Westport could get new hotel where inn was
WESTPORT — The town is closer to once again having a hotel.
The Planning and Zoning Commission recently approved a text amendment and site plan for the old Westport Inn at 1595 Post Road East, which will now be called the Delamar Westport hotel.
“I’m very happy with what we got in front of us,” commission member Paul Libowitz said at this week’s meeting.
The hotel currently has 116 rooms and will be redeveloped into a 75-room luxury boutique.
The site currently has two connected buildings, with the front built in 1960 and the back built in 1980.
Rick Redniss from Redniss and Mead said they worked with Delamar to “come up with a plan that I think everyone will like. I know that we’ve worked close with our neighbors, so they will like it.”
In addition to the fewer rooms, changes include 60 percent less building coverage, 11 percent less total coverage, 11 percent less floor area and a 48 percent better parking ratio, Redniss said.
The height is planned to not exceed three stories, or 40 feet, not including room for mechanical equipment, according to the text amendment.
Bruce Beinfield, from Beinfield Architecture, said the design team came up with a wide range of options for the owners to consider, and a New England-style inn resonated best.
“We collectively went towards keeping the New England traditions alive and making this really feel like a gateway to New England,” Beinfield said.
Beinfield said the new landscaping from the front of the building will be a buffer from Post Road.
Moving most of the parking underground will increase the landscaped area towards the road, and will provide a visual buffer from hotel guests, as well as reduce a visual impact from the street, he said.
The plan also includes better coverage from neighbors and new native trees, such as pin oaks and white spruces.
Some of the trees might have to be removed though to accommodate for snow removal, said Cheryl Brown, from James Doyle Design Associates.
The entrance of the building is a curved road leading to the main door. The back of the building will be designed to look like a barn.
“The new three-story wing contains 34 guest rooms and another 41 guest rooms are going to be refurbished within the existing building,” Beinfield said.
The basement-level parking can fit 52 cars, he added.
A restaurant and bar area with private dining and meeting rooms will also be added to the new wing.
Redniss said there will be ambient music played outside in warmer months, which will be turned off by 10 p.m. They also eliminated a proposed outdoor pool at the back of the hotel after noise concerns from neighbors.
He said it will be appropriate with the Delamar brand. There are several other Delamars, including ones in Southport and Greenwich.
“I love the other Delamar hotels in Southport and West Hartford,” commission member Neil Cohn said, “and I wish this one had a little bit more of that pizzazz ... It’s very plain.”
This is the latest revision to the plan based on feedback from the community and town officials.
The plan originally included 10 residential units and 41 hotel rooms, but the residential units were removed after comments from the Architecture Review Board in April.
This week, Danielle Dobin, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, suggested the development make at least 20 percent of the units deed restricted or affordable “in the event that the property is ever converted to rental or condo.”
Dobin said with this they don’t have to worry about this happening in the future, in case the state legislature changes the law to allow hotels to be converted to multi-family housing without planning and zoning approval.
Redniss said they would be happy to do that.