Hazelwood City Council Gives Its Final Nod on Holiday Inn Express

Hazelwood City Council has given the final deciding vote on whether there will be a Holiday Inn Express built in Hazelwood, and the answer is yes.

The project was originally set to start in November 2010, on a one-acre site located in what area residents know as the old K-Mart parking lot at Taylor Road and Lindbergh Boulevard.

The developer, Spa Hotels, took the first step at the Sept. 7 Hazelwood City meeting. It sought a special land-use permit to proceed with the construction, because the original permit issued in 2010 expired on July 19.

Dan Govero of Govero Land Services, spoke at the Oct. 5 council meeting representing Spa Hotels and said the special land-use permit previously granted over a year ago, had lapsed because of issues with Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) and other agencies.

"Those issues have been resolved," he said. "We are attempting to utilize a vacant out-lot area in the front of the shopping center to revitalize the center."

MSD had questions about sewer drainage impacts from the project.

The had its own concerns whether the hotel would block views of any present and future businesses in the strip mall located behind it like CargoBay Self Storage, as well as a few other establishments . It was also concerned about parking and traffic patterns, which members of council also discussed at the Oct. 5 public hearing.

Govero said the entire site would be resurfaced, and added that due to Missouri Department of Transportation requirements existing entrances on Taylor Road would be used as a requirement of the street's center island.

Govero also said the hotel will be approximately 60 feet off from the road, parking would be added in the front and back of the hotel.

"There will be two or three more parking spaces than required," he said. "Parking will be adequate for the 69 unit, three-story hotel."

No one from the public spoke in favor of or in opposition to the proposal at the public hearing which was then closed for council's final vote on the matter.

Work is projected to last up to 10 months on the hotel.