Zoning board grants variances for proposed 88-room hotel at 8819 Stewart Road after FAA-driven site changes

GALVESTON, Texas — On April 9, 2025, the Galveston Zoning Board of Adjustment approved two variances for a proposed three-story, 88-room InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) boutique hotel at 8819 Stewart Road. The board approved eliminating the Height and Density Development Zone (HDDZ) requirement that 30% of the building façade sit at the required build-to line, and later voted to grant relief from the HDDZ wall-plane articulation standards for the building’s Stewart Road frontage.

The variances stemmed from a design change the applicant said was needed to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety and approach requirements. “We are project managers on this project,” applicant Himanshu Makwana said, adding that the FAA would only approve a three‑story building if the structure was pushed farther back on the lot. Makwana said that working with the FAA for four months produced “all their blessings” but left the project unable to meet the build-to-line and wall articulation rules without significant redesign.

Why it matters: the HDDZ rules — intended to create active, pedestrian-friendly street frontages — require at least 30% of a building to meet the build-to line and require wall-plane changes of depth every 30 feet (with at least a five-foot shift for a minimum length) to break up long, flat facades. The applicant argued that standard hotel room module widths and franchise design standards for the IHG brand constrained façade articulation options, creating what they described as a practical hardship given FAA constraints.

Details of the requests and board action

- Build-to-line: Staff reported the HDDZ requires at least 30% of the building to be located at the build-to line along the Stewart Road property line. The applicant requested elimination of that requirement (i.e., reducing the required percentage to 0). After discussion, the board approved the variance allowing removal of the 30% build-to-line requirement. The record does not include a roll-call tally for that vote; the commission’s discussion indicates the motion passed with voting members present and at least one alternate participating.

- Wall-plane articulation: The HDDZ requires changes of depth at least every 30 feet; the applicant requested relief to permit longer unbroken wall sections to accommodate franchise-standard room widths (applicant stated many rooms are 12 feet wide). During the hearing, commissioners questioned whether alternate layouts (for example, grouping three 12-foot rooms to create a 36-foot module) would meet articulation requirements and asked the applicant to provide elevations, exact dimensions between articulation points, and examples of similar hotel approvals. The applicant later provided elevation drawings and explained the franchise and a market feasibility study dictated the room mix and dimensions. The applicant characterized the rearward setback required by the FAA as the principal constraint that forced the façade configuration.

After receiving the additional elevation drawings during the meeting and hearing public comments that the project would bring more family-oriented lodging to the area, the board voted to grant the variance relieving the wall‑plane articulation requirement. The record shows the motion passed; no detailed vote tally was recorded in the transcript.

Applicant and project details

Project manager Himanshu Makwana (who identified himself as “Mac”) told the board the proposed hotel—referred to in the hearing materials as an Attivan Suites property operated under IHG—would be a three‑story wood‑frame hotel with 88 rooms. He said the developer would raise the building pad by approximately six feet and that the first floor would be brick with stucco upper floors and substantial glazing. Makwana said the project team had coordinated with the FAA and that FAA approval required pushing the building back on the lot.

Staff noted there were no objections from city departments or utilities on the submitted materials; public notice was sent and no mailed oppositions were recorded. Commissioners asked for and received a front elevation rendering and floor plan details during the hearing.

Limitations and open questions

- The transcript records differing references to the exact dimension the applicant sought for the wall-plane relief (speakers referred to both a 70‑foot span and a 92‑foot figure at different points). The board asked for and later received elevation drawings during the meeting; the final motion does not include a numeric articulation limit in the meeting record included in the transcript. The precise condition language and any numeric limits the board attached to the approved variance should be confirmed in the final action minutes and the zoning file.

- The applicant repeatedly stated franchise standards for the IHG brand and a market feasibility study determined room widths and mix; the board accepted that as part of the hardship justification. The transcript does not include independent market-study documentation beyond the applicant’s statements; staff had the project plans in the packet and later displayed elevations sent by the applicant.

What happens next

The applicant will proceed to permitting consistent with the variances granted; any required modifications to dimensions or materials that fall within the board’s approved relief must comply with the final approved permit and conditions. The board noted that similar proposals in more prominent commercial corridors might receive closer scrutiny under the HDDZ rules, but members said the Stewart Road location and adjacent built context influenced their decision.

Speakers quoted or summarized in this article are identified in the meeting record as planning staff and the applicant, Himanshu Makwana.