Council updates hotel definitions and meeting‑space requirements in zoning code

Palestine City Council approved an amendment to the zoning code (Chapter 39) that separates the former "hotel/motel" definition into two categories — limited service and full service — and establishes minimum guestroom counts and meeting-space requirements for each category.

Cassie (city staff) explained the revisions: the limited service hotel definition will require at least 90 guest rooms and a minimum of 3,000 square feet of meeting space, while the full service hotel definition will require at least 120 guest rooms, 8,000 square feet of meeting space and at least 1,000 square feet of additional amenities such as restaurants, a pool or fitness facilities. Staff said the change also updates the land‑use chart to align permitted districts for the new categories and that notice to hotel property owners was mailed by certified mail and included a water-bill informational QR code.

Local hoteliers Tim Patel and Veer Patel spoke in favor, saying the definition changes are intended to attract larger meeting-space projects and protect existing hoteliers from oversaturation. Tim Patel noted that similar rules in a nearby city led to a larger full-service property being built later and argued that meeting-space requirements "will bring a different kind of hotel to our town." Veer Patel, who owns a La Quinta Inn & Suites in town, said the change helps ensure sustainable investment and prevents oversupply of small, nonviable properties.

Council unanimously approved the ordinance as amended to reflect the corrected numeric thresholds presented during the hearing and requested staff incorporate the clarification into the published ordinance language.