New Microtel approved, with conditions

PENN YAN—The Penn Yan planning board conditionally approved a site plan from the Indus Group for a Microtel to be located at 124 Elm St. at the former McCredy site during their meeting Monday, Sept. 9. Chairman Cliff Orr said the approval is dependent upon their final site plan, type of construction and sitting down with the Rochester Regional Community Design Center (RRCDC) to work out additional details.
Kip Finley of the Indus Group presented a revised site plan during the meeting showing they had moved their building farther to the west, effectively switching the building and parking lot locations. This puts the broad side of the building facing out toward Rite Aid (next door) and the parking lot between the hotel and the building to the east. Finley said the overall dimensions of the building have not changed and will still remain a four story, 11,000 square foot hotel with 75 to 78 rooms and between 15 and 25 potential employees.
The planning board had previously tabled their site plan review during their August meeting until they had more details on the parking lot, site distances, location, size and design of all exterior signs, color rendering of proposed buildings, proposed landscaping details, exterior lighting and details of signage, and remediation work. Since that meeting, Roger Brown of the RRCDC had also submitted his suggestions to the original site plan addressing his concerns over layout and landscaping. Brown’s design had most of the building front along Elm Street with the parking lot behind it.
Finley said he wanted conditional approval along the plans the Indus Group had submitted. He said if the RRCDC proposal is where the board wants to go, it would stop the project. Finley said they still wanted the building to blend into the historic feel of downtown Penn Yan, but the design also had to look like a Microtel brand.
Orr said the board would not be able to give final approval during the meeting without knowing for sure what the building will look like. Finley said they only required a conditional approval for now so they know the village has some interest in the project and in doing it in a way more similar to their design than Brown’s design. The board approved the site plan on the condition the Indus Group sits down with the RRCDC and work out additional details with their architect to take community concerns onto consideration.