A request to build an extended-stay hotel at Jesse Jewell Parkway and Crescent Drive has been withdrawn.
Woodspring Signature Suites planned to build a 123-room hotel at the 5.5-acre property at 400 Crescent Drive, across from the Hall County Farmers Market. Plans also included a separate 7,500-square-foot retail building, possibly featuring a Dunkin Donuts.
The property would have been annexed into the city. The Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board recommended denial of the request at a Jan. 14 meeting. The Gainesville City Council will vote Tuesday on whether the request should be withdrawn with or without prejudice. If it is withdrawn with prejudice, there is a six-month waiting period for rezoning or a special use request. There would be no waiting period for an annexation request.
City planning staff said in a report that the property would not be suitable for an extended-stay hotel because it was not pedestrian-friendly. Crescent Drive, as it passes by the property, has no sidewalks or curbs and gutters.
Woodspring would have been Gainesville’s first new hotel since the city passed an ordinance regulating hotels on Dec. 17, including restrictions on lengths of stays and record-keeping requirements.
Hotels can provide accommodations in a room for up to 15 days, while guests at extended-stay hotels can stay for up to 30 days. Any hotel that has fixed cooking appliances or a kitchen in at least 5% of the rooms would be designated as extended-stay.
