Concerns about proposed Hendersonville 4-story hotel addressed

With two public comments heard, plans for a proposed four-story hotel on Sugarloaf Road will move forward through Hendersonville's rezoning process.

Commenters, in written form and via Zoom during a neighborhood compatibility meeting Monday, voiced concerns about a buffer between the proposed hotel and houses, as well as flooding risk and "excess" lighting toward nearby houses.

Sugarloaf Road hotel site plan by Lurah on Scribd

Developer Sanjay Patel with Sugarloaf Hospitality submitted an application to the city to rezone the 2.3-acre property from Planned Commercial Development to Planned Commercial Development Conditional Zoning District.

The hotel is proposed to be around 66,000 square feet and includes a meeting room. The site plan states there will be 98 rooms.

Plans include a landscaped buffer between the proposed hotel and houses and an underground stormwater system that should mitigate a lot of the flood risk, Patel said.

Work is underway for site lighting with Duke Energy. Patel said he would let Duke's planning department know about residents' concerns to ensure lighting doesn't go into the residential area.

The project was previously approved by City Council and a special-use permit was given in 2017. Because the permit expired, Patel applied for the conditional zoning.

The next steps are for plans to be reviewed by city planning staff, the Tree Board and Planning Board then a public hearing will be held before City Council prior to its vote.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Concerns about flooding risk & excess lighting for new hotel addressed