The developer of the Marquis at Williamsburg received approval Tuesday from the York County Board of Supervisors to build a 100-room hotel. They also decided to sponsor an amendment to the county code allowing a sign up to 45-feet tall for the development.
The Marquis previously had approval for a smaller hotel, but that came before the recent decision to build 650 residential units and more than 200,000 square feet of new commercial space at the site.
“We think [the hotel] is a good use of the property,” said York County Zoning Administrator J. Mark Carter. He said the hotel, residential units and new commercial space combined will not create as much traffic as the original plan for the Marquis, which was approved in 2005. Carter said the brand of the new hotel has not yet been revealed.
The hotel will be built near the JCPenney and the site of the future Sam’s Club. The new development, the hotel and the existing stores at the Marquis fill out almost all of the space available in the development. A 3-acre parcel near Interstate 64 remains undeveloped, however it would be difficult to develop, Carter said.
The supervisors voted unanimously to approve the hotel.
The supervisors also voted Tuesday to consider a proposed amendment that would allow the construction of a sign up 600 square feet and up to 45 feet tall at the entrance to the Marquis on Route 199. The York County Zoning Ordinance currently allows signs to exist along interstates in shopping centers with more than 350,000 square feet of tenant space and at least 1,500 feet of highway frontage, both of which are requirements met by the Marquis.
The request for the amendment came from the developer of the Marquis, Todd Interests. State and federal interstate signage regulations could pose a problem for placing the proposed sign along Interstate 64.
The amended ordinance would only apply to shopping centers meeting the existing commercial square footage and frontage requirements. The shopping center must have direct access to a primary highway intersecting with an interstate in order to place a sign.
Related Coverage:
- Marquis Shopping Center’s Developer Seeks Large Sign for Route 199
- Developer Seeks to Build 100-Room Hotel Near Water Country
- Sam’s Club to Open in York County’s Marquis
- York Supervisors Approve Commercial Expansion, Residential Units for Marquis
- York Planners: Marquis Residential Proposal Issues Outweigh Benefits
