Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
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UPPER DARBY >> Plans for a 100room Holiday Inn hotel at the Drexelbrook, put on hold five years ago due to the economy, are back on track.
Mayor Thomas Micozzie, council President Donald Bonnett and councilmen Jack Bierling and Bob Gwin recently offered an update on the project and their support, citing the economic benefits to the community.
The Upper Darby Zoning Hearing Board recently approved the variances for the applicant, Drexelbrook Associates LLC, after township officials testified giving their approval for the addition to the existing structure, a banquet and catering facility.
Charles McDonald, the township hearing board’s solicitor, announced at the onset of the hearing of the permitted use for a hotel in the R-3 Residential Zoning District and C-1 Traditional Neighborhood Commercial District and Hospitality Overlay District.
“You are here for a revised land development plan that requires minor variances,” for parking and parking aisles, McDonald said. “When township council approved the development in 2011 there were two provisions: That the main entrance be on Ferne Boulevard and limited entrance and exit on Bloomfield Avenue.”
Attorney Joseph Damico, representing Drexelbrook, announced the hotel would give the venue an opportunity for wedding parties and people attending conferences to stay overnight on campus.
“The hotel will be located on the portion of the property zoned hospitality district,” Damico said. “Drexelbrook is willing to accept the same conditions,” imposed five years ago, he said. “The Holiday Inn will be a full-service hotel employing 150 to 160 employees during the 12 to 14 months of construction and 31 full-time and 37 part-time employees when it’s completed.
“We did a detailed study on the best place for parking,” selecting a section near Bloomfield Avenue for the 36 (additional) spaces, he said. “We think it’s an ideal place for it.”
Bonnett submitted a letter about the application that also reflected the views of Micozzie, Bierling and Gwin.
Bonnett specified the applicant still needs approval of township council for land development.
“The land-development approval process is an extremely complex process involving many considerations such as defining the specific details of how the proposed hotel will impact the site, the impact on the surrounding residential community, approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and economic benefits the hotel would create,” Bonnett said in the letter read into the record by Bierling.
According to Bonnett, council did approve the application in 2011 but the proposed hotel did not proceed until now.
“The township vetted that application over a period of many months to determine the merits of the project and the impact it would have on our community,” Bonnett wrote, noting the approval for a hotel was granted at that time.
“The land-development submission must begin again and the township will require the same concessions from the applicant,” Bonnett said.
“Zoning approval and land development approval is not the end of what is a three-part approval process to build the hotel.”
Detailed construction plans must be submitted, permits need to be issued and compliance with the state Uniform Construction Code are required.
Bonnett’s and other council members’ major concern is the traffic impact on the residential neighborhood and people in the first district.
Drexelbrook has agreed to use Ferne Boulevard, at the intersection of Burmont Road, as the main entrance to the site and stipulated that 30 percent of the development would be left as open space and restricted from future development.
A walking path would also be constructed as part of the Darby Creek Greenway Program at the site. “The future economic benefit to the taxpayers of Upper Darby Township from the proposed hotel should be obvious,” Bonnett wrote.
“Real estate tax and business tax revenue streams would be increased because of this project.”