The boutique hotel is expected to open next May.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A revision of downtown zoning districts that would allow Main Street Hospitality to develop additional parking area for a planned boutique hotel sailed easily through its first hurdle to approval on Tuesday.

 

In a public hearing that lasted less than three minutes, the Community Development Board looked favorably on the proposed amendment to city zoning, which would expand the Downtown Business District ("B-D") to include three parcels on the east side of Center Street and south side of Union Street. Two of these parcels are currently split zoned business and residential, while another is entirely in the high density residential zone.

 

"This amendment would create uniformity for the block, and the proposed change is consistent with the commercial nature of the surrounding properties," Michelle Butler, an attorney with Cain, Hibbard & Myers, said on behalf of RN Construction 

 

RN Construction is under contract to purchase the vacant lot at the corner of Central and Union, currently owned by Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity.  

 

"Our client, along with the owners of the properties abutting the Habitat lot, are requesting that the zoning map be amended so that these parcels are classified B-D," said Butler, who indicated the intended use of the lot will be for overflow parking from the Hotel On North. Use as a parking lot is prohibited under the property's current zoning classification.

 

Without questions or deliberation, the board unanimously voted to recommend that the City Council approve the proposed zoning amendment. If approved by the Council, the contractor will return to the board for site plan and special permit approval for the planned parking lot project.

 

The re-zoning proposal marks the third round of approvals secured from the board associated with the renovation of the historic Besse Clark department store building on North Street into a 45-room boutique hotel, tentatively slated to open in May 2015.

 

Main Street Hospitality, which operates the Red Lion Inn, Porches Inn and the Williams Inn, announced last week that it had secured financing from MountainOne Bank for the $15 million project, which includes extensive structural renovations to the two connected buildings.