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Date: 3/7/2023
HATFIELD — The Hatfield Planning Board conducted a public hearing on March 1 to go over plans for a three-story hotel proposed for 16 West St.
According to the proposal, Kirit Patel of Shield Hotels is seeking a special permit with site plan approval from the Planning Board to build this three-story hotel with a size of 6,200 square feet per floor and about 35 guest rooms.
The proposed hotel, which was introduced early last year, is also expected to house 20 self-storage units located in two buildings on either side of the property.
During the hearing, Jeff Squire – a principal land architect from Berkshire Design Group who spoke on behalf of Patel – noted how the existing structure on 16 West St. was originally constructed as the Howard Johnson Ice Cream Shop and Grille and has more recently been used for offices.
The site, a small distance from Exit 27 off Interstate 91, is located between Pioneer Valley Indoor Karting to the south and the Hatfield Inn motor lodge to the north. The existing parcel holistically is around 60,000 square feet, according to Squire, and the hope is to build the hotel where the existing building is.
“The parking lot and the expansive pavement have been shrunk a bit because there’s a lot of unusable and unnecessary space out there now with the way the parking lot is set up,” said Squire, who added that there will be 38 spaces provided on the site for the project.
While the majority, including the public, were in favor of this project, the Planning Board asked that additional information be provided at their next meeting in April. Planning Board Chair Stephanie Slysz particularly inquired about lighting in the area.
“We hadn’t shown whole lights anywhere, so that’s certainly something we can provide as a follow-up,” said Squire.
The Planning Board also asks that the applicants create a building that looks “more like Hatfield” and less “Like a concrete block.”
According to Patel, this will be considered a boutique hotel and will function more as an overnight stay rather than an extended one, and most rooms will have one or two bedrooms and there will be a king-sized bedroom. He also said the inside of the hotel will be “nicely decorated.”
Shield Hotels is a hotel development and management company that provides professional services to a collection of hotels in the New England area and beyond. Their current properties in the area include the Courtyard in West Springfield, the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Holyoke, the Hampton Inn in Westfield and the Quality Inn & Suites in Northampton.
The project will again be discussed at the Planning Board’s April 5 meeting.