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Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Meeting <br /> May 27,2015 <br /> Design Guidelines Waiver—Fairfield Inn&Suites <br /> Planning and Development Department <br /> Staff Report <br /> ISSUE <br /> Should the Planning and Zoning Commission approve a request by La Porte Lodging <br /> Hospitality LLC for a waiver to the city's exterior fagade materials design guidelines for <br /> construction of new Fairfield Inn &Suites at 711 Highway 146 South? <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> The site is subject to the city's Design Guidelines as outlined in Article IX of Chapter 106 <br /> of the city's Code of Ordinances. Section 106-928 outlines various architectural design <br /> guidelines, including building form, building articulation, roof, architectural design <br /> elements, and exterior fagade materials. Because this site front Highway 146,the code <br /> requires 80%of the building's fagade be covered by stone or masonry materials for a <br /> Tier 1 building and 20%for other materials such as stucco, architectural block, <br /> cementitious fiberboard, EIFS (above 14 feet), and painted, colored or stamped tilt-wall. <br /> The applicant is requesting consideration of a waiver to the city's Design Guidelines <br /> concerning Exterior Fagade Materials.This item was presented to the Commission for <br /> consideration at the March 19, 2015 meeting. At that time the applicant was proposing <br /> to deviate from the city's requirements for a building fagade, which requires a minimum <br /> 80%of the fagade be covered by stone or brick/masonry.Their proposal included <br /> covering 25%of the fagade with brick/stone.The Commission expressed some concern <br /> with the deviation from the code and the applicant decided to re-evaluate the request. <br /> Since that meeting, the applicant has revised their drawings to provide 60%stone/brick <br /> coverage. Because this is still less than the 80% required in the code,the applicant is <br /> requesting consideration of a waiver to this requirement. <br /> Section 106-927 of the city's Code of Ordinances states that the Planning and Zoning <br /> Commission may approve a waiver request subject to two findings.The following is a list <br /> of those findings: <br /> 1. The project as designed is consistent with the general spirit and intent of the City <br /> of La Porte's Comprehensive Plan. <br /> 2. The proposed building will result in an attractive contribution to the community. <br /> 1 <br />