To the editor:

The out-of-state developer is requesting waivers for the proposed hotel on Gooding Avenue prior to the Master Plan review stage. Whaat does these waivers mean and imply?

Several waivers mean the developer does not have to show what their hotel will look like in relation to the neighborhood and Town until the final review. Also, we will not know the effects of the illumination of the hotel and its parking lot on the neighborhood.

The size, location, and illumination of the hotel sign will be a mystery until later. A waiver for impact of sewerage flow is required at this stage, but the developer requests a waiver.

So, the next question is, why are these waivers being requested. We can only surmise the reasons.

A Comfort Inn and Suites hotel prototype features a massive, three-story concrete structure, which is usually located in a more urban area or on a highway. This hotel prototype is too large and inconsistent with Bristol’s small town historical character.

This hotel will have a tall concrete wall located along Gooding Avenue. This wall structure will not be a welcoming or a visually appealing sight as one drives on Gooding Avenue.

Also of concern is the negative impact of a large hotel structure on the neighborhood. This hotel is elevated above the area, and will overlook homes, invade neighbors’ privacy, and potentially affect home values.
These waivers of certain requirements, which are required at the Master Plan review, must be denied. The town and neighbors deserve to know at the first stage of review how this hotel will affect them, from size, visual impact, illumination, sewage flow, to signage.

What can we do? Make your voices heard: No waivers!

Attend the planning board meeting on Thursday, July 10, at 7 p.m. at Bristol Town Hall. This is a public hearing on waiver requests for the hotel.

Ted and Emily Spinard
35 Dartmouth St., Bristol