Boutique Hotel By The Walnut Street Bridge Recommended For Approval By The Planning Commission

  • Monday, October 13, 2014

Plans presented by Vision Hospitality Group for Chattanooga’s first high-end independent boutique hotel located by the Walnut Street Bridge were recommended for approval on Monday by members of the Planning Commission.

Vision Hospitality Group’s President and CEO Mitch Patel cited his company’s desire to provide a “unique and authentic” experience to guests staying at the hotel. He said he and his team met with various neighborhood groups, community associations, property owners, business owners, and; representatives of the Hunter Museum and the Bluff View Art District to share their plans and garner input.  The company also hired Gettys Group, described as a world-renowned hospitality design firm, to assist with its efforts. 

Once constructed, the as-yet-to-be-named hotel at 102 Walnut St.

anticipates a 2016 opening date.  The five-floor, 90-room building would provide valet parking to all guests and employees of the hotel.  In addition, plans call for a small restaurant featuring a modern Southern menu that features locally grown food that would be enjoyed either inside or outside on the hotel’s terrace.  Other amenities include a rooftop lounge and pool as well as a spa that like the restaurant would cater to locals as well as visitors to Chattanooga.

“Our goal with this project is to provide a destination for our guests,” said Mr. Patel.  “All of the independent research done shows that this is the highest and best use for the property.  We are honored to have the support of Planning Commission and look forward to our presentation to members of the City Council.”

 He said the hotel would feature local art and would work with area businesses to enrich the experience for hotel guests.  He noted, “When guests ask about some of the art we’ll have on display, we want to be able to direct them to where they can purchase similar pieces.  And, we can’t think of a better way to end a day in Chattanooga than finding a piece of chocolate from Rembrandt’s on a pillow at turn down.  There are so many local partnerships that will be integral to the success of this hotel. We’re very excited about what the future holds.”

The building at the site by Aquarium Way and Riverfront Parkway was long the offices for several dentists. It has been mainly vacant in recent years.

Mr. Patel earlier said there are plans for a mini park along Walnut Street from the bridge to a new roundabout in front of the hotel. Valets would be stationed at the roundabout.

Helen Burns Sharp, who lives across Walnut Street at Museum Bluffs Parkside, asked for two conditions. However, the recommendation for approval did not approve the conditions.
 
Ms. Burns said, "I speak to you on behalf of five entities which represent more than 150 homeowners and the Bluff View Art District, all located within a two-block radius of the proposed hotel. The entities are the Downtown Owners Collective; the Portera Family Limited Partnership; the homeowners associations for the two Museum Bluffs condominium complexes, and the HOA for the Cherry Street Town Homes.
"We support the concept of a boutique hotel on Walnut Street. We really like the idea of making Walnut Street an active pedestrian-oriented space. It is the zone change to C-3 that concerns us. We ask that you add two conditions of approval if you recommend this zone change to City Council.
"C-3 (Central Business District) is the city's most permissive commercial zoning district. It allows most all commercial uses; allows unlimited height (75 foot cap here because it is in the Riverfront Overlay District); and does not require an applicant to do any parking onsite. It's a zone that makes sense for Market Street but is scary for Walnut. It presumes Central Business District with a dominant commercial character to the neighborhood and parking "opportunities" nearby. Neither exist here.
"Our neighborhood has been negatively impacted by two fairly recent zone changes to C-3. The Hunter Museum expansion and the new apartment complex on Walnut did not provide enough parking to meet their needs. Not only does this affect our neighborhoods, their 'overflow' has impacted the public, which is losing what few on-street parking spaces were available when they come to walk the Walnut Street Bridge. There is no available structured parking nearby and the surface lots are rapidly being converted to other uses.
"The site plan presented to the RPA in late August  shows a two-level attached parking deck, with 121 spaces. At a meeting with the Downtown Owners's Collective on Sept. 22, prospective developer Mitch Patel, CEO of the Vision Hospitality Group, said a revised plan shows 115 spaces on site. We respectfully request that the Planning Commission impose a condition that the hotel have at least 115 parking spaces on site to accommodate guests, staff and patrons of the restaurant. Or you could require the current property owners or prospective developer to add a restrictive covenant or other private legal restriction as a compliance tool."
The C-3 zone allows most all commercial uses, many/most of which would not be appropriate for this site. While the neighborhood believes that the proposed hotel use is compatible, we want the zone change tied to this use and this site plan to protect the neighborhood and the public in the unlikely event that this hotel isn't built. We respectfully request that the Planning Commission impose a condition tying the rezone to this site plan or that you require the current property owners or prospective developer to add a restrictive covenant or other private legal restriction as a compliance tool.
We have discussed parking and use with Mr. Patel and believe that he understands our concerns and wants to address them through conditions. If you don't add the conditions, we ask that the zoning request be changed to Urban General Commercial. UGC would allow the hotel use. It establishes a height limit of 40 feet but allows the RPA to allow a taller building. It requires one parking space per hotel room (90) and one space for 75 feet of Gross Leasable Area (restaurant, spa). That zone would require about the same number of total spaces as what we are asking for in our proposed condition (115).

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