Williamstown ZBA Tours Site of Proposed Hotel
Engineer Vincent Guntlow describes the proposed location of the hotel as, from left, Cory Campbell, David Levine and Town Planner Andrew Groff look on.
About a dozen neighbors of 430 Main St. tagged along as members of the ZBA were shown the site by members of the development team.
Engineer Vincent Guntlow took the lead on the walk-through of the property, pointing out where the proposed building will be sited, what vegetation the applicant proposes to remove and how the applicant proposes to alter a retention pond to the north of the proposed hotel.
Navin Shah has asked the town for permission to build a hotel on the property, where he plans to raze the current two-story building that previously housed the town’s Grand Union supermarket and currently serves as office space.
Residents from the neighboring Colonial Village continued to voice concerns about the potential impact to their neighborhood from the new business — including noise, alterations to their view shed and the potential for third-story hotel rooms to look directly into yards and homes on Orchard Lane.
Shah is requesting the ZBA to grant special permits to allow the development on the property, which spans commercial and residential zoning districts.
Individual members of the panel in attendance asked questions of the development team but did not deliberate on the special permit request. The public hearing the ZBA opened on Dec. 15 was continued to its Jan. 19 meeting.
After Wednesday’s site visit, a couple of residents expressed their hope that the board will be able to write conditions into the permit that will safeguard the neighborhood.
"I’m not strongly against [the project]," Orchard Lane resident Alexander Davis said. "I just want a lot of screening."
A long-time ZBA member who — as a resident of Colonial Village — is recusing himself from the deliberation said it is exceedingly rare for the board to deny commercial applicants.
"The board generally says, ‘We want you to be able to do what you want to do as long as you take into account the concerns of your neighbors and the project complies with town laws,’" David Levine said.
