feet, and so they have to go through a process of getting a variance."

Staff said the ordinance would be narrowly tailored to that situation and is intended to reduce the need for repeated variance requests. The ordinance received a first reading; staff announced a second reading and public hearing scheduled for Sept. 17 at 12:00 noon.