Zachary council OKs hotel site after redesign
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ZACHARY — The City Council voted Tuesday to approve the site plan for a proposed new hotel on La. 19.
John Patel is developing the 71-room Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites that will sit across the street from the Best Western Inn, which he also owns.
In addition to the Best Western, Patel and his family own 14 other hotels in and around the state. Patel said he has been in the hotel business for 30 years.
In November, the council voted 3-2 to reject the project because of three waivers Patel was seeking. After that meeting, the project looked dead and Patel said he was considering moving the proposed hotel to Baker.
Tuesday, project spokeswoman Carlyn Tall, general manager of the Best Western and of the proposed Holiday Inn, told the council Patel had redesigned the project so as not to need the waivers.
One of the changes Patel made to fit within the city’s ordinances was to drop a 40-person meeting room, which would have required an additional 10 parking spaces.
Patel also bought an adjoining 10,000 square feet of land to meet the city requirement that all hotels, regardless of the number of floors, occupy at least 1,000 square feet of land per guest room.
Councilman John Coghlan, who voted to approve the hotel in November, congratulated Patel. “I welcome it,” he said of the project. “I’m glad you guys are coming.”
Councilmen Melvin Riley and Francis Nezianya, who voted against the hotel last year, said they were satisfied with the changes Patel had made.
Councilman Randy Bouley, who also voted no in November, was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.
In other business, the council authorized Mayor Henry Martinez to sign an agreement between the city and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office to allow Sheriff Sid Gautreaux to put a substation at the intersection of La. 964 and Pride-Port Hudson Road.
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