A Florence-based development and management company is seeking a zoning change to allow for the development of a new, extended-stay hotel within the city.
Seva Hospitality wants to develop the hotel at 5935-5495 Merchant St. in Florence. The hotel would be 62,000 square feet with 99 rooms spread across four stories, according to documents the developers provided to the Boone County Planning Commission.
Seva Hospitality Managing Partner Ravi Narsinghani presented the firm’s development plans to the planning commission and general public during a public hearing on Nov. 6.
“The city of Florence is certainly growing with all of its business uses, anything from the growing manufacturing to aerospace, as well as traveling medical,” Narsinghani said during his presentation. “All of our data shows that, yes, there’s still further need for hotels.”
The prospective 5.3-acre development site is currently vacant. It’s owned by Kemba Credit Union, a West Chester, Ohio-based company.
The property’s zoning designation is commercial two. Seva is requesting to change the designation to office two to permit the hotel’s development. The Boone County zoning regulations identify hotels, motels and apartment hotels for conditional use within the office two zoning district.
“It’s also a portion, like I said, within the Houston Donaldson Overlay,” Boone County Planner Steve Lilly said. “The Houston Donaldson study identifies this as Sub-area One, which states that future development and/or redevelopment should be for commercial office-type land use and not for light industrial or residential use.”
Narsinghani said the brand of hotel Seva Hospitality is proposing is LivSmart Studios by Hilton. The amenities of this line are tailored more toward long-term guests, with kitchens equipped with a full-size refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave and two-burner cooktop.
“It’s a very fun and new brand that is essentially a very big mix between a hotel and a traditional apartment,” Narsinghani said. “Extended stay facilities will be given, such as on-site laundry, patio spaces and a 24/7 fitness center.”
The project’s concept development plan shows that the hotel will have a 97-space parking lot.
Additionally, Lilly noted that the project’s design engineer submitted a traffic memo alongside the application.
“The design engineer stated that the proposed development will have an insignificant impact on the surrounding roadways,” Lilly said.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Brain Kenwright, a neighboring homeowner, expressed concerns that the hotel, with a proposed height of 60 feet, could create excess light and noise.
“I’m concerned about all the lighting that’s gonna be coming over, the air conditioning units running all the time, and just the physical space that it’s going to back up to the actual property line,” he said.
Narsinghani told the planning he would gather the necessary information in order to address Kenwright’s concerns.
Looking ahead, Seva Hospitality’s zoning map amendment will be heard by the planning commission’s Zone Change Committee on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
