Tuesday, March 21, 2017 – 4:45pm
Joseph Doorley Municipal Building, 1st Floor Meeting Room 444 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903[/alert]
Opening Session
- Call to Order
- Roll Call
- Approval of minutes from February 28, 2017 regular meeting – for action
- Director’s Report – Discussion of changes to development review regulations pertaining to unified development review
Development Plan Review
1. Case No. 2017-01 DPR – 67 Batcheller Ave – The applicant is proposing to construct a storage space facility on Batcheller Ave and is requesting a design waiver from the requirement that buildings in the C-3 zone provide at least 50% of transparency on the front façade – for action (AP 77 Lot 335, Charles)
Land Development Project Public Hearing
2. Case No. 16-017 MA – 322 Washington Street (Preliminary Plan) – The applicant is seeking preliminary plan approval to construct a six story, 70 foot, 76 room hotel in the C-2 zone. The CPC granted dimensional adjustments for height, occupying the build to zone and from parking, at the master plan stage. The applicant has submitted detailed plans with a revised building design and information on drainage, circulation, lighting and signage. Continued from the February 28 meeting – for action (AP 25 Lots 244, 245, 412, 413, 414, Federal Hill)
3. Case No. 16-048 MA – 371 Pine Street (Final Plan) – The applicant is proposing to construct a five story hotel building with 91 rooms and a building footprint of 11,270 SF. The site is located in the C-2 zone under the Transit Oriented District (TOD) overlay. Ninety one parking spaces are required but 65 are proposed in addition to landscaping and other site improvements. The applicant will present the final plan at the request of the CPC – for action (AP 24 Lot 654, Upper South Providence)
Minor Subdivision
4. Case No. 17-003MI – 371 Pine Street (Preliminary Plan) – The applicant is proposing to subdivide a lot measuring approximately 61,608 SF into two lots measuring 50,573 SF and 11,038 SF – for action (AP 24 Lot 654, Upper South Providence)
City Council Referral
5. Referral 3415 – Changes to Zoning Ordinance – Changes to zoning ordinance including inclusion of regulations for unified development review, technical changes, outlining of fee schedule, changes to the lot merger provision, clarifications and map changes – for action
Looks good – approve it, build it!!!
This location requires no special ambiance, facade, historical character — it requires a lot being FILLED.
Move on…
Same thing as the Washington Street hotel…approve it, build it!!!
It’d be really swell if we got some improvement over these designs, considering how visible they are, but if this side of the service road is gonna become affordable room row, I’m okay with that being the case. The pedestrian elements could be greatly improved, especially with the Holiday Inn proposal. So far, these get a C-, and the grade is only so generous because just building next to a shelter or a police station on a service road gets you some slack. The views from these rooms should be great, it’s a slight bummer that they don’t return the favor, but all in all, they pass… I guess.
Hey, it’s visible, new construction in a troublesome spot (proximity to Crossroads, service roads, highway, etc). That’s worth something. It’s new construction with a little height on the far side of the highway from downtown, which is also a good sign.
As for the designs, I think they’re both pretty cheap throwaway work, but at least they could probably be re-skinned later. Steve is right. Build something, dammit.
Reading the footnote, do we know what the new renderings might look like, asduming new ones were presented at the hearing? I’m in the ‘happy to see active contruction/building’ camp but curious if the look a feel of these two hotels changed any.
Providence’s convention and trade show business is going to pick up with these new 4(or 5) hotels. I’ve always wondered why we don’t get more concerts in the City, although that has changed recently with some decent acts coming to the Dunk. It’d be nice to see Providence carry more events, no reason why there aren’t concerts every weekend at the Dunk.
When “Great Woods” (Xfinity Center in Mansfield) opened they only had 12,000 seats — they have 19,900 now. They attracted amazing acts for a 12,000 seat venue. The Dunk is 12,400 capacity. Maybe the economics have changed and it’s not worth it, but all else being equal The Dunk should be driving more interest from concert/festival marketers.
Personally, I’d love to see an outdoor arts venue in Providence. Something larger than the Dunk in capacity, up to the size of Xfinity. 18-19,000 capacity outdoor music venue would draw people into the City in the summer months and it would give the hotels a stronger base case demand. Although, that doesn’t seem to be an issue with the robust PVD hotel market right now. There are plenty of areas on the west and south sides of Providence that could be considered, and it’d bring economic benefit to those areas.