Ontario Planning Commission approves hotel project, sends it to council
The Ontario Planning Commission voted Tuesday to approve and send to Ontario Council the application for a new 120-unit hotel, restaurant, offices and residential housing units on Walker Lake Road.
After some discussion and a few changes, commission members voted 4-0 to recommend the application for the project to council.
Council on Wednesday, Nov. 2, will announce the date of a public hearing on the proposed project. Council will hold the matter to a first reading at its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 and the matter will be held to three readings before a vote.
News: New hotel to be built on Walker Lake Road
A developer from Columbus has said that a groundbreaking is planned for the fall of 2023 for a 120-unit Home2 Suites by Hilton Hotel at 2577 Walker Lake Road just north of the current Cinemark 14 theater complex in the already-bustling shopping center.
Chris Knapton, director of development for Moment Development, told council members earlier that plans are to build the hotel, offices, a restaurant and multifamily residential units, including condos and townhomes.
Details about the planned use development site
The 11.8-acre property is currently undeveloped, vacant land. It is bordered on the west by agricultural land, to the north is Walker Lake Road and condominiums, to the south is a movie theater, and to the east is a shopping center. The property is currently zoned B (Business District), according to the specific information from the developer.
The request is to rezone the property from B to PUD, Planned Unit Development as provided for by Ordinance No. 22-37 of the city of Ontario (Zoning Code Chapter 1138). The proposal is to redevelop the site with a mixed use development consisting of a new hotel, office, restaurant/retail, and residential uses. There will be three buildings developed on the site in Phase 1, with future residential units in Phase 2. The site will be split into up to six parcels for financing purposes. The six parcels will be stand-alone sub areas that can be rezoned independently of the other parcels, to preclude the need to rezone the entire 11.8-acre site if the need arises in the future. Final approval will be based on the recommendations of the local fire department.
Allowable uses at the site
Allowable uses at the site include office, hotels, restaurants, breweries, distilleries and wineries, banks, drive-in banks, pet shops, entertainment facilities, recreational facilities and multifamily residential.
Green space requirements for future development are 15% for a hotel; 45% for offices (including basin); 20% for restaurant/retail, and 35% for multiple family residential, according to the developer's submitted information to planning commission.
Maximum height of buildings is not to exceed 60 feet. Townhomes, retail/restaurant and office buildings cannot exceed 50 feet to the highest point on the building.
A look back: Ontario Planning Commission hears preliminary plans for new hotel complex on Walker Lake Road
The parking areas on the site plan, which provides a total of 260 parking spaces in phase 1 and phase 2, will have 124 spaces for the apartment and two-car garages with each townhome.
A traffic study will be done, the commission members said.
lwhitmir@gannett.com
419-521-7223
Twitter: @LWhitmir
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Ontario Planning Commission approves Walker Lake Road hotel project
