Coming soon: a Best Western Plus in Francis! At least, according to a new sign.
Though the commercial development review process won’t start until later this month, the developer behind the project announced plans to build a hotel on the northwest corner of S.R. 32 and Lambert Lane.
Little is known about the proposal as of Sept. 11, but Francis City Planner Katie Henneuse expected more information would become available during the first scheduled concept plan review meeting with the Francis Planning Commission next Thursday, Sept. 19. An agenda packet with details will be published on the city website at least 24 hours before the meeting.
The sign lists Henderson 500, a property management company, and Harwood Development as involved with the project. The developer declined to comment on the project.
First, the project will go through a concept and site plan review before a building permit can be issued. This is an opportunity for the applicant, city staff, Planning Commission and Francis City Council to discuss the proposal and negotiate specific elements of the plan.
The developer will learn what is and isn’t allowed in the area, which is zoned as commercial. Hotels are an allowed use in the zone and subject to special approval procedures, landscaping and lighting requirements as well as other design guidelines.
Later, the site plans such as parking, buffers with neighboring properties, architectural design and more will be reviewed to ensure the project complies with city code. If it does, a building permit could be granted.
The building would have to be 45 feet or shorter to meet height restrictions in Francis. There is already an access point for the property on S.R. 32, and Francis will allow an access point on Lambert Lane. It will be up to the Utah Department of Transportation to determine if turn lanes are required.
The structure would also have to be located at least 20 feet from the rear property line of an adjoining, existing residence to serve as privacy treatment.
It’s unclear how many rooms the hotel would have. City code requires there to be one parking space for each room, and it’s expected that the building won’t take up the entire lot. However, if the hotel runs out of parking, it’s anticipated that patrons will use spots near other future commercial businesses.
Staff expects there will be at least four public meetings, two with the Planning Commission and two with the Francis City Council, which has the final authority, before approval can be given. Residents will also likely have the opportunity to provide public comments about the proposal.
The proposed hotel location, as well as the adjoining Villages at Lambert Lane subdivision, were annexed into Francis in 2004, according to Henneuse.
“The main benefit to the city from this annexation was the commercial property frontage on State Road 32. The developer planned to build out the commercial property before the residential portion, but economic constraints delayed development of the commercial property,” a staff report stated.
Henneuse said staff have received a lot of questions about the proposal, particularly about the local environmental impact.
A three-year wetland study was completed in the area by the Army Corps of Engineers, and the organization removed jurisdictional wetlands from most of the property. This means clean dirt-fill material can be used on the site, and Francis doesn’t anticipate any wetlands to be disturbed.
The developer has already begun excavating topsoil from the building site, which doesn’t violate any city rules. The Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit for the surface work in the area and Francis doesn’t require a permit for topsoil excavation.
Francis’ water pumping and storage capacity was also significantly increased with the construction of a new well and tank near the Steward Ranches neighborhood.
While that will help minimize disturbances and pump failures, the developer will also turn in water shares to allow officials to pump more water from the wells. The number of water shares to be turned in will be calculated by the city engineer and is based on the number of rooms, kitchen facilities, pools and more, according to Henneuse.
The developer would also be responsible for paying impact fees to help construct a future well and tank. The number of water shares to be turned in will be calculated by the city engineer and is based on the number of rooms, kitchen facilities, pools, etc.
Francis will be able to collect tax revenue from the hotel including property taxes, sales taxes and the transient room tax. There are only a handful of hotels in eastern Summit County, most average around $100 a night depending on the season.
“This revenue will be used to keep Francis City’s tax rate low and provide for the future needs of the city such as road maintenance, new trails, and city staff,” the staff report said.
Just down the road, the Planning Commission forwarded a positive recommendation for a 104-unit “conservation subdivision” to the City Council in June. Officials heard the Burton Ranch proposal in July, but the discussion was tabled so the applicant could make some adjustments to the plan. It’s tentatively scheduled to return to the City Council on Sept. 26.
Visit francisutah.gov for more information such as meeting schedules.