The Hailey Planning and Zoning Commission Monday unanimously approved the design of a three-story, 41,836-square-foot Fairfield Inn and Suites hotel, part of the Marriott lodging corporation, to be located at 711 North Main St.
Architect Erin Bliss presented designs to the commission of a mauve, white and blue, multi-faceted 35-foot-tall building set back 76 feet from Main Street. It has a flat porte cochere and a walkway that extends to the street.
“This looks good and will be a benefit to the community,” said Commissioner Dan Smith, after voting in favor of the final architectural renderings.
The development may now move forward without a City Council review.
Community Development Director Lisa Horowitz responded at the P&Z Commission meeting Monday to a recent claim by Hailey hoteliers that there was not sufficient demand for hotel rooms to justify the new development.
“We don’t have the legal right to cap the number of hotels,” Horowitz said.
Bliss said Marriott conducted a feasibility analysis before launching the project.
Marriott International Inc. is headquartered in Bethesda, Md., in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The company reported on its website that it owns 6,000 properties in 122 countries and territories, and garnered revenues of more than $17 billion in fiscal year 2016.
The Hailey Marriott will feature an indoor pool, fitness room, breakfast dining room and a 400-square-foot meeting room.
Hailey resident Carl Hjelm made recommendations on tree species that would work best when planted beside sidewalks around the project, which will back onto River Street.
The southern edge of the property borders a private road recently completed during a renovation by King’s Variety Store, which closed this month. The northern edge of the property extends to a small private home adjacent to the Big Wood 4 cinemas.
The property is currently occupied by an auto dealership that is moving to the south end of Main Street.
Marriott was contacted by email by the Idaho Mountain Express to find out when construction would begin and be completed. No response had been received by press time.
by Tony Evans of the Mt Express
