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Show J. An artists rendering of the proposed Holiday Inn Approval Sought for Holiday Inn acceptable to them if the landscaping is properly done. City Planner Van Martin later told the Record he is concerned about the precedent that would be set by granting an exception to the Holiday Inn developers. "If the Commission approves the project without a 75 foot buffer strip, they won't be able to require it of other developers along the highway," he said. "You're going to see a lot of cars on that corner. It wll look like a sea of cars." According to Jack Johnson the city should require a wider buffer strip, plans for the Holiday Inn would have to be redrawn and construction of the project could be delayed a year. The Commission also expressed ex-pressed some concern over the height of the proposed clock tower, which is 10 feet over the 35 foot maximum required by ordinance. Commissioner Reynolds and City Planner Martin said they would hate to see the tower lowered in height because it would then be out of proportion to the rest of the building. Plans for a Holiday Inn at the intersection of U.S. Highways 224 and 248, originally approved three years ago but not built because of financing problems, were formally presented to the Planning Commission again last Wednesday for re-approval. Developers of the project, which is slightly revised since it was originally presented, are seeking a renewed conditional use permit to build the 169 room motel and convention center this summer. In Wednesday's presentation, engineer Jack Johnson gave a detailed description of the plans, which call for a two story building with a coffee shop, a 300 seat convention center, 45 foot clock tower, a mall area with 18,000 square feet of commercial shops and a swimming pool. Johnson said the plans are basically the same as those approved three years ago, with the addition of the convention center and elimination of some parking to provide for more landcaping along the highways. Planning Commission members mem-bers expressed surprise that the project had been approved, since no provisions were made in the original plans for a landscaped buffer strip. Although it is not required by 1 the town zoning ordinances, the Commission has established a policy requiring 75 feet of buffer area between the highway and any commercial space, including parking. Planning Commission Chairman Chair-man Burnis Watts, the only member of the present Commission Commiss-ion who participated in the original approval of the project, appeared shocked by the plans. "I think we must have seen it at one a.m. if we approved it," he said. Jack Johnson said he was equally surprised that the original plans showed parking directly along the highway and explained that his revisions allow for a landscaped buffer between 15 and 35 feet wide around the site. The building itself is set back 75 feet from the roads. Planning Commission members mem-bers Bob Wells and Roy Reynolds indicated that Johnson's plan is Martin added that the ordinance ordi-nance may not apply to a clink tower since, presumably no one would reside there. The project is being developed In Rob Morris of the (apson. Morris McConib real estate firm, along with local attorney Kick Prince and Salt lake investors William Kibbie and David del-elhaler. del-elhaler. City Council has already given a tentative approval to a complex financing scheme, presented to the city last month, which makes the project financially feasible. The financing plan involves no-risk municiple bonds to be sold through a New York bonding house, with initial capitol provided pro-vided by Zion's First National Bank. The Utah state Icgisl; recent!) passed a law a 1 1 such municiple bonds, prcv limited to industrial pro' be used for recreational d mcnt as well. |