Wayland likely getting a Best Western Hotel this year

It looks like Wayland will get a new Best Western Hotel on property between the Big Boy Restaurant and Family Farm & Home, perhaps as early as the end of the year.

The Wayland City Planning Commission Tuesday night approved a special use permit and site  plan, with conditions, for requests from developer Dee Patel, who was ill and could not attend the meeting, but architect Denny Dryer filled in to answer questions about the project.

Dryer said the three-story hotel would have 71 rooms and a pool facing the U.S.-131 expressway to the west. It also would have 81 parking spaces to accommodate customers and as many as 25 clients for a conference room. It would be a wood-framed building with a flat roof and a road with access to West Superior Street and Reno Drive.

City Manager Joshua Eggleston said, “I think we (city officials) are content with the 81 parking spaces. for customers and staff.”

The hotel would be located in an area zoned B-2 Business, but by statute it must be permitted by special use.

Planning Commissioner Virgil Gleason said, “I think it’s a good complement to the area,” but did express some reservations about approving particulars he had not read. He agreed to move forward with the reassurance Professional Code Inspections officials Kirk Scharphorn Jr. and Lori Castello will review the project.

Neighbors present for the meeting were eager to welcome the hotel.

Brian Smith, owner of the Big Boy Restaurant, said, “This is probably one of the best neighbors we could have,” noting it would help drive traffic to his eatery and the business complex. “We’re all for it.”

Bruce Trveen, owner of General RV, just to the south, “We get people (customers) from out of state… We need this. We’re looking forward to it helping make this a destination area.”

Mark Shepard, co-owner of the new Lumberyard Dance Center not far away, said he and brother Marty looked at the property themselves and found it to be viable.

Architects and engineers said they have sights set on opening in December 2018, but they’d like to get started on the project this month.