ALAMEDA: An effort to put the brakes on a hotel proposed for the Harbor Bay Business Park failed, when the City Council rejected an appeal from a union that claimed more environmental study should have been done before the project won Planning Board approval.Along with rejecting the appeal, the council tweaked the parking requirements for the hotel after Mayor Trish Spencer called for a review of its parking plan.
The hotel will operate under the Fairfield Inn & Suites brand as part of the Marriott chain.Councilwoman Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft said approving the five-story building sent a message that Alameda supported and welcomed businesses.”The need is there,” Ashcraft said. “I think we can make it a project that serves the community well.”The 100-room hotel at 2350 Harbor Bay Parkway will feature a ground floor bar and restaurant, as well as an indoor pool, gym, two conference rooms and other amenities.
A complimentary shuttle will provide transport to Oakland International Airport and to Alameda’s Park Street business district.While the council voted 3-1 to uphold the Planning Board’s decision, it added a requirement that the developer secure a signed lease for off-site parking before the city can issue a building permit, and that efforts be made to limit the hotel’s lighting on nearby homes.
