Another hotel may come to Southlake

The city soon may have a new hotel along the busy Highway 114 corridor.

City Council reviewed a proposed Westin Hotel off State Highway 114 just east of Gateway Church at the March 18 meeting.

The Council will review the development again at the April 1 meeting, but most council members had positive feedback for the project.

“We’ve been planning the highway 114 frontage for a long time,” Mayor John Terrell said. “In my opinion, this particular facility is exactly what we’ve been hoping and working toward getting on the highway 114 frontage.”

The upscale hotel would include 276 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant, meeting and conference space, ballroom space, club-level fitness center, pool with patio, rooftop restaurant and more.

Earlier this month, the Council approved a Cambria Suites hotel just north of State Highway 114 frontage off Kimball Avenue.

Assisted Living Center Tabled

Council decided to table a proposed assisted living center.

With two members absent, five council members voted to hold the HarborChase of Southlake assisted living center until the April 1 meeting.

The 120-unit project would occupy 10 acres and neighbor low-density residential housing and a commercial office space off of Shady Oaks and Southlake Boulevard.

The applicant asked to table the first reading of the project, to wait for a meeting with a full council.

The development requires changing current zoning from agricultural to medium-density residential.

Seven residents spoke in opposition of the project including former mayor Rick Stacy.

“That plan has been our bible. That’s why we look so good,” he said to the Council. “This particular development is beautiful, but it violates the integrity of our land use plan.”

Southlake resident Betsy Birmingham spoke in support of the development that would neighbor Bicentennial Park, home of the future Senior Citizen Senior.

She said the facilities are fitting with Southlake’s standards.

“Nothing surpasses or even compares to HarborChase and what they are offering us,” she said.

Councilman Randy Williamson echoed some council members in terms of improper land use.

“We do have land use plans for a reason and we need to protect those,” he said.

Williamson added that he can see a project such as this one off State Highway 114.