Planning board hears new hotel plans

WATKINS GLEN--A new 17-room boutique hotel is being planned for 214 Franklin St. in Watkins Glen.
The hotel, named Glen Resort, plans to have 17 rooms featuring one suite, three double queen rooms and 13 king rooms. A first-floor entrance is planned to be remodeled as well.
The three-story building location is owned by Jim Guild, who also owns Famous Brands in Watkins Glen.
Currently, Guild leases the space at 214 Franklin St. to the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce. Guild said the chamber would still have office space available at that location but the configurations of the space will need to see some changes.
The County Planning Board approved the preliminary site plan Nov. 10 with some minor modifications. The county is asking for a more substantial plan on the first floor and a more formalized idea of the parking plan for guests and employees.
Joseph Fazzary, from the Watkins Glen Planning Board said, "I hope they can redesign what the parking is going to look like. There were a lot of discussions as to maybe finding a spot on Third Street toward the Franklin Street side and things like that. We all think it's a great project, but we can't approve it until we get some information from DOT (Department of Transportation) or some other plan for taking care of parking."
Guild emphasized, "The project is still very much in the early stages and a number of different details need to be finalized." Guild projected the earliest the project will be available is spring, 2018.