The purpose of these regulations is to encourage the appropriate use of land for the development of motels and hotels and to provide well-designed and convenient tourist accommodations within the Town. (back to top)
No building permit shall be granted for the construction of a motel or hotel until the Zoning Board of Review shall grant a special-use permit therefore in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance. Upon receipt of a completed application as required by Section 1403, the Zoning Board shall refer two copies of the application to the Middletown Planning Board for site plan review, who shall make a written report to the Zoning Board within 45 days of receipt of the application. The Zoning Board shall then hold a public hearing on the application for a special-use permit. Where the decision of the Zoning Board of Review differs from the recommendations of the planning Board, the reasons therefore shall be clearly stated in writing. (back to top)
An application for a special-use permit to construct a motel or hotel shall contain, as a minimum, site plans and supplementary information as required by Section 304, plus the following:
A. Preliminary architectural drawings of all buildings;
B. Location, dimensions and nature of all signs which would require a building permit;
C. Description of proposed accessory uses and interior and exterior areas devoted to such uses;
D. Description of proposed method of sale or rental of units; duration of lease agreements; proposals for time share estate, if any. (back to top)
The following standards of development shall apply to all motels and hotels: (back to top)
Minimum zoning lot size for a hotel or motel use shall be as set forth in Section 603. In addition, no hotel or motel shall provide less than the following minimum land area per unit:
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Zoning
District
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Minimum
Land Area Per Room or Unit
|
|
GB
|
1,500
|
|
LB
|
2,000
|
|
OB
|
2,000
|
|
LI
|
1,000
|
No individual motel unit or hotel room shall be erected or altered so as to have a floor area of less than two- hundred and forty (240) square feet, including bathroom and closet space. (back to top)
In all zoning districts where permitted, a minimum ten (10) foot wide landscaped or natural buffer zone shall be required along all property lines and no building, parking area of above-ground structure shall be permitted din any such buffer zone; provided, however, that wherever such buffer zone abuts a nonresidential zoning district or use, the Zoning Board of Review may allow such buffer zone to be used for these purposes. Along street lines, a minimum ten (10) foot buffer zone shall be required, except for necessary access driveways. Such buffer zones shall be planted with natural landscape materials, screen planting, fencing or trees so as to provide a natural buffer between hotel and motel uses and adjacent streets or property. (back to top)
Where public sewers or public water lines exist, any motel or hotel use shall be required, at its own expense, to connect to such utilities. Where such sewers or water lines are not available, but are planned or shall be extended to serve the development, the Zoning Board may prescribe, as a condition of approval, that such utilities be provided by the developer at his expense. The applicant is required to obtain evidence that the public water lines have adequate capacity to service the motel or hotel and that the sewer system has adequate capacity to transmit and treat wastewater generated from the project. (back to top)
Individual rooms or units in a hotel or motel are permitted to contain kitchen facilities, kitchenettes or kitchen/dining areas intended for the exclusive use of transient guests, subject to the following provisions:
A. Kitchen facilities shall not be designed or used for the provision of housekeeping facilities capable of long-term residential use;
B. Kitchen facilities shall be clearly subordinate to the principal use for transient sleeping and bath accommodations;
C. No more than fifty (50) percent of the rooms or units in a hotel or motel shall contain kitchen facilities. (back to top)
Any use normally associated with, and subordinate to, the principal use of the premises for hotel and motel accommodations, including but not limited to necessary office, recreation, parking and maintenance areas, lunchroom, restaurant, cocktail lounge or gift shop shall be considered an accessory use. The total floor area of all interior accessory uses shall not exceed twenty (20) percent of the floor area of the principal use. (back to top)