The Views on Main will add 196 nightly rental units to a six-acre site in the 800 block of South Main Street.
On Tuesday, June 3, the council voted 3-2 to approve the master development agreement for the project.
The Views on Main technically didn’t need council approval, since hotels are allowed downtown and five-story height is permitted in that zone.
However, city planners say the development agreement is helpful because it ensures certain transportation improvements will be made around the project. That includes building a new road, 860 South, and installing a traffic light at its intersection with Main Street. A road will also be constructed at 100 East, from 790 South to 1200 South.
The discussion Tuesday centered mostly on what building materials the hotel should use. Developers revised their renderings with more affordable materials, but councilmembers said they liked the older, pricier version of the plans, which included lots of steel and glass.
Councilmember Aaron Cheatwood voted against the project, but said if it did go forward, he wanted it to look sophisticated and well-constructed.
“I don’t like the location, I don’t like the height – but good building materials can really make a difference in how everything else around it feels,” he said. “If I have to have something here, I like the idea of the old Views elevations more, but I’m probably going to vote no, because I don’t like the project at all.”
City planning director Tony Kohler said he trusts that Heber’s design standards will ensure the final product looks good.
“It requires a multitude of materials; it doesn’t allow for a plain, flat thing,” he said. “I have a lot of faith in our design criteria.”
Councilmember Yvonne Barney joined Cheatwood in voting against the project. The remaining councilmembers voted in favor.
Planning staff say they will continue to work with the developer to ensure the hotel is aesthetically pleasing.
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