11-20-2017 1:19pm

Council Approves Two Motions for Best Western Hotel Project

The developers behind the Saline hotel project are pushing to break ground by the end of the year.

At last Monday’s meeting Saline City Council approved two hotel-related items. Council voted 6-0 to approve a special land use to allow the developers to build a three-story, 43-foot-tall hotel. Council also voted 6-0 to allow a hotel in a SPA-1 (special planning area) zone.

The applicant, Sauk Trail Ct. Properties, is planning to build a 48,452-square-foot Best Western Premier hotel and 14,960-square-foot hardware store on the south side of Michigan Avenue, east of The Oaks shopping plaza. Sauk Trail Ct. Properties includes Mark Kuykendall, a veteran of the hotel business, and Jim Junga, owner of Junga Ace Hardware. Jim Haeussler, of Peters Building Company, is the builder. Kuykendall was the only one in attendance and he did not speak in front of council.

The planning commission previously voted 7-0, with one abstention, to recommend the special land use approvals to council.

There were no comments during public hearings on the motions at Monday’s council meeting. City Superintendent Gary Roubal told city council the project is moving quickly. He said the planning commission approved the preliminary site plan.

“The good news is that today the applicant submitted both the intermediary site plan request and final site plan request, so they are ready. They are scheduled for a hearing on Dec. 13. The applicants are moving in quick fashion,” Roubal said.

The only questions from council came from Councillor Janet Dillon, who wondered if 43 feet was tall enough for the hotel.

Following the council discussion Kuykendall was asked about the hotel’s efforts to attract local investors.

“We’re on the six-yard line. We’re close,” Kuykendall.

He said they hoped to break ground before the new year.