The Francis City Planning Commission was split 2-2 on the proposed Best Western coming to the northwest corner of Lambert Lane and state Route 32.
It forwarded a neutral recommendation to the city council, which has the final say on the hotel’s permit.
For the city to deny the hotel, which has drawn outcry from residents, it needs a legally defensible reason. Because of the area’s zoning, it can’t simply deny hotels if the property owner is mitigating negative effects.
Planning Commissioner McKenna Marchant planned to vote against it because she said the landowner wasn’t doing enough to mitigate negative effects. The landowner’s attorney, John Rudd, asked for the specific factor they failed to mitigate.
“I’m mitigating the fact there's going to be a hotel where there once was ag,” Marchant replied.
And that was a prime concern among the dozens of residents who spoke against the three-story, 69-room hotel Feb. 20.
But city code doesn’t allow Francis to deny the hotel chain a permit based on viewshed concerns.
So Marchant took issue with the hotel’s “size and location” instead, without elaborating further. Commissioner Kimberly Lawson joined her in opposing the hotel permit.
Commissioners Justin Ciampi and Scott Buchanan said the developer, Wes Harwood, was doing enough to mitigate negative hotel effects, like adding trees to buffer sound and reduce light pollution. Rich Christiansen was absent.
Separately, on trash, parking, landscaping, architecture and outdoor lighting, the commission approved or positively recommended the hotel plans 3-1.
Lawson voted against every element, even though the other commissioners said the plans complied with city regulations.
“That's the tricky part,” Chair Ciampi said. “Sometimes even if our emotions or feelings, or all of those things that come into play with making the decisions as a part of the planning commission happen, if there's public dissent, if your very close neighbors absolutely hate the project. It doesn't really matter. You're obligated by law to look at and to meet the objective set forth.”
City Planner Katie Henneuse said the commission can approve or deny legislative changes to the code. When it comes to projects, commissioners have to approve proposals that comply with the law, otherwise they could be sued.
Still, only those associated with the hotel spoke favorably about it at the planning commission meeting Feb. 20.
“Instead of mountainsides that we are used to, we're going to be seeing a very large building, which, frankly, it looks pretty good, aside from that west elevation, which is what we're going to be looking at,” nearby resident David Sutherland said, opposing the project.
The city council’s final vote on the project hasn’t been scheduled.
