Zoning board OKs variances for hotel plan in Connellsville

Construction of the 54-room Cobblestone Hotel on North First Street on Connellsville's West Side is one step closer following conditional approval Tuesday by the city's zoning hearing board.

The board approved six variances for the hotel and conditionally approved a seventh. That seventh variance has to do with a parking area Connellsville council and the developer must settle. Issues such as paving a parking lot in a triangular area across from the hotel site bounded by North First Street, North Third Street and an unnamed alley must be worked out.

Architect Jim McMullan of JMAC Architects of Bridgeville, designer of the hotel; Alex Pounds and Vincent Earnesty from Widmer Engineering; Tom Rosselot of Hotel d2; and Chris Rosselot, project spokesperson with Grant Forbes, answered questions from the board.

Carl Ritenour, acting as board chairman in the absence of Shawn Pilla, asked if the board could grant approval without waiting for the parking issue with city council to be worked out.

Tom Currey said the board could approve the project, since the issue with city council does not affect the issues before the board.

Board member Cecilia Driscoll asked whether the project would still allow public access to the Youghiogheny River.

Absolutely, McMullan replied. In fact, we encourage it. The project site was chosen because of its access to the riverbank.

Six other variances the board approved are:

Changing the need for a landscaping buffer zone between the hotel and a residence to the south. Pounds said a wide buffer will be replaced with a 6-foot high decorative fence, combined with a strip of vegetation.

Allowing the building and walkways to take up 53 percent of the lot as opposed to 45 percent. Pounds said this will allow the structure to be built on the property and reflects the driveway and sidewalks in addition to the building.

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Zoning board OKs variances for hotel plan in Connellsville