DRC gives early feedback on hotel massing and parking structure at The Factory; questions remain on windows, porte‑cochere and garage screening

Holiday Properties and its design team returned to the Design Review Committee to present a refined concept for a hotel and an associated parking structure at The Factory (230 Franklin Road). The presentation followed earlier massing conversations and sought preliminary guidance on roof profile, window rhythm, a porte‑cochere location, materials and the parking‑structure top level screening.

Presenters emphasized a simplified roof approach that carries a single sloped roof shape through multiple court‑facing masses and a restrained porte‑cochere intended to help mark the main guest entrance without an overly heavy canopy. The design shows larger ground‑floor openings for lobby access and garage‑style doors, ribbon windows on upper floors and a glazed stair tower that projects slightly from the main facade to announce a vertical circulation core and an upper‑level bar/patio.

Staff recommended the team provide window measurements and comparative sections so the DRC can assess whether new openings maintain the vertical proportions and solids‑to‑void ratios typical of historic buildings on the site. Staff also suggested exploring whether the porte‑cochere could be tucked to reduce its frontal prominence and recommended renderings showing the building with alternative roofing materials and facade materials. The parking structure prompted focused comments: the applicant showed studies with either an open guardrail on the top level (reducing perceived mass but exposing parked cars) or a full parapet (screening cars but increasing visible mass). Members suggested a hybrid approach — screening on the Franklin‑Road elevation where visibility is greatest, with lighter open rail treatments on less visible sides — and asked to see options for brick or precast panels and metal screening consistent with the Factory campus palette.

Committee feedback was iterative: members generally liked the building’s broken massing and the notion of a modern, intentionally different stair tower and black metal accents, but repeatedly asked for more detail about window proportions, the stair tower’s visibility and the porte‑cochere’s exact position and structure. Several members urged that the design remain "readable" as a group of connected pieces rather than a monolithic block, and recommended additional renderings that compare shingle vs. metal roofing and show how the garage top is treated from the Franklin Road vantage.

No formal vote or COA was requested; staff and the applicant agreed on a plan to return with more detailed drawings, material samples, and specific window and stair details for a future hearing.