MANCHESTER – After the first hearing on a specific proposal this year, the Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Wednesday to discuss a change in zoning regulations that would allow existing hotels or motels in the general business area to be converted into apartment buildings.
A few months ago in March, representatives of the developer Paredim Partners came before the commission to present their plan to convert the Hawthorn Suites hotels at 191 Spencer St. into more than 100 apartment units.
The developers wanted to meet with the Commission before buying the property, as they need to obtain a special permit for the property, which is located in a general commercial zone.
“The intent of the proposed amendment to the regulation is to enable the adaptive reuse of existing hotels or motels, especially those that may be below average, as apartment buildings,” Senior Planner Megan Pilla wrote in a memo to the Commission. “Due to the nature of the adaptive reuse, specific zoning requirements for such conversions are justified – suitable hotel / motel locations for the conversion into residential use are pre-developed with existing structures, which limits the flexibility in the division and design of the location.”
The proposal on Wednesday’s agenda, while not specifically mentioning the Spencer Street motel, would certainly be affected by the change. The new ordinance would allow such conversions subject to special exemptions from the PZC, which would be dependent on certain requirements such as site size and security guidelines.
The conversion and future development at the site “must be in harmony with the established spatial relationship between the existing buildings and the land area,” says the text of the amendment to the ordinance.
The minimum floor space for apartment buildings is 400 square feet for efficiency / studio units; 650 square feet for one bedroom units; and 800 square feet for two bedroom units. Any bedroom with more than two bedrooms will require an additional 150 square meters according to the proposed amendment to the regulation.
There is also a need for recreation rooms in the converted motels. According to the amendment to the ordinance, at least 20% of the gross floor area of the site must be developed as usable recreational areas for active or passive recreation.
At least 50% of this minimum required recreational area must be outdoor areas or facilities. According to the city, there are about five motels and hotels in the general business area.
Paredim Partners’ Managing Director, David Parisier, and the company’s lawyer, Dory Famiglietti, met with the commission in March to discuss some of the details of their proposal for the Hawthorn Suites.
The hotel currently consists of over a hundred units in six buildings with units ranging from 500 to 800 square meters. All accommodations have their own kitchen area. A seventh building on the property houses a reception and lobby area, kitchen, bar, fitness room, laundry, management offices and two large conference rooms.
There is also a sports field and swimming pool on the property, as well as outdoor parking for guests.
Paredim Partners planned to upgrade the existing units to 84 studio or one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units. In addition, the project will create between four and six additional units in the areas of the administration offices and conference rooms.
Other elements of the project would expand and upgrade the gym, renew the pool area, replace the outdoor sports area with recreational areas including a fire pit and barbecue station in the common area, modify and maximize existing outdoor parking spaces, and improve the landscaping on the common areas.
The full proposal for a regulation can be found online at
Before the Commission votes on the amendment to the regulation, there will be a public hearing on the motel renovation.
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