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New Kitimat hotels could be built over old Aluminum City Motel

The latest hotel proposal for Kitimat is a Microtel planned for the site of the old Aluminum City Motel.

Kitimat Council has been handling a number of proposals lately that’d see the construction of new hotels.

Most recently an application came through to amend the C5 zoning, which would allow the construction of a proposed Microtel unit where the Aluminum City Motel currently stands.

The proposal sees two new hotels being built on the land, as well as one new restaurant.

The two hotels would mean a collective 149 new hotel beds to town.

The main proponent to the project is MasterBUILT Hotels, while the application was made on their behalf by Rick Scheidt of R.W. Scheidt Design.

To get the hotel he has requested C5 Zones to allow for ‘hotels’ (motels are an existing use in the zoning) as well the applicant is seeking an increase to permitted height, from nine metres to 17 metres, as well as increasing the maximum density from .5 to .8 Floor Area Ratio.

Council unanimously voted on giving first and second reading to the proposed amendment, and referred the application to the advisory planning commission.

A public hearing is scheduled for January 6.

The motion also calls for final adoption to be conditional on the completion of a servicing study.

Kitimat planner Daniel Martin says that the applicant has indicated plans to begin work very soon on the project.

“The intent given in the application is to start construction on the Microtel portion of the site, and possibly the restaurant as well, as soon as possible,” he said, saying the other hotel facility, a suites hotel, would likely come following that.

Councillors added a referral to the traffic committee as well for this application.

The effect of the applicant’s desire to increase building height would mean that instead of a limit of three storeys, the hotel could be up to five.

Because the proposal would increase the number of rooms on the property by 99, staff note that additional rooms trigger a $300 a bed contribution to the Pollution Control Centre.

The servicing study which was included in the motion is to be paid for by the proponent.

That study is to look into the District’s infrastructure capacity, and identify necessary upgrades that the company would have to provide to accommodate their development.