In an area flush with high-density hotels, a smaller, boutique-style inn hopes to attract its share of tourists.
A four-story Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is slated for construction on a piece of vacant land at the corner of A1A and Provincial Drive, just south of The Jungle Organic Restaurant & Market at 2450 N. Highway A1A.
The site is beachside but located in an area that belongs to the city of Melbourne, more commonly known as beachside Melbourne.
Certified General Contract-ors Inc. (CGC) of Melbourne was awarded the contract to build the 58,000-square-foot prototype hotel, which will have 90 suites, a pool and 93 parking spots.
Plans for a rooftop eating area, which would have required a conditional use permit and council approval, were briefly considered by the developer, 360 Hospitality LLC of Cocoa Beach, but eventually discarded.
Some nearby residents were surprised to learn of the new project and wondered why a public hearing was not held prior to the announcement.
But Community Develop-ment Director Cindy Dittmer said Melbourne city code does not require a hearing for straight site plans.
“Per the zoning code of the city of Melbourne, Florida, a hotel is a permitted use in the commercial parkway zoning district of this property,” Dittmer said. “There are no additional approvals required to allow this use within this zoning district.”
Site plans over three acres require board or City Council approval. This site plan was below that threshold and is ready to be approved once a pre-construction meeting is held with the developer/contractor.
Steve Seville lives on Provincial Drive and doesn’t want his neighborhood to end up commercialized like Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral.
“That type of area is why I settled in this more residential area,” Seville said. “The project changes the landscape, and while I understand there is to be no access from Provincial, I know there will be those who turn onto Provincial by mistake and have to drive all the way down to the end to turnaround. I’m very disappointed in the city.”
The city’s land development code does require a 6-foot-tall opaque fence in place where the hotel site abuts residential property. Additionally, there are landscape areas and building setback requirements separating the hotel building from neighboring property.
Currently there are no plans to add a signal at the intersection or a footbridge, so hotel guests will have to walk to the nearest signal at Paradise Boulevard to cross A1A to get to the beach.
Joe Pulvino. who lives on Rio Baya N, about a mile west of the new hotel, worries about congestion from pedestrians crossing.
“This is not Cocoa Beach, we do not need another hotel especially one that is on the opposite side of a major thoroughfare from the beach,” Pulvino said. “I believe it will be a very dangerous pedestrian location.”
Jeffrey Brown has been a resident of Indialantic since 2011, and said that while he enjoys the quaintness of his town, a little controlled growth in the commercial area can’t hurt.
“Hotels and condos do have some impact on law enforcement and fire rescue service levels, but at the same time, provide revenue through hotel bed taxes, property taxes and, just as importantly, income to the great small businesses that we support,” Brown said.
Adam Broadway is president and chief executive officer of CGC and a resident of the unincorporated area of Indialantic himself. He said residents shouldn’t have any concerns. In fact, he thinks the new hotel will increase nearby property values.
“It’s going to be a great project,” Broadway said. “We are excited about the project and it will be great to have it in the beachside community.”
