TAUNTON — A plan to convert a former Weir Street rooming house into an 18-unit hotel has councilors concerned about potential roadway safety hazards, City Councilor Barry Sanders said.
Manuel Soares is proposing to turn his former rooming house at 49 Weir St. into an 18-room hotel. is on the first floor of the three-story building, as well as a vacant storefront where Silver City pawn shop was once located.
"You've got a significant construction project," he told Soares' lawyer, John DeSousa, during a City Council meeting on June 6.
"Maybe there is not a lot that will be done on the (building's) outside, but imagine there will be something done on the outside."
City Clerk Jennifer Leger said the proposed hotel would have nine guest rooms on the second floor and nine on the third floor, and the first floor will have two commercial store units.
Sanders said he and his colleagues need to know "to what extent will there be obstacles or potential hazards in the area" while the building is being renovated.
"I'd like to know what level of (traffic) disruption we should anticipate," he said.
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Proposed hotel raises parking concerns
City Council President Kelly Dooner said Soares is proposing to create the hotel in "conjunction with existing units" and not to have any off-street parking at 49 Weir St.
"Where will people park?" she asked on behalf of Councilor Estelle Borges, who was absent from the meeting.
Sanders said, "There must be some type of designated parking" for guests staying at the proposed hotel.
"If you have no off-street parking, where will you put them?" he asked. "That will be helpful to know."
Sanders said many of the hotel's guests would not know a municipal parking garage is available near Taunton Green.
"How many people are going to know exactly where to park?" he asked. "Folks that are not from around here are just going to try to find the first available spot,"
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Retail neighbor favors project
Taunton Antique Center owner Michael Keene said he "doesn't foresee" any parking issues near his shop if the proposed hotel does not have designated parking spaces.
"We have approximately 20 parking spaces on the street near my shop, and only two of them are being used," he said while standing outside his shop at noontime on Tuesday.
Keene said the parking availability on Weir Street near his shop includes a free municipal parking lot that can accommodate people who wish to patronize his store and adjacent shops. And he said the hotel might bring more shoppers downtown.
"I think any kind of financial investment in the downtown is worth it to make improvements," Keene said.
Proposed hotel raises questions about safety inspection requirements
Councilor Jeffrey Postell said the Council needs to know more about the proposed hotel's safety and health inspection requirements.
"I don't recall ever having an applicant come in before us in a hearing about a hotel," Postell said. "We have heard of other establishments and living arrangements but never a hotel. We will make some phone calls to the law department and others. I'm assuming that we are going to have checkoffs done by the Board of Health and the state."
DeSousa said there would be "plenty of inspections" of the hotel by the Board of Health and Taunton Fire Department if the Council grants the site a special permit.
"I believe the fire department goes in there quarterly or biannually to ensure everything is working properly," he said.
Sanders said the Council also needs more information from Soares about "fire suppression" in the proposed hotel.
"When you have a lot of people in a small place, there is a risk of having a fire because of people smoking and doing things that they should not be doing," he said.
DeSousa said the building has an existing sprinkler system, and the hotel's occupancy rate is checked during inspections by fire and health officials.
"They make sure that your occupancy is exactly what it is stated and that you are not going above and beyond it," he said.
Postell said he would like to review a standard operating procedure plan for the proposed hotel before deciding whether to approve a special permit.
"They have rules that govern the length of stay for folks," he added. "I'd be interested in seeing that...I have not had to vote on a hotel. This will be a first for me, and I'm curious."
"I'm also curious because we want to make sure we keep it as a hotel and nothing else," Postell said.
The Gazette was unable to reach DeSousa for comments about his client's plans for the proposed hotel.
