By James Lomuscio
The Westport Rehabilitation Complex at 1 Burr Road is being eyed for a high-end, 50-room hotel close to downtown.
An early rendering of The Westport Hotel. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed graphic
Leonard M. Braman, representing the owners 1 Burr Road LLC, met tonight with Westport’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z)for a pre-application hearing, seeking input on a possible zoning change that would allow the establishment of “The Westport Hotel” in a restricted office residential (RORD 1) zone.
The commission’s reception was mostly positive.
The main caveats were that the developer be sensitive to the neighborhood and consider underground parking since the current three-story complex on the .89-acre property with 207 feet fronting Post Road West only has 35 parking spaces.
In making his pitch, Braman said that Westport only has one hotel,The Westport Inn, not to mention 12 rooms at the Inn at Longshore. He compared that to nine hotels in Norwalk and five in Fairfield.
“And business travelers wind up spending time in Fairfield and Norwalk,” he said.
The only other hotel in Westport was National Hall, which shut down in 2010.
The current building at 1 Burr Road. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
“We would retrofit it,” Braman said of the rehabilitation complex, stressing the project would not require constructing a new building.
Several commissioners winced, saying that the current building is unattractive.
“I wouldn’t mind to see that building gone,” said Paul Lebowitz, P&Z commissioner, citing his preference for a better looking building.
“Demolition is more disruptive (to the neighborhood) than a retrofit,” Braman said.
Regarding a lack of parking to accommodate 50 rooms and staff vehicles, Braman said one option would be to use parking at neighboring office buildings, as well as having guests use Uber or Lyft.
“Don’t concentrate on parking on other properties,” said Stephens.
He said the project can have underground parking as the building is on a slope.
Commissioner Alfred Gratrix agreed, saying, “Offsite parking is not an option.”
Braman said The Westport Hotel would not have a restaurant. A restaurant would require more parking, and the lack of one would encourage guests to patronize local eateries, he said.
Commissioner Catherine Walsh expressed concern about the project’s impact on the neighborhood. She also stressed the need for underground parking due to the current deficit of spaces.
“All options are on the table,” Braman said, adding that he plans to use the commission’s input for the future application.
He added that with approvals and construction it would take “actually several years before we have a hotel.”
It was not said when Braman would come back to the P&Z.
