MANCHESTER – The Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a change in zoning regulations that will allow hotels and motels to be converted into apartment buildings.
After making some minor adjustments to the proposed change, the Commission unanimously approved the article’s inclusion in city ordinances at its July 7th meeting. It comes into force on August 1st.
In March, representatives from property developer Paredim Partners came to the commission to present their plan to convert the Hawthorn Suites Hotel 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 waiver for the property, which is in a general commercial zone.
This group, called Paredim Acquisition LLC, proposed the zone change.
After the vote last week, existing hotels or motels in the general business area can now be converted to multi-family use, subject to a special exemption from the Commission.
Dory Famiglietti, an attorney for Paredim Partners, said during the meeting last week that the company’s team had been working with city staff over the past few months to develop a language that would achieve its intended goals.
She said Paredim Partners will now, with approval, finalize its site plans to convert Hawthorn Suites into a multi-family apartment complex of 110 units.
According to the new regulation, such conversion and any future development of the site must be “consistent with the established physical relationship between existing buildings and the land area,” the amendment said.
“Since this is the conversion of an existing piece of land and not undeveloped land, the design standards are slightly different,” said Famiglietti. “You will have some restrictions on what is there and any new addition would have to be compatible with what is there.”
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, 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.
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