Proposed Hotel FAQ

Q: Is the proposed hotel twice the allowed height?
A: No it is not. The maximum allowed height without a variance is 35'. The roof of the hotel is 43' high on the front and much lower on the back since the proposal is to build the hotel into the hillside.

Q: Isn't 80,000 square feet a huge building?
A: No it is not. The proposed hotel is a building that has a footprint of 20,000 square feet and 43' high. The 80,000 square foot number comes from adding the area of every floor inside the building. The outside dimension of the building is the same whether it has 1, 2, or 3 floors.

Q: Isn't the proposed zoning wording change from "20,000 square feet total area" to "20,000 square foot footprint" going to allow huge buildings to be built?
A: No it is not. With the current zoning wording, a building can be built that has a 20,000 square foot footprint and a 35' foot roof. What the change in wording does is allow the interior of such a building to have more than one floor. Whether there are 1, 2, 3, or 4 floors inside the volume of space occupied by the building does not change the outside dimensions.

Q: Isn't an 80 room hotel out of character for Warner?
A: No it is not. Warner has been home to a number of hotels such as the Kearsarge Hotel which was located in the downtown village district where the Pillsbury Free Library is currently located.

Q: I thought the Charrette governs development at Exit 9?
A: No it does not. The charrette is a vision of what might be possible, it does not carry the rule of law.

Q: Isn't the proposed hotel out of scale with the Charrette proposal?
A: Yes, the Charrette proposal was for a much larger hotel. The current proposal is for a smaller hotel.

Q: Why can't the hotel be built where the Charrette proposes it be built?
A: The charrette proposes a hotel on a lot that contains an existing building that has a 60,000 square foot footprint. Such a proposal is in direct violation of current zoning regulations. The hotel proposed by the charrette would still be in violation of the proposed 2007 zoning regulation wording changes. Another reason the hotel can not be built where the charratte suggests is because that land is not for sale.