Developer changes plan for former funeral home
Developers have dropped a proposal to build five houses on the former Lasher Funeral Home property, but they expect to move forward on seeking approval for a 20-unit hotel with a lobby bar that serves meals while turning an existing carriage house into retail space.
The update was provided Monday, March 29, by Ryan Giuliani. He and Jesse Halliburton are considering purchasing the 4.8-acre property at 100 Tinker St.
“Obviously, if we were to build homes and rent or sell those homes we would do very well with them,” he said, “but we feel what we can accomplish on the hotel portion of the property we would be satisfied with.”
Residents and owners of neighboring business had objected to the proposed houses, saying that taking away the open space would alter the hamlet’s character.
The plan would include construction of four new 1,200- to 1,400-square foot buildings that would each have four hotel rooms, while the existing house would have four hotel rooms on the second floor. Both the existing residential house and carriage building would remain. A building previously used for funerals, however, would be taken down based on concerns over foundation problems caused by poor drainage.
In a press release, the developers said they are trying to work with town residents who want the space to remain undeveloped. They added that some progress was made last week during an information session conducted with neighbors.
“Most of our neighbors seem to have a strong desire for the open field on the property to remain,” they wrote. “We are happy to sell back a portion of the property in order to make that happen. And, we are willing to put this in writing.”
Giuliani added that there is also a contingent of officials and residents who would like to have the property used for affordable housing. He said the developers would be open to discussing ways they can help resolve the problem, but, with the Lasher property, it was important to listen to concerns about where development takes place.
“We’re hoping we can be the developer to help the community get what they want,” he said. “In this case it’s open space, while the business community can get what they want ... (in) being able to accommodate our biggest economic driver, which is tourism.”