Planning commission reviews hotel plans
Review Photo / Amanda Renko Casey Cawley of Reilly Associates presents plans for a proposed Comfort Inn and Suites to the Athens Township planning commission Monday. Pictured are commission members Marion Carling and Cliff Cheeks.
Review Photo / Amanda Renko Casey Cawley of Reilly Associates presents plans for a proposed Comfort Inn and Suites to the Athens Township planning commission Monday. Pictured are commission members Marion Carling and Clif Cheeks.
Review Photo / Amanda Renko Casey Cawley of Reilly Associates presents plans for a proposed Comfort Inn and Suites to the Athens Township planning commission Monday. Pictured are commission members Marion Carling and Clif Cheeks.
The Athens Township planning commission reviewed plans Monday for another proposed hotel in the area.
Project manager Casey Cawley of Reilly Associates, an engineering firm based in Pittston, Pa., presented plans for a three-story, 85-room Comfort Inn and Suites to be built on a 2.39-acre parcel at Elmira and Westbrook streets, across from Lowe's home improvement store. Township supervisors granted approval to the subdivision of the land, originally four lots, last month.
The commission asked to see revised plans at a future meeting following comments offered by the township's review engineer, Skip Schneider, and zoning officer Eddie Reid. Cawley said those revisions are underway and could be completed by the end of the week.
"We made some changes subsequent to the actual review," Cawley said.
In addition to the hotel, the plans include a 90-space parking area, driveway access off Elmira Street and five-foot-wide sidewalks along both Elmira and Westbrook streets, Cawley said. A highway occupancy permit is under review with the state Department of Transportation.
Among the suggestions made Monday, commission members recommended measures be taken to ensure that the illumination from headlights in the parking lot does not spill over onto neighboring properties, some of them residences.
Schneider suggested that in addition to the use of trees and other landscaping techniques, a six-foot fence with slats be installed. The landscaping alone would satisfy the township's requirements, Schneider said, but commission members said the addition of a fence would create some additional protection for neighbors.
"With residents right there, it's definitely a concern, I think," said chairman Scot Saggiomo.
Cawley was hopeful that revised plans could be submitted and reviewed by the planning commission in a timely manner so they could be forwarded to the board of supervisors, who must approve the plans before construction can begin.
"We are hoping to move this along to the supervisors," he said.
Amanda Renko can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or email: arenko@thedailyreview.com.
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