The Williamsburg Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend to City Council a series of proposed ordinance changes that would allow hotels in the city to partially transform into apartments.
The four proposed ordinance changes would create a new zoning designation, allowing for up to 100 hotel rooms in the city to be repurposed as apartments, and reconfiguring Williamsburg’s hotel room length-of-stay limitations.
Under the proposal, individual hotels would be limited to 50 or fewer repurposed units. Rules governing length of stay would be changed from their current limit of 90 days to 30, however exceptions would be added allowing people in the workforce and families in need of temporary crisis housing to surpass the 30-day limit.
Planning Commission First Vice Chairwoman Sarah Stafford asked whether the proposed changes would allow for a developer to transform an entire hotel building into apartments, like the City Lofts project on Richmond Road, but Planning Director Reed Nester said City Lofts’ zoning was specific to that project, and would not affect other developments.
While the Planning Commission members generally supported the proposed ordinances, the 100-room limit caused some concern.
“I believe we unanimously thought it was a good project, good for the city, good work, [but I’m] not sure I’m quite comfortable with the 100 room limit,” Chairman Demetrios Florakis said.
Stafford said the limit would create a more level playing field for interested hotels, rather than a more arbitrary process of approving requests for special use permits, which can be accepted or rejected for any reason.
“One thing this set up does is make clear to everyone that this is something you can apply for, and only a limited number of people can be approved,” Stafford said.
Florakis also said it was good the proposed changes did not extend the new zone to stretches along Capitol Landing Road and Richmond Road.
“Our vision on the [comprehensive] plan is a little different for Capitol Landing and Richmond Road,” he said. “The only reason City Lofts was approved was because it’s 500 feet set back from the road and no visibility.”
The four ordinances recommended by the Planning Commission were crafted by the city in response to Knights Inn owner Doug Pons’ request to turn 60 rooms at his hotel at 620 York St. into 40 apartments. Pons, who also serves as a City Council member, first made the request in October 2014, but the city has delayed a final decision on the proposal as it considers larger changes to its zoning rules.
The City Council voted at its Feb. 12 meeting to delay action on Pons’ request until after the zoning ordinance changes are approved.
With the recommendation of the Planning Commission, the City Council will likely schedule a public hearing at its April 9 meeting.
“This is a good step in trying to solve a problem we have here in the city,” Florakis said. “I think this goes a long way.”
As it is currently written, the proposed changes would go into effect July 1.
Related Coverage:
- Adaptive Housing Proposal to Wait Until March for Consideration
- City Council Moves Forward With Plans for New Zoning Code to Repurpose Hotel Rooms
- City Council Considers Zoning Changes to Repurpose Hotels
- City Council Delays Consideration of Plan to Concert Hotel Rooms into Apartments
- Planning Commission Supports Proposal to Transform York Street Motel to Apartments
- Knights Inn Seeks City Approval for Partial Transition to Apartments
- City Council Increases Occupancy Limit at Apartment Complex for Students
- City Planning Commission Backs Modified Floor Plan for Student Apartments
