A proposal for a new hotel on Wisdom Road near Ga. Highway 74 won rezoning approval from the Peachtree City Council Thursday night.
The 2.8-acre site was already zoned general commercial, but the rezoning was necessary to allow the hotel to eclipse the city’s maximum height of 35 feet for GC-zoned parcels. The Fairfield Inn and Suites will be 43 feet tall, so it was rezoned to Limited Use Commercial as recommended by the city planning commission.
The three-story 42,000 sq. ft. building will have 82 guest rooms and suites with 97 parking spaces, 10 of which will be for golf carts. There will also be a designated parking area for buses as well.
Although the first plan pitched for the site had two five-story hotels, there is no additional room on the new plan for a second hotel, said City Planning and Zoning Administrator David Rast.
Developer Kassandas Properties initially wanted to build two hotels on the parcel but has since pared down its request for just one hotel. The company is leaving additional room on the site for another separate hotel building in the future.
The property is located behind the Wisdom Point shopping center off Ga. Highway 74 at Wisdom Road. Since it is adjacent to the Woodsmill apartment complex, a 75-foot vegetated buffer must be maintained between the apartments and the hotel.
There were several conditions added to the commission’s recommendation, including a requirement that all guest rooms be accessible by internal hallways only, and that management be on-site 24 hours a day.
A representative for the developer has said the site would have security cameras as well, and golf carts would be made available for guests’ use.
Councilwoman Vanessa Fleisch asked if the hotel chain was flexible on the architecture and Rast said the company really wants to keep it the way it is. However, that issue has to come back before the planning commission during the conceptual site plan review phase, he added.
The conceptual site plan does not require council approval, but does require a blessing from the planning commission.
Fleisch said her concern was the modern architecture contrasting with the existing Wisdom Pointe shopping center. The elevation of the hotel will be somewhat higher than Wisdom Pointe, but it won’t be as obvious because of the existing trees in Wisdom Pointe along with an elevation drop going toward the rear of the property.
“The issue here is that everything is going back to the planning commission and we have got some really picky people on there,” said Mayor Don Haddix, adding that he felt the developer addressed the planning commission’s concerns before bringing the rezoning to council.
Councilwoman Kim Learnard said the hotel plan was far more desirable than other uses that could locate on the property.
