Developers submit plans for Edmond hotels, wellness park
EDMOND — Developers have submitted plans for two new hotels and a wellness park to be developed near an area that has seen expanded growth over the last several years.
The proposal by Tapp Development is for the hotels to be built on 3.48 acres just west of Interstate 35 and north of Fox Lake Lane.
While the proposal is not a final site plan, developers are asking that the area be changed to the proper zoning. A final site plan will come at a later date.
A community connection meeting is planned at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Downtown Community Center when developers will seek input from community members on the zoning change.
“It's hard not to notice that Edmond's Interstate 35 corridor looks gaudy and just like every other entrance to every other generic town off the highway,” said Lynn Richter, a resident of Fox Lake, on Nextdoor. com, a social network for neighborhoods.
“If this is what the city planners were after, they've accomplished it,” she said.
Both hotels are planned to be four stories and a combined 169 rooms with the northern hotel being a Residence Inn by Marriott and the other one a Tru hotel by Hilton.
There will be a minimum of 169 parking spaces for both hotels, along with a new exit onto the frontage road.
The Tru hotel is one of Hilton’s new designs in hotels with vibrant colors and modern look. Both hotels’ entrances will face north.
Spring Creek will run between two retaining ponds and a newly proposed wellness park, which will allow access to the Trails at Spring Creek.
The new trail connection will be one of three allowing community members to use the trail. Now, only one entrance at Arcadia Lake exists and adequate parking for the trail has been a concern of city officials.
The current plans also include a fishing dock and fitness area. The park area will be gifted to the city once the site plans have been approved, according to submitted documents.
"He has promised the city this wellness park, but all he is giving them is a floodplain," Fox Lake resident Ranell Zurmehly said. Her house backs up to the property.
The area of the park and retention ponds are in a floodplain. The southern lake could include an overflow area in case of a flood in which water would spill onto Fox Lake Lane.
"We don't know why he wants to build hotels there," Zurmehly said. "It is going to be a big rock fence for us."
Randel Shadid, Edmond attorney, is representing Tapp Development in the rezoning process.
If the developer wishes to continue with the plans after the community connection meeting, the next step will be taking the project to the planning commission meeting, which is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 16.
Developers with Tapp Development did not respond to requests for comment.
Pending approval from the planning commission the project proposal will go before the Edmond City Council at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 12.
No timeline was submitted with the plans, only a statement that the markets will determine when construction begins.